The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the official application used to apply for federal student aid for college, career school, and other eligible education programs.

The 2027–28 FAFSA is for students attending school during the award year from July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028.

Completing the FAFSA is free, and students should use the official U.S. Department of Education website when applying.

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Students complete the FAFSA to be considered for federal student aid. FAFSA information may also be used by states, colleges, and other eligible financial-aid programs when determining aid eligibility.

• Federal grants
• Federal Work-Study
• Federal student loans
• Some state financial-aid programs
• Some college or institutional aid programs

The 2027–28 FAFSA is used to apply for aid for attending school between July 1, 2027 and June 30, 2028.

Federal Student Aid currently states that the 2027–28 FAFSA form is available.

Students who want to be considered for federal student aid should generally complete the FAFSA for each applicable award year.

FAFSA information may also be used by states and schools when determining eligibility for their own financial-aid programs.

• Students seeking federal financial aid
• Students seeking applicable state financial aid
• Students seeking school-based financial aid
• Students interested in Federal Work-Study
• Students seeking federal student loans

FAFSA eligibility depends on the applicable federal student-aid requirements and the type of aid being considered.

Completing the FAFSA does not by itself guarantee that a student will receive financial aid.

A FAFSA contributor is a person whose information may be required on a student's FAFSA based on the student's circumstances.

A contributor can include the student, a spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or a parent's spouse when that person is required to provide information on the FAFSA.

You need a StudentAid.gov account to start, access, or submit the FAFSA online.

Each person who is required to add information to the FAFSA also needs their own StudentAid.gov account.

• The student needs an account.
• A required parent needs their own account.
• A required spouse needs their own account.
• A parent's spouse may need an account when applicable.

Federal Student Aid states that you can often start and complete the FAFSA without having every document in front of you. The FAFSA will tell you when information is needed.

Depending on your circumstances, you may need information such as:

• StudentAid.gov account information
• Contributor account information
• Tax information
• Records of child support received, when applicable
• Current checking and savings account balances
• Current cash information when applicable
• Information about non-retirement investments, businesses, and farms when required

The 2027–28 FAFSA requires income and tax return information from 2025.

Federal Student Aid uses an electronic process that can transfer applicable federal tax information from the IRS into the FAFSA.

1. Create or access your StudentAid.gov account.
2. Select Start New Form.
3. Select the 2027–28 FAFSA.
4. Log in using your StudentAid.gov account.
5. Complete the required student sections.
6. Invite required contributors.
7. Complete the required contributor sections.
8. Provide required consent and approval.
9. Review your financial and personal information.
10. Add the schools that should receive your FAFSA information.
11. Review the entire application carefully.
12. Electronically sign the required sections.
13. Submit the FAFSA for processing.

The FAFSA allows applicable federal tax information to be transferred from the IRS into the FAFSA through the federal tax-information transfer process.

Anyone who adds information to the FAFSA is required to provide the applicable consent and approval for the federal tax-information process.

• The information can be matched with IRS tax information.
• Federal tax information can be used to determine the Student Aid Index.
• It can be used when determining Federal Pell Grant eligibility.
• Applicable information can be shared with schools and state higher-education agencies for financial-aid purposes.

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a formula-based number calculated using information from the FAFSA.

The SAI helps schools determine a student's level of financial need when preparing financial-aid offers.

The official Federal Student Aid SAI resource explains how the SAI is calculated and how it is used during the financial-aid process.

FAFSA information may be used when determining eligibility for several types of financial assistance.

• Federal Grants — grants generally do not need to be repaid when applicable requirements are met.
• Federal Work-Study — an employment-based federal student-aid program.
• Federal Student Loans — borrowed funds that generally must be repaid.
• State Aid — some states use FAFSA information for their own financial-aid programs.
• Institutional Aid — colleges and other schools may use FAFSA information when determining eligibility for school-based aid.

The Federal Pell Grant is a federal grant for eligible students. The amount a student may receive depends on applicable federal requirements and other factors used in the federal student-aid process.

The FAFSA is used to determine information relevant to Federal Pell Grant eligibility.

Federal Work-Study provides employment opportunities for eligible students as part of the federal student-aid system.

Completing the FAFSA allows a student to be considered for applicable aid programs, but it does not guarantee that the student will receive Federal Work-Study.

Federal student loans are borrowed funds that generally must be repaid according to the applicable loan terms.

Students should review the terms of any loan offered by their school before accepting it.

The FAFSA 2027–28 is associated with the award year running from July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028.

Federal Student Aid advises students not to wait until the deadline because federal, state, and school deadlines can differ.

After all required people complete their sections, provide required consent and approval, and sign the FAFSA, the form can be submitted for processing.

1. Submit the completed FAFSA.
2. Wait for the FAFSA to be processed.
3. Access your FAFSA Submission Summary.
4. Review your FAFSA answers.
5. Check your Student Aid Index and estimated federal aid.
6. Check the schools receiving your FAFSA information.
7. Make corrections if necessary.
8. Monitor communications from your selected schools.

After your FAFSA is processed, you can access your FAFSA Submission Summary.

It provides information about your FAFSA responses and includes your Student Aid Index and estimated federal student-aid eligibility.

• Review your FAFSA answers.
• Check your Student Aid Index.
• Review your selected schools.
• Check for corrections or additional actions.
• Check whether you were selected for verification.

If your or your family's current financial situation is significantly different from the information reflected on your FAFSA, you should still complete and submit the FAFSA as required.

After submitting the FAFSA, contact the financial-aid office at the school you plan to attend and explain the change in circumstances.

• Selecting the wrong FAFSA award year.
• Entering incorrect personal information.
• Failing to complete required contributor sections.
• Not providing required consent and approval.
• Entering financial information incorrectly.
• Failing to review the FAFSA before submitting.
• Missing state or school deadlines.
• Not checking the FAFSA Submission Summary.
• Ignoring communications from StudentAid.gov or your school.

• Use the official StudentAid.gov website.
• Select the correct FAFSA award year.
• Use the correct 2025 tax information for FAFSA 2027–28.
• Make sure required contributors complete their sections.
• Provide required consent and approval.
• Add every school that should receive your FAFSA information.
• Review the FAFSA carefully before submitting.
• Check your FAFSA Submission Summary after processing.
• Check your state and college deadlines separately.
• Monitor your email and StudentAid.gov account for updates.

Use the official U.S. Department of Education resources below for FAFSA applications, account access, deadlines, instructions, and financial-aid information.