United States · Financial aid
FAFSA deadline by state, 2027-28.
Pick a state to see the deadline text printed on the official 2027-28 FAFSA form, with a count of days to each date.
Short answer: The federal deadline for the 2027-28 FAFSA is June 30, 2028, but state and college deadlines come much earlier. California’s main programs close March 2, 2027 (postmarked), Texas asks for January 15, 2027, and twelve states say to file as soon as possible after October 1, 2026.
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Choose a state and press Show deadlines.
What the form says about deadlines
The 2027-28 FAFSA form opens its deadline page with three rules. For federal aid, submit as early as possible but no earlier than October 1, 2026, and the Department of Education must receive the application no later than June 30, 2028; the college must also have correct, complete information by the student’s last day of enrollment in the 2027-28 school year. For state or college aid, the deadline may be as early as October 1, 2026, or aid may be awarded first come, first served, and separate forms may be needed. Unless a line says otherwise, the dates are when the form must be received.
Every state’s deadline text
The table reproduces the form’s own wording for the 50 states and DC. The territories and freely associated states are on the form and are not repeated here.
| State | Deadline text on the 2027-28 form |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Alaska | Alaska Education Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. Alaska Performance Scholarship: For priority consideration, submit by June 30, 2027. Awards made while funds exist. |
| Arizona | Arizona Promise Program: For priority consideration, submit by April 1, 2027. |
| Arkansas | Academic Challenge: July 1, 2027. Governor’s Scholars Program: Distinguished, March 1, 2027; Non-Distinguished, July 1, 2027. ArFuture Grant: fall term, July 1, 2027; spring term, Jan. 10, 2028. |
| California | For many state financial aid programs: March 2, 2027 (date postmarked). Cal Grant also requires submission of a school-certified GPA by March 2, 2027. For additional community college Cal Grants: Sept. 2, 2027 (date postmarked). For noncitizens without a Social Security card or with one issued through the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, fill out the California Dream Act Application. |
| Colorado | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Connecticut | For priority consideration, submit by Feb. 15, 2027. Check with your financial aid office or state agency. More forms may be required. |
| Delaware | May 15, 2027 |
| District of Columbia | For priority consideration, submit by June 25, 2027. DC Tuition Assistance Grant: For priority consideration, submit the DC OneApp and supporting documents by July 1, 2027. |
| Florida | May 15, 2027 (date processed). Check with your financial aid office. |
| Georgia | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. Refer to Georgia Student Finance Commission’s website for more information. |
| Hawaii | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Idaho | Opportunity Scholarship: Submit by March 1, 2027. Check with your financial aid office or state agency. More forms may be required. |
| Illinois | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Monetary Award Program (MAP): Awards made while funds exist. Refer to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission’s website for program information. |
| Indiana | Frank O’Bannon Grant, 21st Century Scholarship, Workforce Ready Grant, and Adult Student Grant: April 15, 2027 |
| Iowa | July 1, 2027; earlier priority deadlines may exist for certain programs. More forms may be required. |
| Kansas | For priority consideration, submit by April 1, 2027. Check with your financial aid office or state agency. More forms may be required. |
| Kentucky | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. |
| Louisiana | July 1, 2028 (Feb. 1, 2027, recommended) |
| Maine | May 1, 2027 |
| Maryland | Howard P. Rawlings Educational Excellence Awards (EEA): March 1, 2027 |
| Massachusetts | For priority consideration, submit by May 1, 2027. |
| Michigan | Michigan Competitive Scholarship and Michigan Tuition Grant: For priority consideration, submit by July 1, 2027. |
| Minnesota | State Grant: By 30th day of term. North Star Promise: For priority consideration, submit by June 1, 2027. All other aid: Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Mississippi | MTAG and MESG Grants: Oct. 15, 2027. HELP Grant: April 30, 2027 |
| Missouri | For priority consideration, submit by Feb. 1, 2027. Applications accepted through April 1, 2027. |
| Montana | For priority consideration, submit as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Nebraska | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Nevada | Silver State Opportunity Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. Nevada Promise Scholarship: April 1, 2027. More forms may be required. Awards made while funds exist. All other aid, check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| New Hampshire | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| New Jersey | Renewal applicants (2026–27 Tuition Aid Grant recipients): April 15, 2027. All other applicants: fall and spring terms, Sept. 15, 2027; spring term only, Feb. 15, 2028. |
| New Mexico | Check with your financial aid office. |
| New York | June 30, 2028. More forms may be required. |
| North Carolina | For priority consideration, submit by June 1, 2027, if attending a UNC System institution or community college. Submit as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026, if attending a private institution. Awards made while funds exist. |
| North Dakota | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. |
| Ohio | Oct. 1, 2027 |
| Oklahoma | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Oregon | Oregon Opportunity Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. OSAC Private Scholarships: March 1, 2027. More forms may be required. Oregon Promise Grant and other state grants: Contact state agency. More forms may be required. |
| Pennsylvania | First-time applicants enrolled in a community college, business/trade/technical school, hospital school of nursing, designated Pennsylvania open-admission institution, or nontransferable two-year program: Aug. 1, 2027. All other applicants: May 1, 2027. More forms may be required. |
| Rhode Island | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| South Carolina | SC Commission on Higher Education Need-based Grants: first come, first served; awards made while funds exist. SC Tuition Grants: Aug. 1, 2027, for SC independent institutions only. |
| South Dakota | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Tennessee | State Grant: Prior-year recipients receive award if eligible and apply by April 1, 2027; all other awards made to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Awards made while funds exist. Tennessee Promise: April 1, 2027. State Lottery: fall term, Sept. 1, 2027; spring term, March 1, 2028; summer term, May 1, 2028. |
| Texas | For priority consideration, submit by Jan. 15, 2027. More forms may be required. Private and two-year institutions may have different deadlines; check with your financial aid office. |
| Utah | Check with your financial aid office. Awards made while funds exist. More forms may be required. Visit the Utah System of Higher Education website for details about aid options. |
| Vermont | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. More forms may be required. |
| Virginia | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Deadlines vary by institution; check with your financial aid office. Students who are ineligible for federal aid but meet state aid and residency requirements can instead complete the Virginia Alternative State Aid Application. Check with your financial aid office. |
| Washington | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Funds available year round, and all eligible students will be awarded. Check with your financial aid office. |
| West Virginia | Promise Scholarship: March 1, 2027. New applicants must submit additional form. Contact your financial aid office or state agency. WV Higher Education Grant: April 15, 2027. WV Invests Grant: For priority consideration, submit by April 15, 2027. |
| Wisconsin | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Wyoming | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
Worked example (real dates)
On October 26, 2026, California’s main state programs close March 2, 2027 (date postmarked), which is 127 days away. Cal Grant also needs a school-certified GPA by that same date, and additional community college Cal Grants close September 2, 2027. The federal deadline of June 30, 2028 is 613 days out, which shows why the federal date is the wrong one to plan around for state aid. Texas is earlier still: priority consideration by January 15, 2027, 81 days from October 26.
Method
The state text is copied from the form. The tool finds each calendar date in that text, leaves out the “as soon as possible after October 1, 2026” opening dates because they are not deadlines, and counts calendar days from the date you pick, or from today in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers.
What this does not cover
- Deadlines the form leaves to your college or state agency (“Check with your financial aid office”). Those need a call or the school’s website.
- Separate state or college applications the form says may be required, and any deadline set after the form was published.
- Priority versus final dates. “Priority consideration” dates are not cut-offs, but awards may run out afterward.
- The 2026-27 form, whose dates are one year earlier. Only 2027-28 is shown.
The live schedule is on StudentAid.gov. Federal government publications are not under copyright (17 U.S.C. 105), so the form’s text is reproduced with attribution.
Sources
- Federal Student Aid, 2027-28 FAFSA Form (PDF), page 2 deadlines (retrieved October 2026)
Common mix-ups
-
Often assumedThe federal FAFSA deadline is the date that matters for all my aid.
What the source saysThe form gives June 30, 2028 as the last day federal aid applications can be received, but says the deadline for state or college aid may be as early as October 1, 2026, or that aid may go first come, first served. [1]
-
Often assumedEvery date on the state list means the day my FAFSA must be postmarked.
What the source saysThe form says that unless otherwise noted the dates refer to when the form must be received. California's main date is marked date postmarked and Florida's is marked date processed. [1]
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal FAFSA deadline for 2027-28?
June 30, 2028. The form says the application must be received no later than that date, and no earlier than October 1, 2026 for federal aid.
Why do state deadlines matter more than the federal one?
The form says state or college aid may have a deadline as early as October 1, 2026, or be awarded first come, first served. Missing a state date can cost state aid even when the federal deadline is months away.
What does “date postmarked” mean for California?
California’s March 2, 2027 date for many state programs, and September 2, 2027 for additional community college Cal Grants, count the postmark. The form notes that unless a line says otherwise, dates mean the form must be received.
What does “Check with your financial aid office” mean?
The form prints no state date for that state. The college’s financial aid office sets the deadline for school and state aid, so ask it directly.
What is a priority deadline?
The form uses “for priority consideration, submit by” for dates after which funds may be limited. It is not necessarily the last day to apply, but filing earlier improves the chance of aid.
Do I need another form besides the FAFSA?
Sometimes. Many lines say “more forms may be required”. California, for example, sends some noncitizens to the California Dream Act Application, and Virginia has an Alternative State Aid Application.
Why is the year 2027-28?
The 2027-28 form covers July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028 and opens October 1, 2026. The 2026-27 form’s deadlines, which differ, apply to school already under way.
Does this page submit or check my FAFSA?
No. It shows the form’s published deadline text and counts days. Apply at fafsa.gov.
Check the live schedule
State deadlines change and the form itself says some states refer you to their own sites. This page is an unofficial copy of the published 2027-28 form, not run by the U.S. Department of Education, and nothing you type is transmitted anywhere. Confirm every date with your state agency and college.