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Students who want to fill out the FAFSA for 2027-28 can start at StudentAid.gov, where the form is now open. The federal deadline is 11:59 p.m. CT on June 30, 2028. Federal Student Aid says state and school deadlines may come much sooner. It also says most people finish their section in 12 minutes or less.
Key numbers to fill out the FAFSA
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Aid period covered | July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028 |
| Federal deadline | June 30, 2028, 11:59 p.m. CT |
| Correction deadline | Sept. 12, 2028, 11:59 p.m. CT |
| Tax year the form uses | 2025 |
| Schools you can list online | Up to 20 |
| Cost | Free |
The form covers aid from July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028. Corrections are due by Sept. 12, 2028, at 11:59 p.m. CT. Tax data comes from 2025 returns. Families can list up to 20 schools online. The form costs nothing.
Step 1: Create your account
Federal Student Aid requires a StudentAid.gov account to start or submit the form. Parents and spouses who add information need their own accounts. Signing up takes a name, a date of birth, an email address, and a Social Security number if the person has one. The name must match the Social Security card.
Step 2: How to fill out the FAFSA form
The 2027-28 form is available now. Earlier school terms, through June 30, 2027, use the 2026-27 form. Students pick the form year, log in, and choose “Student.” A parent who starts a dependent child’s form chooses “Parent.”
Most people can finish without any papers. Federal Student Aid says most can import tax information straight from the IRS. The form flags any document it needs. Those can include tax returns, child support records, bank balances, cash above $1,000, and non-retirement investments, businesses and farms.
Step 3: Bring in a parent or spouse
A dependent student cannot fill out the FAFSA alone, because a parent must add their own information. Federal Student Aid has a “Who’s My FAFSA Parent?” tool to pick the right parent. An independent student fills out the form alone. A married student who filed taxes separately needs the spouse to add information.
Each person who adds information must consent to the IRS tax data transfer. If a spouse, a parent, or a parent’s spouse does not consent, the student is not eligible for federal student aid. That holds even if the person types in tax figures by hand.
Step 4: List schools and submit
The last step to fill out the FAFSA is the school list and the signatures.
List at least one school. You can add up to 20 on the online form, and you can change the list after you submit. Add schools you have applied to even if they have not accepted you yet. Schools cannot see the other schools on your form.
The form is not complete until everyone who must contribute has signed and submitted their section. If it processes right away, you can see your Submission Summary at once. If not, processing takes one to three days and you get an email. The aid shown is only an estimate. Each school sends an official offer after it admits you.
Deadlines to watch
State deadlines vary. Texas lists a priority date of Jan. 15, 2027. Connecticut lists Feb. 15, 2027. California lists March 2, 2027, for most programs. Georgia and Illinois say to apply as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Federal Student Aid lists each state on its FAFSA deadlines page. Colleges set their own dates too.
If your family’s finances have changed since 2025, still submit the form. Then contact the school’s financial aid office and explain. The school’s decision is final and cannot be appealed to the Education Department.
Never pay for the FAFSA
You never pay to fill out the FAFSA. The real form is on a .gov website. A site that asks for payment is not the real form. The Jolt Journal’s guide to government impersonation scams covers how to spot them. For the bigger picture on borrowing, see its report on the student debt crisis.
