The U.S. Department of Education has initiated the process to develop the 2027–28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form by publishing an information collection notice. This action is the first step toward launching the new FAFSA on October 1, 2026.
According to the Department, this move aligns with efforts under the Trump Administration to prioritize accessibility and technical expertise in delivering student aid forms more efficiently. Last year, a redesigned FAFSA was released earlier than ever before, aiming to provide students and families timely access to financial aid resources as they pursue higher education.
Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent commented on these developments: “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,” Kent said. “We welcome public comment and feedback as we continue to modernize and streamline the form to better serve American students, families, and institutions.”
Recent updates introduced in the 2026–27 FAFSA cycle include several changes intended to make the application process simpler:
- A new contributor invite system allows students to send a code so their parent or contributor can fill out their part of the form.
- Instant verification for new StudentAid.gov accounts reduces wait times for confirmation.
- An earnings indicator now lets applicants see if graduates from specific colleges earn less than those with only a high school diploma.
- The Department reports it has improved fraud prevention measures, reversing previous lapses it attributes to prior administrations. It claims these efforts saved federal taxpayers over $1 billion last year.
- Changes reflecting provisions from recent domestic policy legislation mean that family-owned businesses with fewer than 100 full-time employees, family farms, and commercial fishing operations are excluded from asset calculations when determining aid eligibility.
For future versions of FAFSA, including for 2027–28, planned enhancements will allow returning students’ data to be pre-filled for faster renewals. The language used throughout the application is being revised for clarity. Additionally, parents with multiple children applying for aid will be able to reuse their information across applications instead of re-entering it each time.
The Department is seeking public input on its proposed changes. Comments must be submitted through www.regulations.gov by April 14; submissions by fax or email will not be accepted.
