FAFSA Deadlines by State 2027-28: Federal and State Dates

The FAFSA has three kinds of deadlines, and they're months apart. The federal deadline is the latest. Your state's deadline decides whether you get state grant money. Your college's deadline decides whether you get the school's own grants and limited federal campus-based aid. Missing the federal date is rare. Missing the state or school date is a common mistake, and it costs real money because the form itself is the same.

This guide lists every state's 2027-28 rule as published on StudentAid.gov, explains what "as soon as possible" means, shows which states moved their dates from last year, and covers what the federal deadline doesn't tell you. For how the federal grant itself is calculated, see the Pell Grant guide.

Federal FAFSA Deadlines for 2027-28 and 2026-27

StudentAid.gov lists two federal deadlines for each form: one to submit and a later one for corrections and updates, which gives a 74-day correction window after June 30. Both are at 11:59 p.m. Central time.

Which form do you need? If you're starting or continuing college in fall 2027, file the 2027-28 FAFSA. If you need aid for the spring 2027 term and haven't filed for the current year, file the 2026-27 form, which is still open until June 30, 2027.

The 2027-28 form opened earlier than the October 1 date many families expect. Federal Student Aid's September 23, 2026 update (opens in a new tab) says the 2027-28 FAFSA form is live to the general public. State deadlines that say "as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026" were written around the usual October start; filing now meets them.

2027-28 FAFSA Deadlines by State

The table below copies each state's 2027-28 rule from StudentAid.gov's state deadlines list (opens in a new tab) as of October 28, 2026. "Priority" means early filers are considered first; it isn't always a hard cutoff. Where a state lists more than one program, each is shown. States marked "Contact your financial aid office" have no single statewide FAFSA date on the list. Most entries simply move last year's date forward 1 year; the changes are covered in the next section.

Territories on the list: the Marshall Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands say as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026; American Samoa, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands say to contact your financial aid office.

Three states with a separate form for students who can't use the FAFSA: StudentAid.gov notes that students who are ineligible for federal aid but meet state rules use the California Dream Act Application in California, the Virginia Alternative State Aid Application in Virginia, and the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) in Washington.

"As Soon As Possible" States and First-Come Funding

Thirteen states and two territories on the 2027-28 list tell at least some students to file as soon as possible after October 1, 2026. Grantsights counted them from StudentAid.gov's list: Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina (private colleges), North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, plus the Marshall Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. Minnesota's North Star Promise says "as soon as possible" too, while its priority date isn't final.

The wording matters. For several of these programs, the list says "aid is awarded until all funds run out," and South Carolina calls its need-based grants "first come, first served." In those states, a student who files in October is about 5 months ahead of one who files in March, and the two can get different state grant offers with the same finances.

Grantsights decision rule: if your state is on this list, treat the FAFSA as due this fall, not next June. The 2027-28 form is already open.

What Changed From the 2026-27 List

Grantsights compared the 2027-28 list against the 2026-27 list on the same StudentAid.gov page. Most states kept the same rule and moved the date forward a year, but 8 rule changes stand out, and they catch families who rely on last year's advice.

College Priority Deadlines and Campus-Based Aid

According to StudentAid.gov, each college and career or trade school may set its own deadline, and families should ask how the school defines it: the date your FAFSA is processed, or the date the school receives your processed data. Those can be days apart, so a form submitted on the last day can still miss a school's deadline.

College deadlines matter most for money that's limited at the school. The StudentAid.gov FSEOG page (opens in a new tab) says the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant pays $100 to $4,000 a year to undergraduates with exceptional financial need, that not all schools take part, and that once a school's FSEOG money is awarded, no more awards can be made that year. It says each school sets its own deadlines for campus-based funds. That's different from Pell, which the same page says provides funds to every eligible student.

Look for the school's deadline on its financial aid page or ask the office directly. Many colleges also use separate forms for their own grants; StudentAid.gov repeats in many state entries that you "may need to complete and submit additional forms."

If you're an adult learner or a parent heading back to school, the grants for single mothers guide and the child care assistance programs guide cover help that sits alongside student aid. For a broader list of student grants, see grants for students.

Federal Grant Dollars by State: FY2025 Pell Obligations

Pell is the federal grant the FAFSA decides, and its totals show how much federal grant aid reaches each state. USAspending.gov FY2025 data show $39.95 billion in Pell obligations (Assistance Listing 84.063) between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. The money is obligated to colleges, so each dollar is counted in the state where the school sits, not where the student lives.

Per resident, that's about $114 across the 50 states and DC, according to Grantsights analysis of USAspending.gov FY2025 obligations divided by Census Bureau July 1, 2025 population estimates. The table sets each large state's Pell total next to its 2027-28 FAFSA rule:

According to USAspending.gov FY2025 data, California colleges alone received $5.34 billion, 13% of the national Pell total. Source: USAspending.gov award search (opens in a new tab), Assistance Listing 84.063, FY2025 obligations by recipient state. Arizona, Utah ($253 per resident) and New Hampshire ($326) rank high because they host large online universities whose students live everywhere.

How to read this: Pell isn't rationed by state. A full-time student in Missouri with a $0 SAI gets the same $7,395 maximum for 2026-27 as a full-time student in California. The federal deadline protects your Pell Grant. The state deadline in the last column protects the state grant on top of it, which is the money a late filer actually loses.

Take one applicant in Texas who files on January 10, 2027: that meets the state's January 15 date for priority consideration. A classmate with the same finances who files in April gets the same Pell Grant but misses the priority date for Texas state aid. The Pell Grant guide shows how the federal award is calculated from the SAI.

What the Federal Deadline Doesn't Tell You

The June 30, 2028 date is real, and it leaves the 2027-28 form open for about 21 months after its September 2026 launch. But treating it as "the FAFSA deadline" is a costly misunderstanding. Here's what it leaves out.

1. State money can be gone by spring. For the programs above that pay "until all funds run out," there is no posted cutoff, because the cutoff is whenever the money ends. The federal deadline gives no warning.

2. Some state dates come before you've picked a college. California's March 2, 2027 date and Texas's January 15, 2027 priority date fall before most admission decisions arrive. File first and add schools later.

3. "Postmarked," "processed," and "received" aren't the same. California's list uses the postmark date, Florida's uses the date processed, and Maine and Maryland use the date received. Leave a few days of margin.

4. Renewal students can face a different date. New Jersey's April 15, 2027 Tuition Aid Grant date applies to current 2026-27 recipients, and Tennessee's April 1, 2027 state grant date applies to students who got the grant in 2026-27. New applicants in those states have different rules.

5. A state grant can require a second form. Cal Grant requires a school-certified GPA by March 2, 2027. West Virginia's PROMISE and WV Invests grants need an additional form at cfwv.com. The DC Tuition Assistance Grant uses the DC OneApp.

6. Pell isn't first come, first served, but FSEOG is limited. Filing late rarely costs you Pell. It can cost you the school's share of FSEOG, which stops when the money is awarded.

7. Corrections have their own deadline. For 2027-28, updates and corrections must be in by September 12, 2028. A FAFSA filed in time but left with an error past that date won't pay.

FAFSA Scams Around Deadline Season

Deadline season brings paid "FAFSA help" offers. According to the FTC's scholarship and financial aid scams page (opens in a new tab), the FAFSA is free to fill out and submit, and only you and your family should complete it. The FTC warns against companies that charge a fee to do the work, guarantee a scholarship, ask for a bank or card number to "hold" an award, or use high-pressure seminars. It also says never to share your FSA ID, including with consultants.

Deadline pressure is what these schemes sell. A call, text or ad saying you must pay today to "lock in" a grant before a deadline is a red flag. The official form is at StudentAid.gov, and the free help is your high school counselor or the college financial aid office. The FTC's government grant scams page (opens in a new tab) covers the related "free grant" offers for personal expenses.

Grantsights' free eligibility checker doesn't file the FAFSA or find personal grants. If you pick "Student" or "Individual > Personal financial help," it lists the official routes: StudentAid.gov, the USA.gov benefit finder, rental help, help with bills, food help, and the 211 line. For non-student help, the how to apply for grants as an individual guide explains what's real and what isn't.

FAQ: FAFSA Deadline Questions

What is the FAFSA deadline for 2027-28?

June 30, 2028 at 11:59 p.m. Central time, with corrections due 74 days later, on September 12, 2028. State and college deadlines are earlier.

When did the 2027-28 FAFSA open?

FSA said on September 23, 2026 that the 2027-28 form is live to the general public. It covers classes starting July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028.

Which states have the earliest FAFSA deadlines?

Texas (priority Jan. 15, 2027), Missouri (priority Feb. 1, 2027), Connecticut (priority Feb. 15, 2027), Maryland (March 1, 2027) and California (March 2, 2027). Several states say as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026.

What does "as soon as possible" mean on the FAFSA state deadline list?

The state pays until the money runs out or favors early filers. File in the fall.

Does filing the FAFSA late mean I lose my Pell Grant?

No, if you file by the federal deadline and are enrolled. You can lose state grants and limited school aid such as FSEOG.

Do colleges have their own FAFSA deadlines?

Yes, and they may count the date your FAFSA is processed or received, not the day you submit it. Ask each school.

Does it cost money to file the FAFSA?

No. It's free at StudentAid.gov. Don't pay a filing service, and never share your FSA ID.

Sources

• StudentAid.gov: FAFSA Application Deadlines (2027-28 and 2026-27) (opens in a new tab), checked October 28, 2026
• FSA: 2027-28 FAFSA Beta Testing Plan, updated September 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
• StudentAid.gov: Federal Pell Grants (opens in a new tab)
• StudentAid.gov: FSEOG (opens in a new tab)
• USAspending.gov award search (opens in a new tab), Assistance Listing 84.063, FY2025
• FTC: How To Avoid Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams (opens in a new tab)
• FTC: Government Grant Scams (opens in a new tab)