The FAFSA: What You Need and When to File

File it in October. Not in January.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the gateway to federal grants, federal loans, work-study, most state aid, and a large share of institutional aid.

It's free. Any site charging you to file it is not the real one — the real one is studentaid.gov.

When it opens

The 2027–28 FAFSA — the one for students entering college in fall 2027 — is on track to open by October 1, 2026.

File in October. A meaningful share of aid, particularly state grants and some institutional funds, is awarded first-come, first-served until it runs out. Students who file in the spring compete for what's left. Filing early costs you an evening. Filing late can cost thousands.

What you need before you start

• Your FSA ID, and a separate one for each contributing parent. Create these before you sit down to file — account setup can take a day or more to verify, and it's the step that catches people out.
• Tax information from two years prior. For the 2027–28 form, that's 2025 returns. Most filers can import this directly from the IRS.
• Records of untaxed income, assets, and any business or farm ownership.

Who counts as a contributor

The FAFSA asks for information from your contributors — the parents whose financial details are required. Which parent counts depends on your family structure, and the rules for separated, divorced, and remarried parents are specific. Each contributor gets their own invitation and completes their own section with their own FSA ID.

If a parent won't provide information, there are procedures for that. Talk to the financial aid office at a school on your list — they handle this routinely and it is not an unusual situation.

Listing schools

List every school you're considering, including ones you haven't heard back from. Schools can't see each other on your form.

The CSS Profile

Several hundred mostly private colleges also require the CSS Profile, administered by the College Board. It's more detailed than the FAFSA, asks about home equity and non-custodial parents, and charges a fee with waivers available. It has its own deadlines, often earlier than the FAFSA. Check which schools on your list require it.

Verification

Some applications are selected for verification, meaning the school asks for documentation to confirm what you reported. It's often random and it isn't an accusation.

Respond quickly — unresolved verification holds up your entire aid package, and the request frequently goes to an email address students don't check.

How this fits the rest of the year

The FAFSA opening collides with early application deadlines. See the month-by-month timeline for how October actually goes.