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2027–28 FAFSA: deadlines, tax year & Pell Grant check

The 2027–28 FAFSA opened Sept. 23, 2026, at fafsa.gov. It covers college from July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028, and asks for 2025 tax information. The federal deadline is June 30, 2028, but many state and college deadlines come much sooner, and some state aid is first-come, first-served. File as early as you can; it's free.

Checked Oct. 23, 2026

Next step: create a StudentAid.gov account for the student and each parent or spouse who must contribute, then file at fafsa.gov. Before you start, look up your state's deadline below.

2027–28 FAFSA at a glance

Question	Answer
When it opened	Sept. 23, 2026 (ED press release; FSA announcement)
School year it covers	July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028
Tax year it asks about	2025 federal tax return
Federal deadline	Must be received by June 30, 2028 (FAFSA form). Your school must have your correct information by your last day of enrollment in 2027–28.
Corrections	Until mid-September 2028; the exact date comes in a Federal Register notice (FSA processing schedule)
Schools you can list	Up to 20 online (10 on the paper form)
Cost	Free. Paid preparers are prohibited.
Free help	StudentAid.gov/fafsahelp or 1-800-433-3243
Starting school in spring 2027?	That's the 2026–27 FAFSA, due June 30, 2027 (Federal Register)

Which FAFSA do I file?

Runs on your phone; nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Month your term startsYear

2027–28 state FAFSA deadlines

From the Education Department's 2027–28 FAFSA form (page 2). Unless noted, dates are when the form must be received. “Awards made while funds exist” means filing early matters. Your college may have its own earlier date; ask its financial aid office.

Your state

State	2027–28 deadline (as printed)
Alabama	Check with your financial aid office.
Alaska	Alaska Education Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. Alaska Performance Scholarship: For priority consideration, submit by June 30, 2027. Awards made while funds exist.
American Samoa	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
Arizona	Arizona Promise Program: For priority consideration, submit by April 1, 2027.
Arkansas	Academic Challenge: July 1, 2027. Governor’s Scholars Program: Distinguished, March 1, 2027; Non-Distinguished, July 1, 2027. ArFuture Grant: fall term, July 1, 2027; spring term, Jan. 10, 2028.
California	For many state financial aid programs: March 2, 2027 (date postmarked). Cal Grant also requires submission of a school-certified GPA by March 2, 2027. For additional community college Cal Grants: Sept. 2, 2027 (date postmarked). For noncitizens without a Social Security card or with one issued through the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, fill out the California Dream Act Application. Contact the California Student Aid Commission or your financial aid office for more information.
Colorado	Check with your financial aid office.
Connecticut	For priority consideration, submit by Feb. 15, 2027. Check with your financial aid office or state agency. More forms may be required.
Delaware	May 15, 2027
District of Columbia	For priority consideration, submit by June 25, 2027. DC Tuition Assistance Grant: For priority consideration, submit the DC OneApp and supporting documents by July 1, 2027.
Federated States of Micronesia	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
Florida	May 15, 2027 (date processed). Check with your financial aid office.
Georgia	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. Refer to Georgia Student Finance Commission’s website for more information.
Guam	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
Hawaii	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
Idaho	Opportunity Scholarship: Submit by March 1, 2027. Check with your financial aid office or state agency. More forms may be required.
Illinois	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Monetary Award Program (MAP): Awards made while funds exist. Refer to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission’s website for program information.
Indiana	Frank O’Bannon Grant, 21st Century Scholarship, Workforce Ready Grant, and Adult Student Grant: April 15, 2027
Iowa	July 1, 2027; earlier priority deadlines may exist for certain programs. More forms may be required.
Kansas	For priority consideration, submit by April 1, 2027. Check with your financial aid office or state agency. More forms may be required.
Kentucky	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist.
Louisiana	July 1, 2028 (Feb. 1, 2027, recommended)
Maine	May 1, 2027
Marshall Islands	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026.
Maryland	Howard P. Rawlings Educational Excellence Awards (EEA): March 1, 2027
Massachusetts	For priority consideration, submit by May 1, 2027.
Michigan	Michigan Competitive Scholarship and Michigan Tuition Grant: For priority consideration, submit by July 1, 2027.
Minnesota	State Grant: By 30th day of term. North Star Promise: For priority consideration, submit by June 1, 2027. All other aid: Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
Mississippi	MTAG and MESG Grants: Oct. 15, 2027. HELP Grant: April 30, 2027
Missouri	For priority consideration, submit by Feb. 1, 2027. Applications accepted through April 1, 2027.
Montana	For priority consideration, submit as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
N. Mariana Islands	For priority consideration, submit as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. More forms may be required.
Nebraska	Check with your financial aid office.
Nevada	Silver State Opportunity Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. Nevada Promise Scholarship: April 1, 2027. More forms may be required. Awards made while funds exist. All other aid, check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
New Hampshire	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
New Jersey	Renewal applicants (2026–27 Tuition Aid Grant recipients): April 15, 2027. All other applicants: fall and spring terms, Sept. 15, 2027; spring term only, Feb. 15, 2028.
New Mexico	Check with your financial aid office.
New York	June 30, 2028. More forms may be required.
North Carolina	For priority consideration, submit by June 1, 2027, if attending a UNC System institution or community college. Submit as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026, if attending a private institution. Awards made while funds exist.
North Dakota	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist.
Ohio	Oct. 1, 2027
Oklahoma	Check with your financial aid office.
Oregon	Oregon Opportunity Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. OSAC Private Scholarships: March 1, 2027. More forms may be required. Oregon Promise Grant and other state grants: Contact state agency. More forms may be required.
Palau	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
Pennsylvania	First-time applicants enrolled in a community college, business/trade/technical school, hospital school of nursing, designated Pennsylvania open-admission institution, or nontransferable two-year program: Aug. 1, 2027. All other applicants: May 1, 2027. More forms may be required.
Puerto Rico	Check with your financial aid office.
Rhode Island	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
South Carolina	SC Commission on Higher Education Need-based Grants: first come, first served; awards made while funds exist. SC Tuition Grants: Aug. 1, 2027, for SC independent institutions only.
South Dakota	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
Tennessee	State Grant: Prior-year recipients receive award if eligible and apply by April 1, 2027; all other awards made to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Awards made while funds exist. Tennessee Promise: April 1, 2027. State Lottery: fall term, Sept. 1, 2027; spring term, March 1, 2028; summer term, May 1, 2028.
Texas	For priority consideration, submit by Jan. 15, 2027. More forms may be required. Private and two-year institutions may have different deadlines; check with your financial aid office.
U.S. Virgin Islands	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.
Utah	Check with your financial aid office. Awards made while funds exist. More forms may be required. Visit the Utah System of Higher Education website for details about aid options.
Vermont	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. More forms may be required.
Virginia	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Deadlines vary by institution; check with your financial aid office. Students who are ineligible for federal aid but meet state aid and residency requirements can instead complete the Virginia Alternative State Aid Application. Check with your financial aid office.
Washington	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Funds available year round, and all eligible students will be awarded. Check with your financial aid office.
West Virginia	Promise Scholarship: March 1, 2027. New applicants must submit additional form. Contact your financial aid office or state agency. WV Higher Education Grant: April 15, 2027. WV Invests Grant: For priority consideration, submit by April 15, 2027.
Wisconsin	Check with your financial aid office.
Wyoming	Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required.

Who has to fill it out

Parents report if you're a dependent student: the FAFSA says a parent must complete the parent section if the student was born after 2003, is single, divorced, separated or widowed, is an undergraduate, and none of the form's independence situations apply (such as serving on active duty, being a veteran, an orphan, a ward of the court since age 13, or an emancipated minor). That's true even if you don't live with a parent.
Spouses: a married student's spouse, and a parent's spouse or partner, may need to provide information, depending on how they filed their 2025 taxes.
Consent is required: the student and every contributor must consent to and approve the use of their federal tax information. The form says this is a condition of eligibility.
New this year: students can invite a contributor by text message as well as email; returning students get answers pre-filled from last year's form “later this fall,” per the Education Department.

Pell Grants: what's known for 2027–28

Maximum award not set yet. StudentAid.gov says the 2027–28 maximum will be announced in early 2027 (StudentAid.gov). The administration's FY 2027 budget request proposes $7,395 (ED budget request); Congress decides.
2026–27 for comparison: maximum $7,395, minimum $740 (10% of the maximum, rounded to $5). A Pell Grant based on your Student Aid Index (SAI) is the maximum minus your SAI, rounded to the nearest $5, if that's at least the minimum (FSA letter).
Automatic maximum Pell: under the 2027–28 rules, a student qualifies if the parents (or an independent student and spouse) didn't file a 2025 tax return, or if AGI is above $0 and no more than 175% of the 2025 poverty guideline (225% for a single parent) for the family size and state (2027–28 SAI guide).
Minimum Pell: dependent students whose parents' AGI is at or below 275% of the guideline (325% for a single parent); independent students at or below 400% (single parent), 350% (parent, not single) or 275% (not a parent), as long as the SAI is less than twice the maximum Pell Grant.
Limits: you can get Pell from only one school for the same period, up to 150% of a yearly award if you attend an extra term, and for 12 semesters (or the equivalent) in your lifetime.

Quick Pell Grant income check (2027–28 rules)

A rough screen using the 2027–28 SAI guide's maximum and minimum Pell income tests (percent of the 2025 poverty guideline). It isn't your Student Aid Index. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Student typeFiled a 2025 federal tax return?

Single parent? (the parent who reports, or you if independent)

Household (family) sizeState group

2025 adjusted gross income (AGI), whole dollars

Avoid FAFSA scams

The FAFSA is free at fafsa.gov. Anyone charging to file it is breaking the form's rule against paid preparers.
Help is free from your school's financial aid office, your high school counselor, StudentAid.gov/fafsahelp or 1-800-433-3243.

Facts, not financial advice. We republish Education Department rules with dates and do simple arithmetic. Your official results come from the FAFSA, and your aid offer comes from your school. No partner links on this page.

Sources & as-of dates

2027–28 FAFSA form (PDF), including state deadlines (Federal Student Aid; checked 2026-10-23)
ED press release: 2027–28 FAFSA launch (Sept. 23, 2026; checked 2026-10-23)
FSA electronic announcement: 2027–28 FAFSA live to the public (Sept. 23, 2026 update; checked 2026-10-23)
2027–28 FAFSA Specifications Guide, Vol. 2 (processing schedule) (July 2026; checked 2026-10-23)
Federal Register 2026-12462: 2026–27 FAFSA deadline dates (June 22, 2026; checked 2026-10-23)
2027–28 SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide (June 2026; checked 2026-10-23)
FSA Dear Colleague Letter: 2026–27 Pell Grant maximum and minimum (Jan. 30, 2026; updated Feb. 18, 2026; checked 2026-10-23)
StudentAid.gov: Don't miss out on Federal Pell Grants (2027–28 maximum announced early 2027; checked 2026-10-23)
ED FY 2027 budget request: Student Financial Assistance (proposal; checked 2026-10-23)
2025 HHS poverty guidelines (90 FR 5917) (Jan. 17, 2025; checked 2026-10-23)

FAQ

When is the 2027–28 FAFSA due?

The federal deadline is June 30, 2028: the Education Department must receive your form by then. But state and college deadlines are often much earlier, some as soon as money runs out, so file as early as you can. Tennessee Promise, for example, is April 1, 2027.

When did the 2027–28 FAFSA open?

The Education Department made the 2027–28 FAFSA available to the public on Sept. 23, 2026, at fafsa.gov. The law requires it to launch by Oct. 1.

Which tax year does the 2027–28 FAFSA use?

2025. The form asks about the 2025 federal tax return for the student, spouse and parents who must report information. Tax information is transferred from the IRS to the form once each person gives consent.

What is the maximum Pell Grant for 2027–28?

Not set yet. StudentAid.gov says the 2027–28 maximum will be announced in early 2027. For 2026–27 it is $7,395 and the minimum is $740. The administration's FY 2027 budget request proposes keeping the maximum at $7,395.

Do my parents have to fill out the FAFSA?

If you were born after 2003, aren't married, are an undergraduate and none of the FAFSA's independence situations apply, you're a dependent student and a parent must complete the parent section, even if you don't live with them. Each contributor must consent to sharing federal tax information, or you won't get a Student Aid Index.

Does it cost money to file the FAFSA?

No. The FAFSA is free, and the form says paid preparers are prohibited. Free help: StudentAid.gov/fafsahelp or 1-800-433-3243.

Is this my financial aid offer?

No. This page republishes Education Department rules with dates and does simple arithmetic. Your school uses your FAFSA results to build your actual aid offer.

Estimates, not financial advice. Taxes, insurance, PMI and fees vary by lender, county and city; confirm with your lender, dealer and state agency before acting.