Federal, state and school: three kinds of deadline

There is no single FAFSA deadline. There are three kinds, set by three different offices, and the earliest one is the one that counts for you.

The federal deadline

The federal government accepts a FAFSA until June 30 at the end of the school year it covers. That is the last possible date for federal aid, and for most people it is far too late to be useful.

What to do

• Find each school’s priority date
• Look up your state’s date and whether it is first come, first served
• Aim for the earliest date on your list
• Treat June 30 as a last resort

State deadlines

States set their own dates, and some are early in the calendar year. A few states give aid in the order applications arrive until the funds are gone. The list of state deadlines appears on the FAFSA page at studentaid.gov.

The deadline that matters is the earliest one on your list, not the latest one on the form.

School deadlines

Colleges often have a priority date, and students who file by it are first in line for the school’s own grants. These dates are usually earlier than the state’s. Look for them on each school’s financial aid page, or ask the office directly.

Write every date on one calendar and aim for the earliest. Filing soon after the form opens covers almost every case.