Student Veterans Help Shape the 2027–28 FAFSA Experience
What happens when student veterans get the opportunity to complete the FAFSA before it opens to the public? They ask really good questions.
Earlier this month, Service to School was selected by the U.S. Department of Education and Federal Student Aid as one of a limited number of organizations nationwide to participate in the first phase of beta testing for the 2027–28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
More than 100 student veterans, service members, and military-connected students registered for our virtual event. Working alongside the Service to School and Federal Student Aid teams, approximately 45 students completed and submitted their official 2027–28 FAFSA that evening.
The event was part of the Department of Education’s effort to test the FAFSA with real students before its public launch. Service to School was selected specifically to bring the experiences of veterans and service members into that process. That matters because financial aid can look different when you have served.
The GI Bill doesn’t make the FAFSA irrelevant
One of the most persistent misconceptions we hear from student veterans is simple: I don’t want student loans and I have the GI Bill, so why would I complete the FAFSA?
Military education benefits and federal financial aid can work together.
For many of the students Service to School serves, completing the FAFSA can open access to free money, such as Pell Grants and other federal, state, and institutional aid. That additional support can help students preserve their earned education benefits and cover costs that extend beyond tuition.
Yet many veterans either skip the FAFSA entirely or wait until the last minute to complete it. By then, they may have missed priority deadlines for state, institutional, or other need-based aid.
The GI Bill is an incredibly valuable benefit. Helping veterans understand how to pair it with every other resource available to them can reduce financial pressure and help them make the most of what they earned.
A FAFSA form through the lens of military life
As students began working through the beta FAFSA, the questions started almost immediately.
One service member planning to leave active duty and return to his home of record wanted to know how to answer the residency questions. Another asked whether he should identify himself as active duty today or as the veteran he will be when he enrolls in Fall 2027.
A student preparing to leave active duty raised another important issue: the income reflected on his tax return will look very different from his income once he separates and starts school. How should he communicate that change when applying for institutional financial aid?
Others wanted to understand whether they should complete the FAFSA while using VR&E, whether they could submit the FAFSA before being admitted to college, and how military moves affect state residency.
These aren’t unusual circumstances for military-connected students. They are everyday realities of military life.They also demonstrate why it matters to include this population when systems like the FAFSA are designed and tested.
Direct access to the people behind the FAFSA
During the event students weren’t navigating those questions alone. Federal Student Aid experts joined Service to School staff throughout the evening, answering questions in real time and helping students work through the form.
We were also honored to welcome U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent, who spoke directly with participants about the importance of financial aid and the role it can play in helping veterans and service members pursue their education and career goals.
Kent later reflected on the experience in the Department of Education’s recap of the FAFSA beta, specifically recognizing his time with Service to School’s military veterans and service members as they navigated their educational benefits.
That direct engagement mattered. Our students weren’t simply testing a government form. They had an opportunity to bring the realities of military life directly into a process designed to connect millions of Americans with financial aid.
From “I’ll do it later” to submitted
Perhaps the best measure of the evening came directly from the chat.
Students began posting one after another:
“Completed!”
“This was a pretty easy form.”
“That was way less daunting than I thought.”
And then one student shared something that captured exactly why Service to School wanted to participate:
“You have given me that little push to go ahead and complete this. I have been procrastinating for over 20 years!”
That’s the gap our team is trying to close.
For student veterans, access to education includes understanding the systems surrounding college well enough to use them. We want veterans completing the FAFSA early, understanding what aid they may qualify for, and making informed decisions about how to finance their education before important deadlines begin closing.
Service to School’s event was also part of a much larger effort. According to Federal Student Aid, organizations participating in the first phase of beta testing collectively helped 2,000 students complete the 2027–28 FAFSA. Service to School was specifically selected as the national partner serving student veterans, ensuring the experiences and questions of military-connected students were represented in that early testing.
We’re grateful to the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Student Aid team for giving student veterans a seat at the table. And to every student who logged on, asked questions, shared feedback, and submitted their form we’re here for you.
Read the Department of Education’s FAFSA Beta 1 recap
Watch Under Secretary Nicholas Kent’s remarks to the Service to School community
