Most families wait for October 1. You do not have to.
Federal Student Aid is releasing the 2027-28 FAFSA in stages this year, and the earlier stages are open to the public. A form you submit during the beta is a real submission. You do not file again in October, and it does not sit in a queue waiting for the official launch.
The two dates that matter
Now. Beta access is open by request at studentaid.gov/joinbeta. The Department admits groups of users on a rolling basis rather than on a set schedule, so request access early rather than waiting for a particular date.
October 1, 2026. The form opens to everyone. The Education Secretary has certified that date to Congress under the FAFSA Deadline Act, so it is firm.
Why filing early is worth the trouble
Some money runs out. Federal Pell Grants do not, but a good share of state grant programs and institutional aid are awarded first come, first served until that year's funds are gone. A family that files in October is competing with millions of families filing the same week. A family that files in September is not.
What to do this week
Create both FSA IDs now. The student needs one and at least one parent contributor needs one. They take a few days to verify. Every year families sit down to file and discover the parent account is not ready yet. This is the most common reason an early start turns into a late filing.
Gather your documents: Social Security numbers for everyone reporting information, federal tax returns from two years back, records of untaxed income, and current balances for bank and investment accounts.
An honest caveat
It is a beta. Federal Student Aid has run in-person testing events and fixed a long list of issues, but you may still hit something rough. If you would rather not be an early tester, October 1 is a perfectly good day to file and you have lost nothing. What actually costs money is waiting until November because that is when you got around to it.
What is new in the 2027-28 form
- Account creation is faster. Challenge questions are gone and several steps are combined.
- You can no longer sign in with your phone number. Use your username or email address.
- The homepage no longer asks you to pick a cycle year from a list. It helps you choose the right year based on when you will be enrolled.
- If you are a parent filing for more than one child in the same year, the second form pre-fills much of what you entered on the first. The first form has to be submitted before the second one fills in.
Your next step
Read our 2026-27 college funding guide for what changed in federal borrowing this year, then create your free CollegeLens plan to turn your aid into a clear cost picture.
Sravani at CollegeLens
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