Draft versions of the proposed 2027–28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and FAFSA Submission Summary are now available for public comment on the Federal Register. These forms are used by individuals applying for federal student aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, (HEA) as amended.
Only comments regarding the FAFSA form and related forms should be submitted during this comment period. Federal Student Aid (FSA) will respond only to comments related to the FAFSA form or the FAFSA Submission Summary. Comments related to topics such as StudentAid.gov accounts or the verification process should not be submitted during this comment period as they are outside the scope of this collection. Additionally, comments related to state deadlines should not be submitted as the deadlines are merely placeholders while state agencies complete the process of providing their expected 2027–28 deadlines. Final state deadlines will be included in the draft FAFSA form provided for the next round of public comments.
The federal student aid application process requires the collection and processing of data necessary to determine a student’s eligibility to receive Title IV, HEA program assistance. The process begins with an applicant submitting a FAFSA form to the U.S. Department of Education. After the FAFSA form is processed, the applicant receives a FAFSA Submission Summary, which is a summary of the data provided on the FAFSA form. The applicant reviews the FAFSA Submission Summary for accuracy and, if necessary, makes corrections or updates to the submitted FAFSA data.
The 2027–28 FAFSA form has been updated to reflect ongoing feedback from students and families. Changes primarily focus on simplifying question and response options to be more easily readable and understandable. We have also amended the tax filing question to accommodate users who file income tax returns in both the United States and Puerto Rico or another U.S. territory.
Additionally, the following enhancements will be implemented to the 2027-28 online FAFSA form:
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Students’ data will be pre-populated from previous FAFSA forms, allowing for a much faster experience for returning students.
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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.
The community is invited to review the updated draft documents and submit comments on or before April 14, 2026. Drafts of the 2027–28 FAFSA form, FAFSA Submission Summary, Summary of Enhancements, and other documents can be viewed by selecting this link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/13/2026-02905/agency-information-collection-activities-comment-request-2027-2028-free-application-for-federal. Once the web page opens, select “Download” for the document(s) you would like to view.
Comments responding to this notice can be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov by searching for Docket ID number ED-2026-SCC-0199 or by linking directly to the site: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/13/2026-02905/agency-information-collection-activities-comment-request-2027-2028-free-application-for-federal. Select the “Comment” button to enter and submit a comment. Comments may also be submitted via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted.