FAFSA 2027–28

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The FAFSA for the 2027–28 school year asks about our 2025 tax return. So we work from a return that’s already done, not this year’s.

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The federal form has to be received by June 30, 2028. State and college deadlines can be as early as October 1, 2026, and some aid goes first-come, first-served. Let’s write our state’s date and each college’s date on this card tonight.

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If you were born after 2003, aren’t married, and none of the special situations on the form apply to you, the form treats you as a dependent student. Then a parent fills in the Parent section, even if you don’t live with that parent. Grandparents, guardians and stepparents who are widowed don’t count as parents on this form unless they adopted you.

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The student and every contributor have to give consent for tax information to move into the FAFSA. If one of us doesn’t, you won’t be eligible for federal student aid. So this one isn’t really optional for either of us.

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No. Your Student Aid Index shows up on the FAFSA Submission Summary. A college takes its cost of attendance, subtracts the SAI, and the gap is your financial need. Each college then builds its own aid offer from that.

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A UGMA or UTMA custodial account counts as your asset on the FAFSA. A 529 college plan counts as a parent’s asset when a parent fills in the form. Retirement accounts, like a 401(k) or an IRA, aren’t reported at all.

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Online, you can list up to 20 schools. For federal aid the order doesn’t matter, but it can matter for state aid, so we check our state’s rule first.

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No. The FAFSA is free, and the form itself says paid preparers aren’t allowed. Free help is at StudentAid.gov/fafsahelp or 1-800-433-3243.

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We fill out the form as it asks, then tell each college’s financial aid office what changed, like a lost job, a pay cut or big medical bills. The form tells families to do exactly that once it’s submitted.

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Aid is paid through the college. It usually goes to tuition, fees, and housing and food first, and anything left can come to you for other school costs. That leftover is the money to plan a budget around.