States That Require The FAFSA To Graduate: 2026 Update

A growing group of states has turned the FAFSA into a high school graduation requirement. The idea, known as “universal FAFSA,” is simple: every senior either files the federal aid application or formally opts out before getting a diploma.

The label hides several variations of the policy. Some states withhold a diploma from a student who does neither, while others only require schools to track who filed.

Here’s where every state stands heading into the 2027-28 FAFSA cycle, which states walked their policies back, and what the data says about whether any of it works.