A new Government Accountability Office report says the FAFSA Simplification Act has met key goals, including expanding Pell Grant eligibility and increasing the share of students receiving the maximum award. In the 2024–25 academic year, nearly 10 million students were Pell-eligible—about 6% more than the prior year—and nearly 8 million qualified for the maximum award of $7,395, up 31%. The GAO findings also tie access improvements disproportionately to middle to upper-middle-income families, with eligibility increases concentrated in households earning between $60,001 and $125,000. The report credits the reforms after initial rollout delays and technical issues during early implementation. While simplification improved participation, the report notes Pell funding remains short billions, and Congress may need to provide about $17 billion to prevent cuts in eligibility. For admissions and student-aid leaders, the near-term operational takeaway is that FAFSA simplification has delivered measurable aid-access gains, but budgeting risk now shifts to whether Congress can sustain Pell capacity.