Analysis of 17 selective colleges found modest increases in Pell Grant–eligible student shares between 2023 and 2025, with institutions like Swarthmore and Tufts reporting notable jumps. Experts say the rise is driven in part by a 2024 change to Pell eligibility rules, institutional financial-aid expansions, and admissions shifts such as reduced legacy preference. Advocates for class‑based affirmative action point to these policy and admissions choices—supported by efforts like the American Talent Initiative—as evidence of progress, while critics note that gains among low-income students are still outpaced by growth in students from affluent neighborhoods. The data suggest a patchwork of strategies—aid, transfer pathways and outreach—are yielding incremental gains. Admissions and financial-aid leaders should expect continued scrutiny of metrics and calls for more systemic reforms if institutions want sustained, measurable change in socioeconomic composition.