If someone in your house is headed to college, a trade school, or a certificate program next fall, there’s free money waiting — but only if you ask for it. The 2027–28 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opened on September 23, 2026, a full week earlier than usual. Filing is free, it takes most families under an hour, and filing early genuinely matters: a lot of state and school aid goes out first-come, first-served.
What’s new this year
- It opened early. September 23 instead of the usual October 1. If you’re reading this in October, you’re already in the early window — good.
- It uses your 2025 taxes. Most of that pulls in automatically from the IRS when you give consent, so don’t stress about digging up every form.
- Everyone who needs to sign does it online. If you’re a dependent student, you’ll invite a parent (a contributor) to add their part and sign digitally.
What the FAFSA actually gets you
One form unlocks Pell Grants (free money you never repay — you get a real-time Pell eligibility estimate the moment you submit), federal student loans with lower rates and better protections than private loans, work-study campus jobs, and Texas state aid like TEXAS Grant and TEOG, awarded until the money runs out. It’s also how most colleges determine their own institutional scholarships — even if you think your family earns too much, file anyway.
Who should file: high school seniors (Class of 2027) planning any college, community college, or trade school; current college students — you must refile every year you want aid; adults going back to school (there’s no age limit); and parents of dependent students, who contribute their financial info to the form.
What to gather before you sit down
- Your FSA ID (create one at StudentAid.gov if you don’t have it — do this a few days early)
- 2025 tax info (or just consent to the IRS transfer and skip the hunting)
- Records of any untaxed income, child support received, and current bank/investment balances
- Your list of schools — you can send the FAFSA to up to 20
- A government-issued photo ID — some filers are asked to confirm their identity before starting, so have it handy
- After filing, review your FAFSA Submission Summary for errors and note your Student Aid Index (SAI), the number schools use to calculate your aid
Deadlines San Antonio families should know
- Federal deadline: June 30, 2028 — that’s the last possible day, not the day to aim for.
- State and school deadlines: much earlier, and they vary. Texas and most colleges award some aid until the money runs out. The Texas priority deadline for 2027–28 is January 15, 2027 — file before this date to be first in line for state aid.
- The real rule: file as soon as you can. An October filing beats a March filing for the same student, because some pots of money are simply gone by spring.
If your student is looking at Alamo Colleges, UTSA, or Texas A&M–San Antonio, check each school’s financial aid page for its priority deadline — those dates matter more than the federal one.
One Texas-specific note: if a student can’t file the FAFSA because of immigration status, Texas has its own form — TASFA — for state aid. Same idea, same urgency, also free to file.
TASFA is available online or on paper (in English and Spanish), and the 2027–28 state priority deadline is also January 15, 2027. Eligibility rules have shifted with recent state law changes, so confirm your situation with your college’s financial aid office — they handle TASFA questions every day.
Free local help
You don’t have to figure this out alone. High school counselors, college financial aid offices, and community organizations across San Antonio help families file the FAFSA free every year — never pay anyone to file it for you. The form itself lives at StudentAid.gov and costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
We probably earn too much to qualify — should we still file?
Yes. There’s no income cutoff for filing, some aid (like federal direct loans) doesn’t depend on need at all, and many schools require the FAFSA for their own scholarships.
What if my parents don’t file taxes?
You can still complete the FAFSA. The form walks you through it — just answer honestly and give consent where it asks.
I missed the early opening. Is it too late?
Not even close. The form stays open until June 30, 2028. But earlier is still better, so don’t put it off.
Is the FAFSA really free?
Completely. If any site tries to charge you, you’re in the wrong place. The official form is only at StudentAid.gov.
Applying for college aid is step one — let us handle the rest. Our free Apply for Me program matches San Antonio families with every benefit they qualify for, from food help to free phones, and sends you a personal guide. Apply for Me →
