Education Dept. Sets 2026-27 FAFSA Deadlines; NIH Posts Three Research Grant Opportunities

Federal Student Aid: 2026-2027 Award Year Deadlines

The Department of Education has published deadline dates governing the receipt of documents and other information from applicants and institutions participating in federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, for the 2026-2027 award year. The programs covered by the notice are the Federal Pell Grant (Assistance Listing 84.063), the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program (84.268), the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program (84.379), the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program (84.007), and the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program (84.033).

FAFSA submission and ISIR receipt (Table A). The notice establishes that the deadline for the Department's FAFSA Processing System (FPS) to receive a FAFSA form is June 30, 2027, regardless of the method the applicant uses to submit it. Corrections, notices of change of address or institution, or requests for a duplicate FAFSA Submission Summary must be received by September 11, 2027. For all Title IV programs, an Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) or FAFSA Submission Summary must be received by the institution no later than the student's last date of enrollment for the 2026-2027 award year or September 18, 2027, whichever is earlier. The notice specifies that for most Title IV programs, the ISIR or FAFSA Submission Summary must carry an official Student Aid Index (SAI), with two exceptions: Direct PLUS Loans made to parent borrowers, and Direct Unsubsidized Loans made to dependent students whom the institution has determined eligible without parental information under section 479A(c) of the HEA — for those two categories, an official SAI is not required, though the same receipt dates apply.

Verification. For students not selected for Verification Tracking Groups V4 and V5, verification documents must be received by the institution no later than 120 days after the student's last date of enrollment for the 2026-2027 award year or September 18, 2027, whichever is earlier. For students selected for Verification Tracking Groups V4 and V5, institutions must submit identity verification results no later than 60 days following the institution's first request to the student to submit the documentation.

Disbursement records (Table B). For the Pell Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant programs, institutions must submit disbursement records to the Department's Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System no later than November 30, 2026, or 15 days after making the disbursement or becoming aware of the need to adjust a previously reported disbursement, whichever is later. The notice explains that under 34 CFR 668.164(a), Title IV funds are considered disbursed on the date the institution credits those funds to a student's account in the institution's general ledger or any subledger, or pays the funds directly to a student or parent — and that funds are treated as disbursed even if the institution uses its own funds in advance of receiving program funds from the Department.

Late disbursements. The notice also addresses late disbursements: in accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(j)(4)(i), an institution may not make a late disbursement of Title IV funds later than 180 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student was no longer enrolled. To make such a late disbursement, the institution must receive a valid ISIR or valid FAFSA Submission Summary no later than 180 days after that determination, but not later than September 18, 2027.

NIH Grant Opportunities

The National Institutes of Health has posted three open grant opportunities across distinct research and training domains.

ELSI Research (PAR-25-371). NIH has posted a funding opportunity for Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Research under the R01 mechanism, with clinical trial participation listed as optional. Applications close November 18, 2026.

Women, children, pregnant and lactating women, and persons with disabilities (PAR-25-311). A separate opportunity seeks to leverage network infrastructure to conduct innovative research for women, children, pregnant and lactating women, and persons with disabilities, using the UG3/UH3 mechanism with clinical trial participation optional. Applications for this opportunity close November 15, 2027.

Otolaryngology resident and medical student training (PAR-24-127). The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) has posted an R25 opportunity — under which clinical trials are not allowed — supporting a mentored research education pathway for otolaryngology residents and medical students. Applications close September 29, 2026.

What to Watch

• September 29, 2026 — NIH NIDCD R25 otolaryngology mentored research education application deadline (PAR-24-127)
• November 30, 2026 — Institutions must submit Pell Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant disbursement records to COD (or 15 days after disbursement, whichever is later)
• November 18, 2026 — NIH ELSI Research R01 application deadline (PAR-25-371)
• June 30, 2027 — Final deadline for FPS to receive a FAFSA form for the 2026-2027 award year
• September 11, 2027 — Deadline for FAFSA corrections and related requests
• September 18, 2027 — Outer deadline for institution receipt of ISIR or FAFSA Submission Summary, verification documents, and valid ISIRs for late disbursements
• November 15, 2027 — NIH UG3/UH3 network infrastructure research application deadline (PAR-25-311)