FAFSA Deadlines 2026-27
| State | Program | Deadline (2026-27) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State aid | Closes on or about June 1, 2026 |
| Alaska | Alaska Education Grant | First-come, first-served |
| Arizona | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Arkansas | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| California | Cal Grant (competitive round) | March 2, 2026 |
| California | Cal Grant (second round) | September 2, 2026 |
| Colorado | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Connecticut | CT Independent Colleges grants | February 15, 2027 |
| Delaware | SEED / priority date | October 15, 2026 |
| District of Columbia | DC Tag | June 30, 2026 |
| Florida | State aid | May 15, 2026 |
| Georgia | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Hawaii | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Idaho | Priority date | March 1, 2026 |
| Illinois | MAP Grant | First-come, first-served |
| Indiana | State aid | April 15, 2026 |
| Iowa | Iowa Grant | December 1, 2025 |
| Kansas | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Kentucky | CAP Grant | First-come, first-served |
| Louisiana | Priority date | July 1, 2026 |
| Maine | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Maryland | State aid | March 1, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | MASSGrant | May 1, 2026 |
| Michigan | State aid | February 15, 2026 |
| Minnesota | State Grant (priority) | February 15, 2026 |
| Mississippi | HELP / Higher Ed Grant (priority) | September 15, 2026 |
| Missouri | Access Missouri (priority) | February 1, 2027 |
| Montana | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Nebraska | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Nevada | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| New Hampshire | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| New Jersey | TAG (priority 1) | December 1, 2025 |
| New Jersey | TAG (priority 2) | February 15, 2026 |
| New Mexico | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| New York | TAP | June 30, 2026 |
| North Carolina | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| North Dakota | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Ohio | Priority date (next cycle) | October 1, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | OTAG | First-come, first-served |
| Oregon | OSAC scholarships | March 1, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | State Grant (renewal) | May 1, 2027 |
| Rhode Island | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| South Carolina | No statewide deadline listed | - |
| South Dakota | No statewide deadline listed | - |
| Tennessee | State aid | February 1, 2026 |
| Texas | TEXAS Grant (priority) | January 15, 2026 |
| Utah | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Vermont | VSAC grants | October 15, 2026 |
| Virginia | State aid (renewal July 31, 2026) | March 1, 2026 |
| Washington | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| West Virginia | State aid | April 15, 2027 |
| Wisconsin | State aid | First-come, first-served |
| Wyoming | State aid | First-come, first-served |
The FAFSA has three clocks, and missing the quietest one costs the most. Federal aid accepts forms until June 30, 2027 for the 2026-27 year — but nearly all state grant money is first-come, first-served and long gone by spring. The table below is the official date set for every state, so you can see which clock is actually running your household.
Open date: the 2026-27 FAFSA opened October 1, 2025. Correction deadline: September 11, 2027 — after that, nothing can be changed for the year. Everything in between is state-by-state, and the differences are enormous: Iowa's first-come grant window opened December 1, while Alabama cuts off around June 1.
How to use
- File the FAFSA as early as possible after October 1 — most state aid is awarded until funds run out, not until a printed date.
- Find your state in the table below; dated rows are hard or priority deadlines, and the rest award first-come, first-served.
- Check your target colleges' financial-aid pages for their own priority dates — those can be earlier than both federal and state dates.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FAFSA deadline for 2026-27?
The federal deadline is June 30, 2027, with corrections allowed until September 11, 2027. But those dates only matter for federal aid: state grants such as Cal Grant, TAP and MAP typically run out months earlier, and many colleges set priority dates in February. Treat your state's date, not the federal one, as your real deadline.
Which states have the earliest FAFSA deadlines?
For the 2026-27 year, the earliest dated state cutoffs are Iowa (Dec 1, 2025), New Jersey first priority (Dec 1, 2025) and Tennessee (Feb 1, 2026). States marked first-come, first-served — including Illinois, Kentucky and Washington — can exhaust funds even earlier in practice, so file in the fall regardless.
Can I submit the FAFSA late?
Yes. There is no penalty for filing after a state or college priority date — you just stack the odds against yourself. Federal aid remains available until June 30, 2027, and several state programs, like California's second Cal Grant round (Sept 2, 2026), have built-in later windows. File the same day you realize you are late.
Do I refill the FAFSA every year?
Yes — aid is awarded one year at a time. Renewals open each October 1, and your income data transfers in via the IRS direct-data-exchange, so the renewal usually takes under 30 minutes. Deadlines in this table then reset for the new award year.