FAFSA 2027–28 Deadlines: Federal, State & College Deadlines Explained
Ask most families when the FAFSA is due, and they’ll say “June 30.” That answer is technically correct, and for many students it is also the most expensive one to rely on.
The 2027–28 FAFSA went live on September 23, 2026. The federal filing window runs to June 30, 2028, but the dates that actually control your grant money come from your state and your college, and many of them arrive within months, not years. Some state programs stop awarding money when the funds run out, which can happen long before any calendar date.
This guide lays out every layer of the deadline system, gives you a full state-by-state table, and ends with a filing calendar you can follow.
Quick answer: File as soon as you can. The federal deadline is June 30, 2028, but state and college deadlines can be as early as January 15, 2027 (Texas priority date) and, for some first-come programs, effectively “as soon as the form opens.”
Key Takeaways
- Three deadline layers exist: federal, state and college. The earliest one that applies to you is your real deadline.
- Federal: June 30, 2028 for submitting; September 12, 2028 for corrections (both by 11:59 p.m. Central Time).
- State: Dates range from January 2027 through late 2027, and several states award aid until it’s gone.
- College: Priority dates commonly fall between November 2026 and March 2027.
- The safest strategy is to file now, when the form is already open, so you satisfy every deadline at once.
The Three Layers of FAFSA Deadlines
| Layer | Typical timing | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Federal | June 30 after the school year | Eligibility for Pell Grants, federal loans and Work-Study |
| State | Anywhere from weeks after opening to fall of the school year | State grants and scholarships |
| College | Often November through March | The school’s own grants and scholarships |
Think of them as three separate clocks running at the same time. Missing the federal deadline means you lose federal aid. Missing a state or college deadline typically means you lose that program’s money, even though your federal eligibility remains intact.
The Federal FAFSA Deadline for 2027–28
Submission Deadline: June 30, 2028
The 2027–28 form covers classes between July 1, 2027 and June 30, 2028. According to reporting on this cycle, the federal deadline is June 30, 2028, with corrections accepted through September 12, 2028. thecollegeinvestor
Two important details from Federal Student Aid’s standing rules, as summarized by Saving for College:
- The cutoff is 11:59 p.m. Central Time on June 30, or the end of the student’s enrollment, whichever comes first. savingforcollege
- The college’s financial aid office must have received a valid output document, such as a SAR or ISIR, by the deadline. savingforcollege
That second point catches people out. Submitting a form that is rejected, unsigned or missing a contributor’s part may not count as a valid submission.
Correction Deadline: September 12, 2028
Once you’ve submitted, you can make edits and corrections through September 12, 2028, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time, according to Fastweb’s 2027–28 deadline guide. Corrections are for fixing mistakes or updating information. They are not a substitute for filing on time. fastweb
Are You Still in the 2026–27 School Year?
Current students should not confuse the two forms. The 2026–27 FAFSA remains open until June 30, 2027, and its corrections deadline is September 14, 2027, according to Saving for College. If you’re already enrolled this year and never filed, you can still file the 2026–27 form, though less aid may be available the later you file.
Why the Federal Date Is the Least Important One
The federal deadline is a legal outer limit, not a recommendation. On the 2026–27 FAFSA form itself, Federal Student Aid tells applicants to submit their form as early as possible. There’s a practical reason: state programs and colleges often distribute funds well before June, and money that’s gone is gone. studentaid
State FAFSA Deadlines for 2027–28
State aid programs set their own rules, and the differences are large. Some states have a fixed cutoff. Others award until the fund is empty. A few don’t publish a FAFSA deadline at all and defer to schools.
The dates below come from Fastweb’s 2027–28 state list, which mirrors the format of the deadline list on StudentAid.gov, and were cross-checked against The College Investor’s list. Confirm your state’s date on StudentAid.gov and with your state agency before relying on it, because agencies do change dates and some programs need additional forms.
States With Specific Calendar Deadlines
| State | Deadline (2027–28) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | January 15, 2027 | Priority consideration |
| Louisiana | June 30, 2028 | Recommended by February 1, 2027 |
| Connecticut | February 15, 2027 | Priority; additional forms may be required |
| Missouri | February 2, 2027 | Priority; applications accepted through April 1, 2027 |
| Idaho | March 1, 2027 | Opportunity Grant, priority, by midnight Central |
| Maryland | March 1, 2027 | |
| California | March 2, 2027 | Cal Grant; also requires school-certified GPA by the same date. Some community college Cal Grants: September 2, 2027 |
| West Virginia | March 1, 2027 (PROMISE); April 15, 2027 (WV Grant, WV Invests) | New PROMISE applicants need additional forms |
| Arizona | April 1, 2027 | Priority |
| Kansas | April 1, 2027 | Priority, by midnight Central |
| Tennessee | April 1, 2027 | Also lottery deadlines: Sept 1, 2027 (fall), March 1, 2028 (spring), May 1, 2028 (summer) |
| Nevada | April 1, 2027 (Promise Scholarship) | Silver State Opportunity Grant: ASAP after opening |
| Indiana | April 15, 2027 | Several programs, including Frank O’Bannon and 21st Century Scholarship |
| Mississippi | April 30, 2027 (HELP Grant) | MTAG/MESG: October 15, 2027 |
| Maine | May 1, 2027 | |
| Massachusetts | May 1, 2027 | Priority |
| Pennsylvania | May 1, 2027 (most applicants) | First-time applicants at community colleges, trade and technical schools and certain other institutions: August 1, 2027 |
| Delaware | May 15, 2027 | |
| Florida | May 15, 2027 | |
| Minnesota | June 1, 2027 (North Star Promise) | State Grant: 30th day of the term |
| North Carolina | June 1, 2027 (UNC System) | Community colleges: August 15, 2027 |
| Alaska | June 30, 2027 (Alaska Performance Scholarship) | Alaska Education Grant: ASAP |
| District of Columbia | June 25, 2027 | Priority; DCTAG via DC OneApp by July 1, 2027 |
| Arkansas | July 1, 2027 | Arkansas Future Grant spring term: January 10, 2028 |
| Iowa | July 1, 2027 | Some programs have different priority dates |
| Michigan | July 1, 2027 | Competitive Scholarship and Tuition Grant |
| South Carolina | August 1, 2027 (SC Tuition Grants) | Need-based grants: ASAP |
| New Jersey | April 15, 2027 (TAG recipients); September 15, 2027 (other fall/spring applicants) | See caution below |
| New York | June 30, 2028 | Deadline in source list |
| Ohio | October 1, 2027 |
New Jersey caution: The source list also shows February 15, 2027 for spring-only applicants. That date appears to be a holdover from the 2026–27 cycle, so confirm it with the state’s student aid agency.
First-Come, First-Served: “ASAP” States
In these states, aid is awarded until funds are depleted, so a late filer may find nothing left. According to Fastweb’s list, that includes:
- Alaska (Alaska Education Grant), Georgia, Illinois (Monetary Award Program), Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Oregon (Opportunity Grant) and parts of Nevada, North Carolina (private institutions) and South Carolina.
Illinois, for example, states that awards are made until funds are depleted. For students in these states, the “deadline” is best read as “before the money runs out.”
States That Defer to Your College
Alabama, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming direct students to their financial aid administrator. That doesn’t mean no deadline exists. It means the college sets it.
Special Applications in Some States
- California: Students without a Social Security number or with DACA status should use the California Dream Application at dream.csac.ca.gov.
- Washington: Students ineligible for federal aid who meet state requirements should use the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) instead of the FAFSA.
- Several states require supplemental forms for particular grants (Connecticut, Iowa, West Virginia PROMISE and others).
Data-quality note: A few entries in the source list, including Montana, Oregon and North Carolina private institutions, still show “October 1, 2025.” That is a stale carryover from last year’s page. Read those as “ASAP after the 2027–28 form opens” and verify with the state.
College and University Deadlines
Colleges set their own timelines for their own money, and they tend to arrive earliest.
Priority deadlines. Many schools give full consideration for institutional aid only to students who file by a set date. Commonly these fall between November and March, according to several planning guides. Files that come in later are still considered, but the school’s own grants may be depleted.
Early Decision and Early Action. If you apply early, your aid paperwork may be due early too. The College Investor notes that Early Decision aid deadlines could be as early as November 1 to November 15. thecollegeinvestor
Where to find yours. Look at each college’s financial aid page and search for “financial aid deadlines” or “priority date.” If you can’t find it, email the office and ask. Write the answer down, since deadlines differ by school and by applicant type (first-year, transfer, returning).
The CSS Profile Has Its Own Deadlines
Some colleges, mostly private ones, also require the CSS Profile, a separate form from the College Board used to award institutional aid. Reporting on the 2027–28 cycle says it opens October 1, 2026 for Class of 2027 seniors. The same source reports a fee of $25 for the first school and $16 for each additional school, with automatic waivers for many lower-income families, and says Regular Decision deadlines usually fall between January and March. findmyorbit
Fees and waiver terms can change, so verify them on the College Board’s CSS Profile site. For a full comparison, see FAFSA vs. CSS Profile: What’s the Difference?.
A Filing Calendar You Can Actually Follow
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Now (September 24, 2026) | The form is open. Confirm each contributor has an FSA ID and gather your 2025 tax information |
| By early October 2026 | Submit the FAFSA, then save your FAFSA Submission Summary |
| October 1, 2026 | CSS Profile opens for schools that require it |
| November 1–15, 2026 | Typical CSS Profile and aid deadlines for Early Decision/Early Action applicants (check each school) |
| December 2026 | Fix any rejected fields; respond to verification requests |
| January 15, 2027 | Texas priority date |
| February 1–15, 2027 | Louisiana (recommended), Missouri, Connecticut |
| March 1–2, 2027 | Idaho, Maryland, West Virginia PROMISE, California |
| April 1–30, 2027 | Arizona, Kansas, Tennessee, Nevada Promise, Indiana, Mississippi |
| May 1–15, 2027 | Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida |
| June 30, 2028 | Federal submission deadline |
| September 12, 2028 | Federal correction deadline |
If you file within the first weeks of this cycle, most of the table above becomes irrelevant to you, because you’ll have submitted before every date arrives.
Three Examples
These are simplified, illustrative scenarios.
Example 1: The Texas senior. Elena plans to attend a Texas public university. She files in early October 2026, months ahead of the January 15, 2027 priority date, and her results are ready for the school when aid packaging begins.
Example 2: The late-winter filer. Marcus in Illinois waits until March, assuming June is the deadline. Because Illinois awards its Monetary Award Program grants until funds are depleted, he may find far less available than if he’d filed in October. His federal eligibility is intact, but state money may not be.
Example 3: The early applicant to a private college. Anika applies Early Decision to a private college that requires the CSS Profile. Her school’s aid deadline falls in mid-November, so she completes both the FAFSA and CSS Profile in October, well ahead of the date.
Common Deadline Mistakes
- Treating June 30, 2028 as your deadline. It’s the outer limit, not the goal.
- Confusing the 2026–27 and 2027–28 forms. Check which school year you’re applying for.
- Missing a valid submission. A form isn’t complete until every required contributor has done their part.
- Ignoring time zones. The federal deadlines run on Central Time, and states may differ.
- Skipping state supplemental forms. Some programs need an extra application.
- Assuming “ASAP” means “whenever.” In those states, early filing is the whole point.
- Forgetting the CSS Profile. It has separate deadlines and fees.
What to Do If You Missed a Deadline
- File anyway. If the federal deadline hasn’t passed, you can still qualify for federal aid.
- Contact your college’s financial aid office. Ask what aid remains and whether a late-filing exception exists.
- Ask your state agency if the program has a waitlist or any leftover funds.
- Look at other sources such as private scholarships, which don’t depend on the FAFSA.
Key Takeaways
- The federal deadline is June 30, 2028, but it matters least.
- Your state and college dates decide your outcome. Look them up now.
- Several states pay first-come, first-served, so timing itself is the deadline.
- File in the first few weeks, then use corrections to fix any mistakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FAFSA deadline for 2027–28?
June 30, 2028 for federal aid, with corrections accepted through September 12, 2028. State and college deadlines are usually earlier.
Can I file the FAFSA now?
Yes. The Department of Education announced on September 23, 2026 that the 2027–28 form is live to the public at StudentAid.gov.
What is the earliest state deadline?
In the sources reviewed, Texas has one of the earliest, January 15, 2027, followed by dates in February and March for several states. Some states simply award on a first-come basis.
What happens if I file after my state’s deadline?
You may lose that state’s grant, though your federal aid can still be available. Ask your financial aid office about alternatives.
Do college deadlines override the federal deadline?
They don’t replace it, but they can matter more for your money. A college can require an earlier date to consider you for its own aid.
Is the CSS Profile due at the same time as the FAFSA?
No. It’s a separate form, and each college sets its own deadline.
What if I need to correct my FAFSA?
You can make corrections through September 12, 2028, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
Official Sources and Further Reading
- U.S. Department of Education, “Announces Earliest FAFSA Launch in Program History for the Second Consecutive Year” (September 23, 2026): ed.gov
- Federal Student Aid, 2027–28 FAFSA Beta Testing Plan, Electronic Announcement APP-26-10 (updated September 23, 2026): fsapartners.ed.gov
- StudentAid.gov, FAFSA deadlines and state aid deadlines: studentaid.gov
- Federal Student Aid, 2026–27 FAFSA form (state deadline section): studentaid.gov
- College Board, CSS Profile: cssprofile.collegeboard.org
- Your state’s higher education or student aid agency (linked from StudentAid.gov)
