FAFSA Deadlines: Federal, State, and School Priority Dates
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Sep 24, 2026 • Updated Sep 24, 2026 • US Financial Aid & Scholarships
The federal FAFSA deadline for 2026-27 is June 30, 2027, but state and school deadlines usually land months earlier and cut off aid first.
⏱️ Federal deadline: submit your 2026-27 FAFSA by June 30, 2027.
State deadlines vary widely; some are fixed dates, others pay out first come, first served.
💵 California's Cal Grant priority deadline for 2026-27 is March 2, 2026, set by the California Student Aid Commission.
School priority deadlines often land months before a term starts and affect which institutional aid you get.
Missing an early deadline does not stop you from filing later, but it costs you state or school aid for that year.
Three deadlines, three different consequences
Every FAFSA form carries three deadlines: a federal one, a state one, and a school one. Miss the federal deadline and that award year's FAFSA closes for good. Miss a state or school deadline and you typically lose a specific pot of aid, while your FAFSA stays valid for other federal aid.
The three deadlines rarely match. The earliest one controls how much aid you actually get. File as early as you reasonably manage after the FAFSA opens, and you clear all three at once.
The federal deadline
For the 2026-27 award year, submit or correct your FAFSA through 11:59 p.m. Central Time on June 30, 2027, according to Federal Student Aid .
This is the last date the form stays open for that award year. Filing this late rarely makes sense, since most state and school aid, and federal aid tied to enrollment, is already committed by then.
State deadlines
States that award their own grants and scholarships set separate deadlines tied to the FAFSA, and many are strict cutoffs, not suggestions.
Some states fund grants first come, first served, so filing early inside the deadline window still matters even when the deadline itself sits months away.
California is a clear example. To be considered for a Cal Grant for the 2026-27 school year, submit your FAFSA (or California Dream Act Application) and your GPA information by March 2, 2026, according to the California Student Aid Commission . Miss that date as a new applicant heading to a four-year school, and you wait a full year for another shot at a new award.
A number of states pay out grants on a rolling basis tied to when the FAFSA processes, rather than one hard cutoff, so submitting early in the application window still matters even without a single fixed date. Confirm the exact process with your state agency, since rules differ across states.
Check your own state's higher education agency site for its exact deadline and required forms. Some states require a state-specific application alongside the FAFSA.
School priority deadlines
Your college sets its own FAFSA priority deadline, often the earliest of the three, sometimes six months or more before the term starts. Schools use these dates to award limited institutional grants, work-study positions, and some scholarships first come, first served.
Filing after your school's priority deadline does not disqualify you from federal aid, but it often means a smaller aid package, since institutional funds go to students who applied earlier. Check your financial aid office's website directly, since these dates differ by school and by whether you are a new or returning student.
Deadlines at a glance
| Deadline type | Example | What you risk by missing it |
|---|---|---|
| Federal | June 30, 2027 (2026-27 award year) | That year's FAFSA closes; you lose the entire award year. |
| State | March 2, 2026 for California's Cal Grant | You lose eligibility for that state grant for the year. |
| School | Varies, often months before the term starts | You lose priority for limited institutional aid. |
How to stay ahead of all three
File your FAFSA as soon as it opens for the award year you need.
Look up your state's deadline on your state higher education agency's website.
Check your school's financial aid office site for its own priority date.
Set a reminder for the earliest of the three deadlines, not the federal one.
Resubmit or correct your FAFSA promptly if your school requests updates.