When Does the FAFSA Open, and What's the Timeline?

The FAFSA normally opens on October 1 for the following school year and stays open until June 30 after that school year ends. The 2026-27 FAFSA opened early, on September 24, 2025, and closes June 30, 2027. The 2027-28 FAFSA opens in stages: beta access is available now by request, the Department admits groups of users on a rolling basis, and the form opens to everyone on October 1, 2026. A beta submission is a real submission and is processed exactly as it would be if you filed after October 1. File as soon as your year's form is available, because early filers tend to receive more aid.

Aid is often first-come, first-served, so timing matters as much as eligibility. Here is the full FAFSA timeline and how to use it.

When does the FAFSA open?

The FAFSA opens for each new school year on October 1 of the prior year, though the exact date can shift. For 2024-25 the form was delayed into December during a major overhaul, but it has since returned to schedule, and the 2026-27 FAFSA actually opened ahead of time, on September 24, 2025. Plan around October 1 and file as soon as your year's form is live at studentaid.gov.

For 2027-28, Federal Student Aid is releasing the form in stages rather than opening it all at once. Beta access is open by request at studentaid.gov/joinbeta, with groups of users admitted on a rolling basis rather than on a fixed date, so requesting early is better than waiting. The form opens to the general public on October 1, 2026, a date the Education Secretary has certified to Congress. A form submitted during the beta is a real submission, processed exactly as it would be if you filed after October 1, so you do not file again. More on how to do that in our guide to filing the 2027-28 FAFSA before October 1.

What is the FAFSA deadline?

The federal FAFSA deadline is June 30 after the school year, so the 2026-27 form closes June 30, 2027. But the federal date is the last one that matters: your state and your colleges set their own, often much earlier, deadlines, and many award limited funds first-come, first-served. Treat the earliest deadline on your list as your real one, and track them with our FAFSA deadlines guide. You can also work backward from our month-by-month senior year timeline.

Why should you file as early as possible?

Because filing early can mean more money. Students who file in the first few months tend to receive more grant aid on average than later filers, partly because some aid runs out. Filing early also gives you time to fix errors and submit verification documents without missing deadlines.

A few reasons not to wait:

• Some state and institutional aid is first-come, first-served.
• Early filing leaves room to correct mistakes before deadlines.
• You will have your aid picture sooner, which helps you compare offers.

Which tax year does the FAFSA use?

The FAFSA uses your income from two years earlier, called the prior-prior year. The 2026-27 FAFSA uses your 2024 tax information, which is already filed, so you do not need to wait for a current return. This is exactly why you can file as soon as the form opens.

What is the FAFSA timeline, step by step?

File when the form opens, review your FAFSA Submission Summary, respond to any verification, then compare the offers your colleges send. A simple sequence:

1. Create your studentaid.gov account before the form opens.
2. File the FAFSA as soon as your year's form is available.
3. Review your FAFSA Submission Summary and fix any errors.
4. Submit verification documents quickly if your school requests them.
5. Compare your colleges' aid offers and meet each school's deadlines.

Our step-by-step guide to filling out the FAFSA and our guide on what happens after you submit the FAFSA cover each step.

Your next step

The FAFSA opens around October 1 each year, and 2027-28 is the current cycle. You do not have to wait for October 1 to begin, because beta access is open by request and users are admitted on a rolling basis. Create your StudentAid.gov account, gather your documents, and submit as soon as you have access. Your state and college deadlines land well before the federal deadline of June 30, 2028, so file as early as you can. Read our complete financial aid guide, then create your free CollegeLens plan to turn your aid into a clear cost picture.

You're doing the hard, smart work of getting ahead of the deadlines. That's exactly how families claim the most aid available.

Sravani at CollegeLens