U.S. Department of Education Takes First Step to Develop the 2027–28 FAFSA Form

Today, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) published an information collection for the 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, which is the first stage in the FAFSA development process. This step ensures that the Trump Administration will be on track to launch the 2027-28 FAFSA form by October 1, 2026.

The Trump Administration has prioritized accessibility and technical expertise to deliver the form for American students and families at a historic pace. Last year, the Department launched the earliest and most streamlined FAFSA form in history, ensuring that students and families have access to critical resources and financial aid information as they begin or continue their postsecondary journey.

"After years of mismanagement under the Biden Administration that left students and families struggling with delays and confusion, the Trump Administration promised to fix the FAFSA form - and in just one year, we have delivered historic progress for students and families across the country," said Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent. "We welcome public comment and feedback as we continue to modernize and streamline the form to better serve American students, families, and institutions."

Modernized Features and Improvements:

As part of the 2026-27 FAFSA cycle, the Department introduced a series of updates designed to further streamline the application process and strengthen performance.

• Redesigned Contributor Invite Process: Students can now invite their parent or contributor to complete their portion of the FAFSA form with a simple code.
• Instant Verification for New StudentAid.gov Accounts: Students and parents now receive faster account confirmation, reducing delays and frustration.
• Earnings Indicator: Students and families can now see if graduates of colleges and universities to which they are applying for federal student aid have lower earnings than a high-school graduate.
• Fraud Prevention: The Department reversed years of the Biden Administration's negligence to identify and eliminate FAFSA fraud, saving federal taxpayers over $1 billion last year.
• Implementing the Working Families Tax Cuts Act: The President's historic domestic policy legislation included changes to the FAFSA process to better reflect a student's financial need by excluding family-owned businesses with fewer than 100 full-time employees, family farms, and commercial fishing operations from the asset calculation.

The Trump Administration continues to invest in the FAFSA and will be delivering important enhancements to the 2027-28 FAFSA form.

• Ease of Renewal: Students' data will be pre-populated from previous FAFSA forms, allowing for a much faster experience for returning students.
  Clearer Language: Questions and instructions have been rewritten to remove confusing jargon and help students and families better understand what is being asked.
• Family-Friendly: Parents with multiple children applying for Federal student aid will be able to reuse their information across all applications instead of being required to reenter it for every child.

Public Comment:

Comments on the 2027-28 FAFSA form can be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. The Department will not accept comments submitted by fax or email. The Department must receive comments on or before April 14.

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