MIAMI VALLEY — It’s the start of the financial aid season, with the free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) officially opening for the 2027-28 academic year.
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For millions of students, that equals a core component of being able to attend college.
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With many individual universities tying their own priority deadlines on a first-come basis of aid available, the time to act is now. Experts say that should include anyone considering secondary education to maximize chances of securing as much financial help as possible.
“It used to be 108 questions; now it’s down to 36 questions,” Jennifer Finetti, Director of Student Advocacy at ScholarshipOwl, said. “Very simple. It actually is tied to the IRS, so you don’t have to have your own IRS tax forms to be able to fill out the data because it will be connected to the IRS. The IRS will automatically fill in that data from your 2025 taxes.”
Fenetti added that the earlier, the better, and to remember to reapply every year you have a student in college.
FAFSA is also tied to many other grants and scholarships, so applying makes you eligible for many other aid packages, and it also opens the door for federal work-study programs.
The application is available on the Federal Student Aid website here.
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