The 2027-28 FAFSA is open, a week ahead of the October 1 target

On September 23, 2026, Federal Student Aid posted this update: "The Department is pleased to announce that the 2027-28 FAFSA form is now live to the general public." The original plan, in the same announcement, was a "public release by Oct. 1, 2026."

It got there in two test rounds. The first beta started in early August with community partners in a handful of states and ran "through Thursday Aug. 20". The second opened on August 25 to any family that asked to join. FSA says the first round "helped nearly 2,000 students complete their 2027-28 FAFSA forms."

Beta filings were real filings. They went to colleges like any other. FSA also says filing in the beta "doesn't give you an advantage over other students."

If you are a senior applying this fall for fall 2027, this is your form. File it at fafsa.gov.

The federal deadline is June 30, 2028. That is not the one to watch. StudentAid.gov's deadlines page says each college "may have its own deadline" and each state has its own. Some are early: California's date for most state aid programs is March 2, 2027, and Alaska's Education Grant says to apply "as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026" because "aid is awarded until all funds run out." Check the aid page of every college on your list and your state's page, and write down the earliest date you find.

If your form asks for a parent's information, that parent is invited to their own section and needs their own StudentAid.gov account. Setting accounts up is the slow part, so start there.

If you are a junior, nothing to file yet. Your form will be the 2028-29 FAFSA, a year from now.