The 2026-27 FAFSA Is Open. Mark These Deadlines on Your Calendar

For the first time since its glitchy revamp two years ago, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is open to students on time.

The application launched last week on Oct. 1, on the same day the federal government shut down after Congress failed to pass a stopgap funding bill.

But there’s good news for prospective college students: The shutdown doesn’t impact applying for FAFSA. Daisy Gonzales, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), said students can still submit their forms, and the agency “does not anticipate any disruption.”

“CSAC encourages students to be ready to apply for financial aid through the FAFSA,” Gonzales said in a statement. “Call centers will be open to answer any calls from both the Federal Student Aid and CSAC.”

The California DREAM Act, the state-based application for undocumented students and students from mixed-status families, is also open. The state said that student “information is never shared with the federal government or used for immigration enforcement.” 

While you have plenty of time to complete and submit the application, deadlines can creep up on you, especially after two cycles of delayed rollouts.

Keep reading for all the FAFSA and CADAA application deadlines to know for 2025, as well as other financial aid applications.

What are the financial aid deadlines to know for 2025?

What deadlines you should keep track of largely depends on what type of college or university you are hoping to enroll in. You should check directly with the school you’re interested in attending to make sure of their specific timings.

For the FAFSA, March 2, 2026, is the priority deadline for most colleges and institutions.

For students applying for state-based aid like CADAA, March 2, 2026, is the strict deadline.

The financial aid deadline for students going to community college is Sept. 2, 2026.

While some people may qualify for free community college through the California Promise Grant, they can only access this program by applying to the FAFSA or CADAA along with the grant’s own application.

Students hoping to go to a private institution should consider filling out the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. The deadline for the CSS Profile, which is a separate aid application, is dependent on the private school’s own priority deadline.

I’m not sure I’m going to college. Should I follow these deadlines anyway?

In a 2024 interview with KQED, Gonzales said that the biggest misconception people can make about the FAFSA is believing that they don’t qualify — whether that’s because their family is middle class, they’re thinking about joining the military or they’re going on a gap year.

Even if you’re uncertain about going to college at all, Gonzales said you should apply for FAFSA anyway. That way, you’ll have it completed in case they change your mind about your plans, and you’ll be sure you haven’t missed any deadlines.

“It’s never a bad idea to apply,” she said. And because “the aid here in California is very generous, very diverse,” many students — especially first-year college students — will qualify for some form of aid like grants, scholarships, subsidized loans or work-study, she said.

Among those programs is the Cal Grant — the state-specific aid program that California students can apply for through the FAFSA. Other programs include:

• The Cal-HBCU program, which provides aid for California students transferring from California Community Colleges to a partnering Historically Black College.
• A grant for foster youth under 26 that funds five years of schooling
• Aid for undocumented students who also participate in community service
• Grants for students who are also parents
• Students planning to enter the teaching profession.

What tax documents do I need to complete the FAFSA on time?

First, a quick breakdown of tax vocabulary:

• A W-2 form is a tax document that an employer gives workers once a year, which shows how much the employer paid the worker that year.
• A 1040 form is a tax document, also known as a tax return, that a worker completes themselves, usually with the help of a tax expert. This document is sent to the IRS each year to confirm how much the worker got paid and how much they owe the government in taxes.

Most people in the U.S. receive a W-2 form and then complete a 1040 form themselves. FAFSA will ask parents to share information from last year’s documents. If the parents do not have this information, it could be for one of these reasons:

• The parent is a gig worker, such as driving for Uber or doing deliveries for Grubhub; they most likely did not get a W-2 form. Instead, the company they work for gave them a 1099 form. Ask for “their 1099” instead.
• The parents did not work last year and received unemployment benefits instead; they most likely did not get a W-2 form. In this case, the state government will have sent them a 1099-G form, which lists how much they received from unemployment benefits.

If a student’s parent has a W-2 form but does not have last year’s 1040 form, this probably means they haven’t filed their taxes yet. Colleges will still want to see their taxes, and applicants should ask their parents about scheduling an appointment with a tax preparer to catch up on this.

Many community organizations offer free tax filing services year-round. In the Bay Area, United Way can connect people to online and in-person tax help — and parents could potentially qualify to get cash back from the government when they file, based on their income and the size of the family.

If your family still needs to file their taxes, keep the schools you’re applying to updated about this.

Resources for students applying for financial aid:

For students and family members who still have questions, FAFSA resources state-wide and nationally include:

• The National College Attainment Network’s 2025–26 FAFSA Page: A How-To Guide
• FAFSA’s official FAQ (with the help center’s contact information)
• Solicitud Dream Act de California
• California Student Aid Commission
• CSAC’s Cash for College
• California Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators