2027-28 FAFSA Guide

A resource for students and parents to complete the FAFSA

Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

 

Let's submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

 

2027-28 FAFSA FACTS

ETSU School Code: 003487

Opens: October 1, 2026

Closes: June 30, 2028

Semesters covered:
    • Fall 2027
    • Spring 2028
    • Summer 2028
Deadlines:
    • ETSU Priority Deadline:
      July 1, 2027
    • State deadlines vary
      based on funding type.
Don't wait until the last minute.

Every year, the FAFSA needs to
be submitted as soon as possible.

   An ETSU staff member speaks with a student 

To begin the process, both the student and parent need to create a Federal Student Aid account.   

It's strongly recommended that students log in to start the application, not the parent. The 2027-28 FAFSA will require students and parents to report 2025 tax information.

Once the student completes their section of the FAFSA, they will be prompted to send an invite to their parent, or contributor, to complete the next section.

Note: Please review the Family Scenarios section below to better understand who needs to complete the contributor section of the FAFSA.


It's important for students and parents to read and answer each question carefully. All information provided must be accurate to prevent processing delays.


For technical assistance, reach out to the U.S. Department of Education through the Federal Student Aid Information Center.


Family Scenarios

  • Blended Families
    If a student's legal parent is remarried, the stepparent's finances must be reported regardless of any prenuptials. Families with children from another marriage must report any impact to the household's overall financial situation.
  • Single Parents
    Only income and financial information for the single parent is required on the FAFSA. Government benefits and child support received should be reported accurately.
  • Divorced Parents
    In this situation, use Federal Student Aid's Parent Wizard to help determine which parent's financial information is required. It's important for ex-spouses to be consistent in any information about child support or financial arrangements reported.
  • Married Couples
    Both parents are required to submit combined financial information such as income, taxes paid, and assets. All information must be accurate 
  • Non-Traditional Guardianship
    Proper legal documentation is required to declare guardianship or foster care status. Guardianship and foster parents may not need to report income because the student may be considered an independent student. Adoption is a separate legal status and most likely falls under one of the family scenarios listed above.
  • Independent Students
    Independent students do not require a contributor on the FAFSA. Independent students report only their own tax and financial information. To be considered an independent student, you must be 24 years old, married, a graduate student, a veteran, a member of the armed forces, an orphan, a ward of the court, or have legal dependents.
  • Military Families
    Active duty military and veterans must report the benefits they receive correctly when submitting the FAFSA. 
  • Multiple College Students
    For famillies with mutiple dependents going to college, a FAFSA needs to be submitted for each student and the information reported must be consistent.

Financial Aid Terms

  • Student Aid Index (SAI)
    The U.S. Department of Education's office of Federal Student Aid uses this number to determine a student's eligibility for federal financial aid.
  • Cost of Attendance (COA)
    The Cost of Attendance (COA) is not a bill. It's an estimated budget created for students to plan expenses for the year. It shows direct (billed by university) and indirect (additional expenses) costs. 
  • Electronic Data Exchange (EDE)
    Formerly Direct Data Exchange (DDX), the Electronic Data Exchange (EDE) is a tool built into the FAFSA that can pull tax information into the form from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The FAFSA will prompt students and parents to provide consent to use the EDE. 
  • FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS)
    All information submitted on the form is provided to you by the U.S. Department of Education's office of Federal Student Aid via this summary. 
  • Federal Student Loans
    These loans are sometimes referred to as Direct Loans, Stafford Loans, or Direct Stafford Loans, but these are not the official names. Students and parents should carefully review the StudentAid.gov loans page for more details. Students planning to accept federal student loans are required to complete entrance counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN).

FAFSA Timeline

  • Submit FAFSA
    Students and parents will submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 each year.
  • FAFSA Deadlines
    The last day to submit a 2027-28 FAFSA is June 30, 2028, but many state and institutional deadlines are much earlier. In-state students should visit CollegeForTN.org to find state deadlines specific to their eligibility for certain types of aid. ETSU encourages students to submit the FAFSA for the next academic year before July 1. 
  • FAFSA Review
    As long as ETSU's school code (003487) was included on the FAFSA, the information will be sent to the Financial Aid and Scholarships office for review. Additional requirements will be requested by the office through GoldLink.
  • Verification
    To avoid delays, students randomly selected for federal verification will need to submit additional verification forms to the Financial Aid & Scholarships office as soon as possible.
  • Financial Aid Offer
    A financial aid package is offered to students via GoldLink. It may include a combination of loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study opportunities. The amount offered and types of aid will vary based on available funding, academic performance, and financial need. 
  • Maintain Eligibility
    Take time to understand all criteria required to maintain eligibility for financial aid. All ETSU students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and meet requirements for Course Program of Study (CPoS).

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why should I submit a FAFSA?
    To access federal grants, loans, and work study, a valid FAFSA is required to be on file. Also, some need-based and in-state programs like the HOPE Scholarship use FAFSA information to determine eligibility.
  • What happens after I submit the FAFSA?
    Look for a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) in the email inbox used to create the Federal Student Aid ID. Review the FSS for accuracy as the information provided is what determines the Student Aid Index (SAI).
  • Will ETSU let me know when they received my FAFSA?
    First, be sure that you listed ETSU on the form by using school code 003487. If ETSU was listed on the form, the university will receive information reported on the form from the U.S. Department of Education's office of Federal Student Aid. Students who plan to attend ETSU will monitor their GoldLink account for updates and additional requirements. 
  • Are there any other resources to help me complete the FAFSA?
    Yes! StudentAid.gov is the best resource for students and parents who are completing the FAFSA. ETSU's Educational Opportunity Center staff are also available to help students and parents complete the FAFSA.