Key dates
Three deadlines, and the early ones come first.
- Your school’s deadline
- Often early in the year. Ask the financial aid office, or look on its website.
- Your state’s deadline
- Set by each state, and some run out of money before it. Find yours on the official deadlines page.
- Federal deadline for 2027–28
- June 30, 2028
For a student attending between July 1, 2027 and June 30, 2028. The 2028–29 form follows the next fall.
The full list, including the dates for correcting a form, is on the Federal Student Aid deadlines page.
For parents
How it works.
- 1
Your student starts it
They fill in their own part on studentaid.gov. Everyone who adds a part needs a free studentaid.gov account.
- 2
You get an email
Once the student has finished their sections, each parent who has to contribute gets an email with instructions for theirs.
- 3
Check which parent files
Not sure whether you, or another parent, must add information? The Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard on studentaid.gov works it out.
- 4
Do it again every year
A student must submit a new FAFSA for each school year they want federal aid, so put the next one on your calendar when this one is done.
Don’t keep it in your head.
Add your students and their schools, and Launch529 tells you when the form opens and reminds you to check state and school deadlines. That is free. Pro also puts the dates in your phone’s calendar.
Saving for college too? How much should you save?
FAFSA questions parents ask
When is the 2027–28 FAFSA due?
The federal deadline is June 30, 2028, for a student attending between July 1, 2027 and June 30, 2028. That is the last day, not the day to aim for: state and school deadlines are often earlier, and some aid runs out.
Why file early?
The earlier the FAFSA goes in, the more aid a student may be eligible for. State and school deadlines can come much sooner than the federal one, and they differ, so each student should know their state’s, their school’s and the federal dates.
Does a 529 hurt financial aid?
Much less than most people fear. A parent-owned 529 counts as a parent asset, assessed at a low rate in the federal aid formula (at most 5.64% of its value). A 529 owned by a grandparent is generally not reported on the current FAFSA, but confirm with each college. Some private colleges use their own forms with different rules.
Do we file every year?
Yes. A student must submit a FAFSA for every school year they want federal student aid, and the form for each year opens in the fall before it.
Where do these dates come from?
From the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid site. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official deadlines page before you rely on them. This is general information, not financial aid advice.