FAFSA 2027-28 Deadlines October 1 Open and State Priority

Published September 23, 2026 - Washington, DC. The FAFSA 2027-28 opens October 1, 2026 for the academic year starting fall 2027. Federal deadline is June 30, 2028, but state and institutional deadlines run earlier.

The October 1 open date was established by the FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020 and has held since the 2024-25 cycle. Returning students use the FAFSA Renewal, which typically takes 15-30 minutes (Federal Student Aid, 2026).

At a glance

• FAFSA 2027-28 opens October 1, 2026.
• Federal deadline: June 30, 2028 at 11:59 PM CT.
• State priority deadlines: as early as October 1 for some state grants.
• Common state priority deadline: March 1-2 for state grant consideration.
• Institutional deadlines: November 1 to February 1 for selective schools.
• Pell Grant maximum 2027-28 not yet published; check studentaid.gov in January 2027.
• FAFSA Renewal available for returning students starting October 1.

Data last verified September 23, 2026 from Federal Student Aid at studentaid.gov, the FSA Handbook for partner institutions, and State grant agency pages.

Quick Answer

The FAFSA 2027-28 opens October 1, 2026. Federal deadline is June 30, 2028, but state and institutional deadlines run earlier - March 1-2 for state grants and November 1 to February 1 for selective schools' institutional aid.

Returning students should use the FAFSA Renewal option to populate last year's data and update only changed fields.

Priority state grant deadlines fall in early March. Filing after March 1 disqualifies applicants from some of the largest state grant pools, even if the federal deadline is June 30, 2028.

Why the FAFSA opens October 1

The October 1 open date was established by the FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020 and held as standard from the 2024-25 cycle.

Before 2024, the FAFSA opened January 1, requiring families to estimate tax-year income months before filing returns. The earlier open date lets families complete the FAFSA using the prior-prior year's (PPY) income, which is finalised on tax forms already filed.

The 2027-28 cycle uses 2025 income data. Families will report 2025 federal tax return figures on their 2027-28 FAFSA. For students starting college in fall 2027, the year before last (2025) is the income year for financial aid eligibility.

The earlier open date means applicants submit their FAFSA before knowing college admission results. The sequence inverts from the pre-2024 process - file the FAFSA, then submit college applications, then learn aid packages in March-April.

FAFSA vs CSS Profile

The FAFSA is the federal financial aid application. The CSS Profile, run by College Board, supplements it for institutional aid at roughly 400 colleges and universities. Most public universities use only the FAFSA for institutional aid; private colleges and the Ivies typically require both.

Each CSS Profile school sets its own CSS Profile deadline - typically October 1 for early decision/action applicants and January-February for regular decision. The CSS Profile costs $25 for the first school and $16 per additional school; fee waivers are available for low-income families.

Students should file the FAFSA and CSS Profile on the same day in early October if their school list includes any CSS Profile-required school. Filing both by the early deadline positions the student for state grant, federal aid, and institutional aid review simultaneously.

State grant priority deadlines

Most state grant programs use a priority deadline for FAFSA. Filing by the state priority date qualifies the applicant for state grant review; filing after typically disqualifies. State-by-state priority dates:

Source: Federal Student Aid state grant summary, 2026.

This list is non-exhaustive. Other states use different dates - check each state's higher education agency for the exact deadline. Many states also have separate application supplements in addition to the FAFSA.

Institutional aid deadlines

Selective colleges and universities set their own institutional aid deadlines:

• November 1, 2026: Most colleges require CSS Profile by the ED/EA deadline (supplemental to the FAFSA submitted at the same time).
• January 1 to February 1, 2027: Most selective private colleges close their institutional aid consideration for Regular Decision applicants.
• Rolling or school-specific deadlines: Some publics use rolling deadlines tied to enrollment dates.

The institutional aid deadline is typically the same as the application deadline, but some schools separate them.

The FAFSA itself has no early deadline for federal aid; the institution's deadline determines when the FAFSA must be on file for the school to consider the student for institutional grants and merit scholarships.

FAFSA renewal for returning students

Returning college students file a FAFSA Renewal each year. The Renewal populates demographic data and certain financial fields from the prior year's application; only changed fields need updates.

Renewal typically takes 15-30 minutes versus 60-90 minutes for first-time filers. Returning students should use the renewal option unless:

• Family circumstances changed substantially (parent lost job, sibling now in college, divorce).
• The student switched from dependent to independent status.
• The student is changing schools or programmes within the same year.

The renewal opens simultaneously with the standard FAFSA on October 1, 2026.

Pell Grant maximum for 2027-28

Federal Student Aid publishes the Pell Grant maximum award in late spring or early summer before the cycle begins. The 2027-28 maximum will publish around June 2027, after the FAFSA opens. For reference, the 2026-27 Pell Grant maximum was $7,395 - the highest in the program's history.

Pell Grant eligibility is income-based. For 2027-28, the income limits are likely to remain stable or rise slightly, consistent with the Inflation Reduction Act and Pell Grant indexing formula. Use the Federal Student Aid Eligibility Wizard at studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility to estimate 2027-28 eligibility before filing.

What to do today

Three actions for the September 23 decision window:

• Create or update FSA IDs for student and parent at studentaid.gov/fsaid before October 1. The FSA ID is the digital signature for the FAFSA and takes 1-3 days to verify.
• Gather 2025 federal tax return data for student and parent. Returning filers may have an IRS Data Retrieval Tool option that imports tax data directly.
• Build a school list before October 1 to enable the FAFSA's school selection on day one. The FAFSA can include up to 10 schools; some states have additional school selection requirements for state grant eligibility.

Filing the FAFSA on or shortly after October 1 positions students for both state grant priority review and federal aid processing. Selective schools that use the CSS Profile require both forms in early October for ED applicants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file the FAFSA before my 2025 tax return is filed?

No - the FAFSA requires actual 2025 tax return figures, not estimates. For most filers, 2025 returns were due April 15, 2026 (or October 15, 2026 with extension). The IRS Data Retrieval Tool imports tax data directly from filed returns; check studentaid.gov for IRS DRT availability.

Is the CSS Profile required for state universities?

No - state universities typically use only the FAFSA for institutional aid. The CSS Profile is required by roughly 400 colleges and universities, almost all of them private and most of them selective. If your school list is all publics, the CSS Profile is optional.

What changes if my family financial situation changed this year?

Use the financial circumstances appeal process. Schools have professional judgement authority to adjust the FAFSA calculation if family circumstances changed materially (job loss, medical expense, divorce). Each school's appeal process is different; contact the financial aid office directly.

How long until I receive my aid package after filing the FAFSA?

Federal Student Aid processes the application within 7-14 days; the Student Aid Report (SAR) arrives by email. Schools receive the FAFSA information, calculate aid packages, and send award letters in March-April for the following fall enrolment. State grant agencies process in parallel on different timelines.

Does filing the FAFSA commit me to any school?

No - filing the FAFSA is not a binding commitment. You can include up to 10 schools in the FAFSA and adjust before submission. After submission, you can update your school list as admissions decisions arrive, but the timing matters for aid eligibility.

What is the deadline for homeschooled students?

Homeschooled students follow the same federal, state, and institutional deadlines. The FAFSA does not require a high school diploma or GED for verification - a 'Ability to Benefit' test or state-defined equivalent qualifies homeschooled applicants. Check each institution's homeschool policy for independent verification.