Financial Aid Applications

Financial assets that are counted when students and parents fill out the 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form will now better reflect a family’s financial need. This includes forms submitted during the FAFSA beta events that began Aug. 5, 2025.

OBBBA includes exclusions for small businesses, family farms, and commercial fishing businesses.

How To Prepare for the 2026-2027 FAFSA® Form – Class of 2026

Prepare now so you can complete the 2026–27 FAFSA form as soon as it’s available on October 1, 2025. Here are some ways you can get ready:

• Create an FSA ID (if you don’t already have one).
• Go to: studentaid.gov
• Learn about the documents you may need to fill out the FAFSA form.
  • Social Security (Disability/Supplemental
  • TANF (welfare)
  • Workers’ Comp.
  • WIC
  • Food Stamps
• Student W-2 (if student worked)
• Parent(s) W-2
• Students most recent Tax Return (2024 if filed)
• Parent(s) most recent Tax Return (2024 if filed)
• For the year 2024-2025, did you or your parents receive any of these benefits:
• Determine your dependency status and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form.
• If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form.
• https://studentaid.gov/fafsa-apply/parents