GAO Report Confirms FAFSA Simplification Increases Pell Grant Eligibility
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report indicating that the FAFSA Simplification Act, enacted by Congress in 2020, has successfully increased the number of students eligible for the Pell Grant. In the 2024-25 academic year, nearly 10 million students qualified for the Pell Grant, marking a 6% increase from the previous year. Additionally, nearly eight million students were eligible for the maximum award of $7,395, a 31% increase from the 2023-24 academic year. The report highlights that a significant portion of the increase in eligibility and award amounts benefited students from middle to upper-middle-class families, particularly those with household incomes between $60,001 and $125,000. The FAFSA Simplification Act also aimed to streamline the federal aid application process, which initially faced technical issues but has since improved.