State Financial Aid Programs 2026-27: Grants by State
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Find the aid programs that fit your situation
Tell us your state, household and enrollment plan to see the federal and state programs that may apply.
Take the aid quizMost states pay a main grant on top of the federal Pell Grant. For 2026-27, California’s largest pays up to $17,236 a year and Washington’s up to $13,203 at a public four-year school.
Each state sets its own rules, form and deadline. The FAFSA is the starting point almost everywhere, but in some states it is not enough on its own, and in others filing late means no award even when you qualify.
This page lists the main grant in 30 states, what it paid for 2026-27, the next 2027-28 deadline and what you file beyond the FAFSA.
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State aid runs on its own rules and calendar
Federal aid follows one form and one deadline. The 2026-27 FAFSA opened September 24, 2025 and closes June 30, 2027; the 2027-28 form opened September 23, 2026 and closes June 30, 2028.
State aid breaks from that in three ways:
- Earlier deadlines. Texas wants the 2027-28 FAFSA by January 15, 2027 and California by March 2, 2027.
- Extra forms. California needs a certified GPA, Florida its own aid application, New York a TAP application.
- First-come money. Some states pay in the order files arrive until the year’s funds are gone.
StudentAid.gov lists every state’s date and notes that missing it does not affect your federal aid. Source · StudentAid.gov: FAFSA deadlines
The main grant in 30 states, with the next deadline
Amounts are maximums for the award year shown; your award depends on your need, school and enrollment. Deadlines are for the 2027-28 year unless noted.
| State | Program | Maximum award | Next deadline | What you file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK | Alaska Performance Scholarship | $7,000/yr at the top level (2026-27) | June 30, 2027 priority | FAFSA + Alaska Student Aid Portal |
| AL | Alabama Student Grant | Up to $3,000/yr (2026-27) | Set by school | Application through the school |
| AR | Academic Challenge | Set by ADHE each year | July 1, 2027 | FAFSA + ADHE SAMS application |
| AZ | Arizona Promise | Tuition and fees after other grants | Apr 1, 2027 | FAFSA only |
| CA | Cal Grant A | Up to $15,588 at UC; $6,838 at CSU (2026-27) | Mar 2, 2027 (Sept 2 for community college) | FAFSA or CADAA + certified GPA |
| CT | Roberta B. Willis Scholarship | $5,250/yr need-merit, four-year (2025-26) | Feb 15, 2027 | FAFSA + counselor-submitted application |
| DE | SEED / Inspire | Tuition at Delaware Tech (SEED) or Delaware State (Inspire) | May 15, 2027 state FAFSA date | FAFSA + school application |
| FL | Bright Futures (FAS / FMS) | 100% (FAS) or 75% (FMS) of public tuition and fees | Aug 31 after high school graduation | FAFSA + Florida Financial Aid Application |
| GA | HOPE Scholarship | Up to $5,256 per term, public (2026-27) | Last day of the term | FAFSA or GSFAPP |
| IA | Future Ready Iowa Grant (age 25+) | Tuition help for a bachelor's in a high-demand field | July 1, 2027 priority | FAFSA + Iowa Financial Aid Application |
| IL | Monetary Award Program (MAP) | Up to $8,400/yr (2025-26) | As soon as possible; first-come | FAFSA only |
| IN | 21st Century Scholars | Tuition at Indiana public colleges | Apr 15, 2027 FAFSA | Enrollment in 7th or 8th grade + FAFSA |
| KS | Adult Learner Grant (age 25+) | $3,000 per semester at 12+ hours (2026-27) | First-come until funds run out | Board of Regents application |
| KY | KEES | Up to $2,500/yr, earned by high school GPA (2025-26) | FAFSA as soon as possible | FAFSA only |
| LA | TOPS | Tuition at Louisiana public schools, by award level | Feb 1, 2027 recommended | TOPS Online Application or FAFSA |
| MA | MASSGrant Plus | Full tuition and fees if AGI is $85,000 or less (2025-26) | May 1, 2027 priority | FAFSA or MASFA |
| MD | Guaranteed Access Grant | Up to $18,000/yr (2026-27) | Mar 1, 2027 | FAFSA or MHEC One-App |
| MI | Michigan Achievement Scholarship | Up to $27,500 over five years, four-year path (2026-27) | Set by school | FAFSA only |
| MN | Minnesota State Grant | Formula: price minus family share and Pell | 30th day of each term | FAFSA or state alternative application |
| NJ | Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) | Set by SAI and school type | Apr 15, 2027 renewals; Sept 15, 2027 new | FAFSA + HESAA follow-up |
| NM | Legislative Lottery Scholarship | 100% of tuition at NM public schools | Automatic if eligible | None beyond enrollment |
| NY | Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) | Up to $5,665/yr (2025-26) | June 30 of the academic year | FAFSA + TAP application |
| OH | Ohio College Opportunity Grant | Up to $5,000/yr at private nonprofits (2025-26) | Oct 1, 2027 state FAFSA date | FAFSA only |
| OR | Oregon Opportunity Grant | Up to $8,352 four-year, $4,320 community college (2026-27) | As soon as possible; first-come | FAFSA or ORSAA |
| PA | PA State Grant | Up to $6,000/yr (2026-27) | May 1, 2027 (Aug 1 for some first-time students) | FAFSA + PHEAA form |
| SC | Palmetto Fellows | $6,700 first year; $7,500 later years (2026-27) | Set by school | CHE application + FAFSA |
| TN | Tennessee Promise | Community college tuition after other grants | Nov 2, 2026 application; Apr 1, 2027 FAFSA | Promise application + FAFSA |
| TX | TEXAS Grant | Up to $5,399 per semester, public four-year (2026-27) | Jan 15, 2027 priority | FAFSA |
| VA | Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) | Up to $5,250/yr; $12,750 at Hampton and Virginia Union (2026-27) | Sept 15 before fall; Dec 1 if funds remain | VTAG application at the college |
| WA | Washington College Grant | Up to $13,203/yr, public four-year (2026-27) | FAFSA as soon as possible | FAFSA or WASFA |
Amounts come from each state agency’s program page as recorded in our state aid data on September 28, 2026; deadlines come from StudentAid.gov’s 2027-28 list and the agencies named. States not listed are in our deadlines guide.
Three programs that break the usual pattern
Most state grants follow one pattern: a FAFSA-based need test, an award tied to in-state tuition and a spring deadline. These three work differently.
California: Cal Grant needs a GPA as well as the FAFSA
Cal Grant A pays up to $15,588 a year at the University of California and $6,838 at Cal State for 2026-27. The family income ceiling is $144,700 for a family of four. Source · CSAC: Cal Grant award types
You file the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application, and your school certifies your GPA, both by March 2. For the 2027-28 year that date is March 2, 2027; community college students have until September 2, 2027. Source · CSAC: Cal Grant
Georgia: HOPE and Zell Miller pay on grades, not income
HOPE pays a set rate per term at each Georgia school for students with a 3.0 HOPE GPA. For 2026-27 the highest public rate is $5,256 per term at 15 hours, and eligible private colleges pay up to $2,985 per term at 12 or more hours.
Zell Miller pays full in-state public tuition for students with a 3.7 high school GPA and a 1200 SAT or 25 ACT. Neither program has an income cap. You apply with the FAFSA or the Georgia Student Finance Application, every year. Source · GSFC: HOPE and Zell Miller
Florida: Bright Futures counts service hours
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) pays 100% of public tuition and fees with a 3.5 weighted GPA, a 1330 SAT, 29 ACT or 95 CLT and 100 service hours. Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) pays 75% with a 3.0 GPA, a 1190 SAT, 24 ACT or 82 CLT and 75 hours. These are the 2026-27 graduate standards.
The Florida Financial Aid Application is due August 31 after high school graduation, and that is where the service hours are recorded. Source · Florida OSFA: FAS and FMS
First-come programs pay the earliest filers
In some states, qualifying is not enough. Files are funded in the order they arrive, and when the year’s money runs out, eligible students get nothing.
Illinois shows how early that happens. For 2026-27, ISAC stopped announcing MAP awards for FAFSAs received after April 23, 2026, and later filers went on a waiting list. Source · ISAC: MAP
Oregon’s 2026-27 Opportunity Grant cutoff was May 15, 2026, with awards first-come until funds ran out. Awards step down as the SAI rises, from $8,352 at a four-year school for an SAI of 0 or less. Source · OSAC: Oregon Opportunity Grant
For 2027-28, StudentAid.gov lists Illinois, Oregon, Kentucky, Vermont, North Dakota and several others as first-come, with the advice to file as soon as possible after October 1, 2026.
The next state dates on the calendar
These dates apply to students starting in fall 2027 unless noted.
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Tennessee Promise application, class of 2027
A separate application in the state student portal, then the FAFSA by April 1, 2027, a mandatory meeting and 16 service hours a year.
-
Texas priority date
For the TEXAS Grant and other state aid. Private and two-year schools may set different dates.
-
Maryland
Date received, for the state’s Educational Excellence Awards, which include the Guaranteed Access Grant.
-
California Cal Grant
FAFSA or Dream Act Application plus a certified GPA. September 2, 2027 for community college students.
-
New Jersey TAG renewals
New applicants for fall and spring have until September 15, 2027.
-
Pennsylvania State Grant
Most students. First-time students at community colleges, trade schools and similar programs have until August 1, 2027.
-
Virginia VTAG
Due at the private college’s aid office before the fall term; December 1 if funds remain.
Eight states need a second form
A clean FAFSA does not trigger these awards. You or your school has to file the second piece.
- California: a school-certified Cal Grant GPA by March 2.
- Florida: the Florida Financial Aid Application for Bright Futures and state grants.
- Indiana: 21st Century Scholars enrollment in 7th or 8th grade.
- Kansas: a Board of Regents application for the Adult Learner Grant.
- New York: a TAP application after the FAFSA.
- Pennsylvania: PHEAA’s state grant form after the FAFSA.
- Tennessee: the Tennessee Promise application by November 2 of senior year.
- Virginia: a VTAG application filed with the private college’s aid office.
Adults going back to school have state grants too
Many state programs target recent high school graduates. A few are built for adults.
- Iowa: the Future Ready Iowa Grant helps Iowa residents 25 or older, enrolled at least part time in a bachelor’s program in a high-demand field. You file the FAFSA and the Iowa Financial Aid Application by July 1, 2027.
- Kansas: the Adult Learner Grant pays $3,000 a semester at 12 or more hours for residents 25 or older in a high-demand bachelor’s program, stepping down to $1,500 at 6 hours. You must live and work in Kansas after graduation.
- Oregon: the Opportunity Grant has no age limit and covers a first associate or bachelor’s degree.
- Minnesota: the State Grant can pay part-time students taking 3 or more credits.
Four mistakes that cost state aid
- Treating June 30 as your deadline. It is the federal cutoff only. Your state’s date can be January or March.
- Assuming your income is too high. HOPE, Zell Miller, Bright Futures and New Mexico’s Lottery Scholarship have no income cap.
- Stopping at the FAFSA. The eight states above need a second form, and schools rarely chase it.
- Counting a last-dollar award twice. Arizona Promise and Tennessee Promise pay what is left after Pell and other grants, so a full Pell award can leave them paying little or nothing.
Rules and amounts are set by state legislatures and change each year. Confirm the current figures on the state agency’s page before you rely on them. Degree Sources is not affiliated with any state agency.
Your next step
Find your state in the table, put its next date on your calendar and file the 2027-28 FAFSA if you start next fall. Then see what your state grant adds to Pell with the aid check: about two minutes, result before any email.
See whether your state's grant is in reach
About two minutes. Your state's main grant listed next to your 2026-27 Pell estimate, campus aid and loan limits, before any email.
Start the aid checkWant your Pell lines by email? Go to the quick check
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
- Federal Student Aid: FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28 and 2026-27)
- U.S. Department of Education: 2027-28 FAFSA launch press release (Sept 23, 2026)
- California Student Aid Commission: Cal Grant award types
- California Student Aid Commission: Cal Grant
- SUNY: Excelsior Scholarship and TAP
- Georgia Student Finance Commission: HOPE award amounts
- Georgia Student Finance Commission: HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships
- Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance: Bright Futures FAS and FMS
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission: Monetary Award Program
- Oregon Student Aid: Oregon Opportunity Grant
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: TEXAS Grant FY2026 program guidelines
- Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency: PA State Grant
- Maryland Higher Education Commission: Guaranteed Access Grant
- Washington Student Achievement Council: Washington College Grant
- SCHEV: Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant
- College for TN: Tennessee Promise
- Iowa College Aid: Future Ready Iowa Grant
- Kansas Board of Regents: Adult Learner Grant
- Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance: TOPS
Related Resources
Financial Aid Deadlines 2026-27 and 2027-28 by State
The 2027-28 FAFSA is open. Texas wants it by Jan 15, 2027, California by March 2, and some states pay first-come. Every state date, plus 2026-27.
FAFSA Guide 2026-27 and 2027-28: Which Form to File
Two FAFSA forms are open. File 2026-27 for classes through June 2027 (2024 taxes) or 2027-28 for fall 2027 on (2025 taxes). Steps, documents, deadlines.
Grants for College in 2026-27: Pell, FSEOG, TEACH and State
Pell pays up to $7,395 for 2026-27, FSEOG up to $4,000 and state grants like Cal Grant up to $17,236. How each grant works and the one form that applies.