The Government Accountability Office reported that the FAFSA Simplification Act is meeting key goals, including increased Pell Grant eligibility and higher shares of students receiving the maximum award. For the 2024–25 award year, nearly 10 million students were eligible for Pell—6% more than the prior year—and almost 8 million qualified for the maximum award of $7,395, up 31% year over year. GAO’s findings also suggest the benefits skewed toward middle-to-upper-middle-income families, with the biggest increases in eligibility for students from households earning $60,001 to $125,000. The report attributes gains to both expanded Pell access and improved processing of the simplified FAFSA, despite early technical issues when the new form first launched. Rep. Bobby Scott, the House Committee on Education and Workforce ranking member who requested the GAO analysis, said the reform “worked,” while acknowledging a fiscal pressure point: Pell has become short billions of dollars. Congress may need to add roughly $17 billion to prevent cuts in eligibility, keeping student aid policy squarely in the legislative spotlight.