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2027–28 FAFSA Prototype Now Available

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) prototype is a partial preview of the online 2027–28 FAFSA form. Counselors and mentors can familiarize themselves with the form by navigating through common applicant scenarios.

2027–28 FAFSA® Prototype Overview

The prototype is an interactive tool that lets people see and interact with most of the pages of the online 2027–28 FAFSA form.

It's not a FAFSA demonstration site or a complete replica of the 2027–28 FAFSA form. This prototype may vary slightly from the actual form that will be available on fafsa.gov by Oct.1, 2026. For instance, helper text might be absent or differ.

We'll update the prototype periodically to reflect changes made to the actual FAFSA form.

How to Use the Prototype

To access the 2027–28 FAFSA prototype:

  1. Visit fsapartners.ed.gov/fafsa-prototype/2728
  2. Enter the access code: prototype2728
  3. Information about using the 2027–28 FAFSA prototype will display. Select "View FAFSA Preview."
  4. The 2027–28 FAFSA prototype landing page will display with a list of user scenarios.
  5. Select any of the available user scenarios for a student, parent, or spouse contributor.
  6. Select responses to advance through pages of the form. The prototype will tell you if you must select specific responses to move forward. It will also tell you if certain responses or links aren't available.

Available Scenarios

The FAFSA prototype demonstrates how to do the following:

  • Start, sign, and submit a new FAFSA form as a student or parent.
  • Complete, sign, and submit an in-progress application as a student, parent, or spouse.
  • Correct a submitted application for common issues, like adding a missing signature.

Prototype Limitations

The prototype's functionality is limited as follows:

  • It doesn't store data.
  • It doesn't simulate interactions with the systems that the real FAFSA form does. For example, it doesn't interact with IRS or email systems.
  • It doesn't calculate a Student Aid Index, allow field and page edits, or validate data.
  • Some functions that are usually interactive, like search, are for display only.
  • Users can enter any name in city or school name search fields but can only select sample city and school names.
  • Fields with dropdown menus of options may not work as expected.
  • Accessibility features may not work as expected.
  • Tooltips for questions and other help resources that appear on the actual FAFSA form may not be present.
  • The prototype has desktop and mobile views, but it doesn't adjust to the size of a browser window or device.
  • Some pages may load slowly.

Contact Information and Feedback

If you have questions or feedback about the FAFSA prototype, email FSA_FAFSA_Team@ed.gov.

September 01, 2026