The 2026–27 federal deadline is June 30, 2027, but school and state deadlines may be earlier. Submit as soon as possible and ask the school what aid remains if a priority date has passed.
1. Confirm the award year
Use the 2026–27 FAFSA form for attendance between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Do not use a different form merely because the application is being completed in calendar year 2026.
2. Create separate StudentAid.gov accounts
The student needs an account to access and sign the online form. Every person identified as a required contributor needs a separate account and must not share login credentials. Contributors without a Social Security number can follow the account-creation process provided by Federal Student Aid.
3. Start the student's form
The student should normally start the form and complete the student sections first. Verify the name, date of birth, Social Security number when applicable, contact information, permanent address, and state of legal residence. Account information should match official records.
4. Complete personal and financial sections
Answer the dependency-status questions as written. Give consent and approval for federal tax information to be transferred from the IRS even when the person did not file a federal tax return. The 2026–27 form uses 2024 tax information. Enter other income, assets, child support, and household information only where the form requests it.
5. Add schools and invite contributors
List the colleges, career schools, or trade schools that should receive the information. Then invite the parent, spouse, or other required contributor identified by the form. An invitation does not make that person responsible for paying tuition.
6. Obtain all required signatures and submit
The form cannot be fully processed until the student and every required contributor have completed their sections, provided consent and approval, and signed. Review the answers, submit the completed form, and save the confirmation and status information.
7. Review and follow up
- Check the form under “My Activity” in the student's StudentAid.gov account.
- Review the FAFSA Submission Summary after processing.
- Correct typos, missing signatures, school selections, or other fields that the system permits you to change.
- Contact the school's financial aid office about changed income, unusual circumstances, verification, missing documents, and school-specific deadlines.
- Complete a separate state aid application when required.
Cost and filing channel
The FAFSA form is free. Use the official Federal Student Aid site. Do not pay a third party merely to access or submit the form.
Official sources
- Official FAFSA application
- Federal Student Aid — Student filing steps
- Federal Student Aid — Filling out the form