University Reverses Pledge To Increase Aid

One week ago, both Harvard's president and its director of financial aid committed the University to a "blanket set of Policy changes" in undergraduate financial aid, ending a semester of near-silence on the subject.

But yesterday, in a stunning administrative flip-flop, Harvard officials backed away from that pledge--and what could have been millions of dollars in formal aid increases. Instead, officials simply reaffirmed their standing commitment to a summer of aid review.

This reversal points to what could be a jurisdictional conflict between President Neil L. Rudenstine and Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles, with the cost of thousands of College educations caught in the middle.

Despite increases in student aid sweeping America's top universities, Knowles has maintained that formal change at Harvard is not guaranteed. Mass. Hall sources say he has held the lid on aid change all semester, while Rudenstine has pushed for greater outlays since January.

But last Wednesday, Harvard seemed to change its tack.

Rudenstine said that after a semester of biding its time and making case-by-case adjustments as other schools instituted reforms, the University was now prepared to make formal changes to aid policy.

"We are going to have a different set of principles for packaging [financial aid] next year," Rudenstine said, adding that after considering those reforms made by other schools, the new policies "would fit our situation."

"We're going to be there," he added.

Rudenstine told The Crimson the changes would require three to five months of study and would be announced by late September or early October.

And three hours after Rudenstine's interview, Director of Financial Aid James S. Miller appeared to be on the same page.

"We certainly expect something by the end of the summer," Miller said at that time. He described the coming reforms as "a blanket set of policy changes."

Miller said these changes would like- ly include an adjustment in the amount ofself-help contributions required of students andchange in the way the University counts outsidescholarships.

"It will probably be more in line with where weare now anyway," he said--referring to theadditional aid spending this semester as a resultof case-by-case competitiveness, estimated between$750,000 and $1.5 million.

He said Harvard's case-by-caseapproach--increasing aid on an individual basis tomake Harvard's offers competitive withnewly-generous schools like Princeton, Yale,Stanford, MIT and the University ofPennsylvania--had been successful, but could notcontinue forever.

"Down the road it's important that you have amessage: 'Harvard has announced the followingchanges in its financial aid programs,'" Millersaid.

But all semester long in University Hall,Knowles has been saying something completelydifferent. University officials say Rudenstine hadwanted to follow Princeton into greater aidgenerosity in January, but the budget-consciousdean refused.

"Rudenstine wanted to move more aggressively,"one Mass. Hall told The Crimson. "Knowles said,'wait and see.'"

Knowles, whose administrative fiefdom must payfor any aid increases, would still not commit lastweek to anything beyond a review of aid options bya committee over the summer.

This review was promised in March, when itbecame apparent that aid policies would notformally change during the spring term.

But even after Rudenstine and Millereffectively guaranteed the summer review wouldproduce formal aid changes last week, Knowlesrefused to promise anything more.

Rudenstine, who took office as President with apledge to unify Harvard's "fiendishlydecentralized" administration, has won more powerby relying on a consensus system.

But Rudenstine's persuasive power sometimesbreaks down when his subordinates rebel, asappeared to happen yesterday afternoon.

In what may become an important test case forRudenstine's authority in high-profile conflicts,Knowles' competing approach to financial aidappeared yesterday to win out over thepresident's.

In an early-afternoon e-mail, Miller said"whatever we do will be clear." Pressed forclarification, his predictions--which had matchedRudenstine's one week earlier--fell exactly inline with those given by Knowles.

"To state 'we're committed to an aid change' ispremature," Miller said in another e-mail. "Itwould be more accurate...to focus on a reviewprocess, rather than on an outcome."

Miller explained his reversal by saying that,while he had personal convictions about the bestdirection for aid change--"clearly, we thinkself-help levels should be looked at"--he "couldnot commit FAS" to any particular outcome.

Reached for comment last night, Knowlesrepeated the line he has held since March.

"I am establishing a committee to look at theshape of our financial aid packages," Knowlessaid.

"As a result of the study, we will make anychanges which would improve the nature of ourfinancial aid support," he said

"It will probably be more in line with where weare now anyway," he said--referring to theadditional aid spending this semester as a resultof case-by-case competitiveness, estimated between$750,000 and $1.5 million.

He said Harvard's case-by-caseapproach--increasing aid on an individual basis tomake Harvard's offers competitive withnewly-generous schools like Princeton, Yale,Stanford, MIT and the University ofPennsylvania--had been successful, but could notcontinue forever.

"Down the road it's important that you have amessage: 'Harvard has announced the followingchanges in its financial aid programs,'" Millersaid.

But all semester long in University Hall,Knowles has been saying something completelydifferent. University officials say Rudenstine hadwanted to follow Princeton into greater aidgenerosity in January, but the budget-consciousdean refused.

"Rudenstine wanted to move more aggressively,"one Mass. Hall told The Crimson. "Knowles said,'wait and see.'"

Knowles, whose administrative fiefdom must payfor any aid increases, would still not commit lastweek to anything beyond a review of aid options bya committee over the summer.

This review was promised in March, when itbecame apparent that aid policies would notformally change during the spring term.

But even after Rudenstine and Millereffectively guaranteed the summer review wouldproduce formal aid changes last week, Knowlesrefused to promise anything more.

Rudenstine, who took office as President with apledge to unify Harvard's "fiendishlydecentralized" administration, has won more powerby relying on a consensus system.

But Rudenstine's persuasive power sometimesbreaks down when his subordinates rebel, asappeared to happen yesterday afternoon.

In what may become an important test case forRudenstine's authority in high-profile conflicts,Knowles' competing approach to financial aidappeared yesterday to win out over thepresident's.

In an early-afternoon e-mail, Miller said"whatever we do will be clear." Pressed forclarification, his predictions--which had matchedRudenstine's one week earlier--fell exactly inline with those given by Knowles.

"To state 'we're committed to an aid change' ispremature," Miller said in another e-mail. "Itwould be more accurate...to focus on a reviewprocess, rather than on an outcome."

Miller explained his reversal by saying that,while he had personal convictions about the bestdirection for aid change--"clearly, we thinkself-help levels should be looked at"--he "couldnot commit FAS" to any particular outcome.

Reached for comment last night, Knowlesrepeated the line he has held since March.

"I am establishing a committee to look at theshape of our financial aid packages," Knowlessaid.

"As a result of the study, we will make anychanges which would improve the nature of ourfinancial aid support," he said