The FAFSA 2027-28 is open, and the families who move first usually have the most options. The Department of Education made the form live to the general public on Sept. 23, 2026, ahead of the Oct. 1 date required by law. It covers college or career school between July 1, 2027, and June 30, 2028, so this is the form for next fall’s freshmen and for every returning student.

For Black families, this one form carries extra weight. At HBCUs, about 70% of students receive Pell Grants, compared with around 30% of undergraduates at other colleges, according to EdTrust. The FAFSA unlocks Pell, federal work-study, most state grants and a lot of college scholarships. Here is how to get it done right.

What’s new on the FAFSA 2027-28

• It uses 2025 tax information. The 2027-28 form asks about 2025 income. If you already filed your 2025 taxes, you have what you need.
• Results right away. Students can see their Pell Grant and federal aid eligibility immediately after finishing, and the form now shows earnings indicators for the colleges you list.
• Family businesses and farms. Family-owned businesses with fewer than 100 employees and family farms no longer count as assets. That matters for Black entrepreneurs and farm families.
• Beta filers are done. If your student submitted during the August and September testing period, you do not need to resubmit.
• It’s quicker. Education Department officials say it now takes 15 minutes on average.

What you need before you start

• A StudentAid.gov account for the student and a separate one for each contributor, usually a parent and a parent’s spouse. Parents must use their own username and password, not the student’s.
• Social Security numbers. A parent without an SSN can still create an account and complete their section.
• 2025 federal tax returns and W-2s, in case you need to enter anything by hand.
• Current balances for checking, savings and investment accounts.
• Records of child support received, if it applies to you.
• A list of every school you’re considering, including the HBCUs on your list.

Step by step: how to file

1. Create accounts early. Student and parents each set up their own StudentAid.gov login.
2. Student starts the form at StudentAid.gov and invites contributors by email or text.
3. Each contributor logs in, completes their section and gives consent and approval for the IRS to share their federal tax information.
4. Add schools. You can list up to 20 schools online. Add every college you might attend.
5. Sign and submit. Most forms process immediately, though some take one to three days.
6. Check your results and your email. Watch each college’s student portal for requests for documents or verification.

Common FAFSA mistakes that cost families money

• Waiting on taxes you don’t need. The form uses 2025 information. Don’t hold off until spring.
• A missing consent. If any contributor does not give approval to share tax data, the student is not eligible for any federal student aid until they do.
• Sharing one login. A parent signing in as the student causes problems. Everybody gets their own account.
• Listing only your dream school. Every school you list gets your information. Add your safety schools and in-state options too.
• Assuming you make too much. The maximum Pell Grant for 2026-27 is $7,395, and many state grants and college scholarships also require a FAFSA. File anyway.
• Missing your state deadline. The federal deadline is far off. Your state’s is not.
• Paying anyone to file. It is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it is filed at StudentAid.gov.

FAFSA 2027-28 deadlines by state

The federal deadline is June 30, 2028, but state money moves much faster, and several states award grants until funds run out. These dates come from Fastweb’s state deadline roundup. Screenshot this list, then confirm with your state’s higher education agency and each college.

Early filing pays off. After last year’s early launch, the Class of 2026 hit a 59.1% FAFSA completion rate through June 26, a record. Colleges set their own priority dates too, and some are earlier than the state’s, so check each school’s financial aid page.

How HBCU and college aid offices can help

The financial aid office is on your side, and you should call it before you panic about any number. Aid counselors can:

• Walk you through verification if your student is selected to send extra documents.
• Review special circumstances like a job loss, big medical bills or a death in the family. UNCF encourages families to appeal aid offers when circumstances warrant.
• Explain institutional scholarships and their priority dates.
• Talk through borrowing honestly. About 80% of HBCU students take out federal loans, EdTrust reports. And Parent PLUS changed on July 1, 2026: new borrowers are capped at $20,000 per student per year and $65,000 per student in total, and new PLUS loans do not qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Families who already had PLUS loans disbursed before July 1, 2026 can keep borrowing under the old rules for up to three more academic years or until the student finishes, whichever comes first.

Then stack scholarships on top. UNCF says it awards more than $62 million in scholarships each year, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund offers scholarships for students at its member schools and other eligible colleges. Our list of scholarships for Black students with October and November deadlines has dozens more, and many of them ask for a completed FAFSA.

Visiting campus for homecoming? Our HBCU homecoming 2026 guide has the dates, and a stop by the aid office while you’re there is worth the detour. For the other money dates on your family’s calendar this fall, see our Q4 money checklist.

Pick one night this week, put the laptop on the kitchen table and get it done together. Fifteen minutes now can mean thousands of dollars next fall.

Related on BCN: Just need the dates and what changed this year? Read The 2027-28 FAFSA Is Open Early: What Families Should Do Now.