The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, is the single free form that decides whether you can get federal grants, federal student loans and federal work-study for college, career school or trade school. States and colleges also use your FAFSA information to award their own grants and scholarships, so one form opens several doors at once. It costs nothing to file, and you should never pay anyone to file it for you.
This guide covers the 2026–27 award year, which runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. Every date below is labeled with its award year, because the federal deadlines page on studentaid.gov now lists two award years side by side. All dates were checked on studentaid.gov on November 10, 2026.
The dates that matter for the 2026–27 award year
For the 2026–27 award year, the federal deadline is 11:59 p.m. Central Time on June 30, 2027. Any corrections or updates to a 2026–27 form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on September 12, 2027. Those are the dates published on the Federal Student Aid deadlines page on studentaid.gov, and they are the final federal cutoffs, not recommended filing dates.
If you are starting college in fall 2027, you need the next form instead. For the 2027–28 award year, the federal deadline is 11:59 p.m. Central Time on June 30, 2028, with corrections due by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on September 12, 2028. That is the cycle studentaid.gov now lists first on its deadlines page, because it is the form most new applicants need.
One date needs a warning flag. Secondary sources disagree about when the 2026–27 form opened: the Department of Education announced a public release on September 24, 2025, calling it the earliest launch in the program’s history, while other sources list October 1, 2025, the date the law requires the form to be available by each year. Studentaid.gov’s deadlines page itself states no open date. The disagreement does not affect your deadline: the form is open now, and the federal cutoff is June 30, 2027.
Why the federal deadline is not your real deadline
The federal deadline is the last date the federal government will accept the form for that award year. It is not the date that decides how much aid you get. State and college deadlines are usually months earlier, and some state grants are awarded first-come, first-served, which means the money can run out long before the federal deadline arrives.
Federal Student Aid says this plainly on its deadlines page: each state has its own deadline, and each college or career school may have its own deadline too. The page also advises students to ask each school what it means by “deadline,” because it could be the date your form is processed or the date the school receives your processed FAFSA data.
The pattern is consistent across states. For the 2027–28 cycle, California requires submission by March 2, 2027, for most state programs, and the Cal Grant also requires a school-certified GPA by the same date. Maryland’s deadline is March 1, 2027, for the Howard P. Rawlings Educational Excellence Awards Program. Indiana’s is April 15, 2027, for the Adult Student Grant, Workforce Ready Grant, Frank O’Bannon Grant and 21st Century Scholarship. Connecticut’s priority deadline is February 15, 2027. Pennsylvania’s is May 1, 2027, for most students. Several states tell students to file as soon as possible after October 1, 2026, because aid is awarded until funds run out. The same logic applied to the 2026–27 cycle, where most state deadlines fell in early 2026. The lesson is the same in both cycles: treat your earliest state or college deadline as your real deadline, and treat the federal date as a safety net, not a plan.
What the FAFSA unlocks
Filing the FAFSA is how you are considered for the main federal aid programs. The Federal Pell Grant is a grant for undergraduate students with financial need, and it does not have to be repaid. For the 2026–27 award year, the maximum Pell Grant is $7,395, and the minimum is $740, according to Federal Student Aid. Your actual award depends on your Student Aid Index, your school’s cost of attendance and how much you enroll. In certain situations, an eligible student can receive up to 150 percent of the scheduled Pell award for an award year, and Pell Grants are limited to the equivalent of about six years of full-time enrollment.
The form also opens the door to federal student loans, including Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, and to Federal Work-Study, which provides part-time jobs for students with financial need. Most states and many colleges use FAFSA data for their own grants and scholarships, so skipping the form can cost you aid you never applied for separately. There is no separate Pell Grant application: you apply by completing the FAFSA.
The Student Aid Index, and the tax data question
When you file, the government calculates a Student Aid Index, or SAI, from your FAFSA data. The SAI replaced the old Expected Family Contribution starting with the 2024–25 award year. It is a number that reflects your financial need, and schools use it, along with their cost of attendance, to build your aid offer. A lower SAI generally means more need-based aid, and the Pell Grant amount is calculated from the SAI.
The 2026–27 FAFSA uses your 2024 federal tax information, because the form uses prior-prior year tax data. The 2027–28 form uses 2025 tax information. Each contributor to the form must give consent for the U.S. Department of Education to pull federal tax information directly from the IRS; without that consent, aid cannot be awarded. A contributor is anyone required to provide information on your form, which for a dependent student usually means at least one parent. Each contributor needs their own StudentAid.gov account, sometimes called an FSA ID, which acts as a legal electronic signature.
How to apply, step by step
Start at studentaid.gov, the only official site. Create or confirm your StudentAid.gov account before you begin, and make sure each contributor creates their own account too. Gathering documents first saves time: your Social Security number, your federal income tax return for the relevant year, records of untaxed income, and a list of the schools you want the form sent to.
Complete the form online at studentaid.gov. The simplified form has as few as 36 questions and no more than 46, depending on your circumstances. List every school you are considering, because each school you list receives your FAFSA data and uses it to build an aid offer. Review the form before you submit it: a wrong Social Security number, a missing signature or a missing contributor consent are the errors that most often delay processing.
Never pay to file, and watch for scams
Filing the FAFSA is always free when you file directly through studentaid.gov. If a website asks you to pay to file the FAFSA, you are on the wrong site. Paid “FAFSA help” services and lookalike websites are a persistent problem, and they charge for something the government provides free. The official address is studentaid.gov, and the application itself is at fafsa.gov, which redirects to the same official system.
The same caution applies to scholarship offers that arrive unsolicited and ask for payment. Legitimate scholarships do not charge application fees. For help finding them, see our guide to scholarships explained, and if you are considering studying online, read our guide to online degrees explained before you commit to a program.
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal FAFSA deadline for the 2026–27 award year?
June 30, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on September 12, 2027. Both dates are published on studentaid.gov.
When did the 2026–27 FAFSA open?
Sources disagree. The Department of Education announced a public release on September 24, 2025, while other sources list October 1, 2025, the statutory date. Studentaid.gov’s deadlines page does not state an open date. The form is open now, and the federal deadline is June 30, 2027.
Is the FAFSA free?
Yes. Filing is free at studentaid.gov. Never pay a third-party site to file it for you.
What tax year does the 2026–27 FAFSA use?
Your 2024 federal tax information. Contributors must consent to the Department of Education retrieving that data from the IRS.
What is the maximum Pell Grant for 2026–27?
$7,395, according to Federal Student Aid. The minimum is $740. Your actual award depends on your Student Aid Index, your school’s cost of attendance and your enrollment.
What happens if I miss my state deadline but meet the federal deadline?
Missing a state deadline does not affect your federal aid, according to Federal Student Aid, but you may lose state grants, which are often first-come, first-served. File even if a state date has passed, and check with your school’s financial aid office.
Sources
- Federal Student Aid, “FAFSA Application Deadlines” (checked November 10, 2026; 2027–28 federal deadline June 30, 2028, corrections September 12, 2028; 2026–27 federal deadline June 30, 2027, corrections September 12, 2027): StudentAid.gov
- Federal Student Aid, “Federal Pell Grants” (2026–27 maximum $7,395, minimum $740): StudentAid.gov
- Peterson’s, “FAFSA Deadline by State for 2026–27: The Complete List”: Peterson's
- Keuka College, “What You Need to Know About the 2026–27 FAFSA”: Keuka College
- Research.com, “2027 FAFSA Deadline: Requirements, Deadlines, and How to Apply”: Research.com
- CollegeLens, “When Does the FAFSA Open? 2026–27 and 2027–28 Dates”: College Lens
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