The impact of the Middle Income Student Assistance Act (MISAA) program was evaluated through analysis of financial aid to cohorts of students before and after MISAA, a longitudinal examination of a sample of students before and after its enactment, and a macro-level analysis of the effect of MISAA on the relationship between income and aid. The sample of 4,092 students at 91 four-year colleges and universities were surveyed before (1978-79) and after (1979-80) enactment. It was determined that MISAA's impact was not uniformly felt across the various levels of student income: there was a greater impact upon middle-income students than upon low-income and upper-income students. This result was due primarily to the increased availability of Basic Educational Opportunity Grants: the percentage of recipients and the average awards increased. There was also a systematic tendency for middle-income and upper-income students to receive a greater number of awards from Guaranteed Student Loan and College Work Study programs after MISAA was introduced than in the prior year. A trend toward a reduction in the proportion of National Defense Student Loan recipients among low-income and middle-income students was observed. It is concluded that the federal assistance programs were able to reach a broader spectrum of students after enactment of MISAA while still maintaining the federal government's commitment to low-income students. The MISAA caused a change in the distributional pattern of awards as well as a change in the amount of aid to recipients. Information is presented on the research methodology, and sample survey instruments are included. (SW)