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US FAFSA rollout for 2027-28 academic year

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-30 07:22 UTC → 2026-10-02 19:14 UTC · added removed

The U.S. Department of Education launched the 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on September 23, 2026, ahead of the mandated October 1 deadline. This rollout followed an initial Beta 2 testing phase designed to allow early access for real applications via StudentAid.gov. Officials characterized this version as the simplest to date. Under Secretary for Higher Education Nicholas Kent stated the application now takes an average of 15 minutes to complete, noting improvements such as the removal of jargon and a feature to invite contributors via text or email. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon noted the redesign aims to prioritize student and family needs in accordance with the FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020. The system now communicates directly with the Internal Revenue Service to retrieve financial data electronically. Experts emphasize that early filing is critical to secure access to approximately $120 billion in annual government collegiate funding. Several states distribute grant money on a first-come, first-served basis; once funds are exhausted, students may be placed on waiting lists. States with limited availability or specific priority dates include Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and Texas, which has a priority date of January 15, 2027. In Illinois, students who missed specific deadlines were placed on a suspense list with no guarantee of receiving aid. For the 2027-28 academic year, the FAFSA will utilize 2025 tax return information. Additionally, new regulations for Parent PLUS borrowers have implemented caps of $20,000 per year and $65,000 in total per dependent student. The application period covers the timeframe from July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028. For immigrant families, contributors without a Social Security Number can participate by creating an account on the StudentAid.gov portal, and those with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) may use it in the designated field.

Versions

  1. 2026-10-02 19:14 UTC US FAFSA rollout for 2027-28 academic year
  2. 2026-09-30 07:22 UTC US FAFSA rollout for 2027-28 academic year
  3. 2026-09-28 23:17 UTC US FAFSA rollout for 2027-28 academic year
  4. 2026-09-23 15:04 UTC US FAFSA rollout for 2027-28 academic year

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