The 2027-28 FAFSA became available a week before its usual Oct. 1 release, with simpler instructions, text invitations for parents or other contributors, quicker account verification and real-time federal aid eligibility results. Filing can take as little as 15 minutes.
Students must submit a FAFSA each year they attend school. States and colleges set their own deadlines, which may come earlier, and some grants are awarded first-come, first-served. The federal deadline is June 30, 2028, for 2027-28 aid; for 2026-27, it is June 30, 2027.
The 2024 FAFSA Deadline Act requires the Department of Education to release the form by Oct. 1 each year. Earlier rollouts were delayed: the 2023 form was not available until Dec. 30, and the following year's phased rollout did not reach everyone until late November 2024. The article says late releases can delay aid offers and college admission letters, leaving students with rushed decisions.
