The 2027–28 FAFSA opens October 1. Most families finish it in under an hour if they have last year's tax return and a StudentAid.gov account for each contributor set up in advance.
Have these ready
- Social Security numbers for the student and each parent contributor
- 2025 federal tax returns (the form uses prior-prior year income)
- Bank and investment balances as of the day you file
Colleges with November priority deadlines award their own grants first come, first served. Filing in the first week of October is the single highest-value hour of the aid process.