Officials at Harvard say the reduction in federal funds available for financial aid will not affect students in the College.

No Effect on Harvard

James S. Miller, director of financial aid, said that although Harvard pays nine of every 10 scholarship dollars, the University will "have to fill the gap" if federal assistance continues to decline.

Aside from student aid, the Bush budget calls for a 200 percent increase--to $15 million--in its endowment for historically Black colleges.

At Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., which has a predominantly Black student body, the news of Bush's proposal was met with mixed feelings.

"I think the program goals are commendable, but I would love to see $100 or $200 million," said Richard A. Ammons, vice president for development. "Fifteen million seems like a drop in the bucket," he added.

Ammons said that unlike other aid programs, an endowment permits the spending of only dividends and interest earnings--only a small part of which may be given to a particular institution.

Even the budget's most vocal critics are pleased with the President's proposed spending increases in certain areas such as drug prevention education and adult literacy.

While it is not included in the Education Department's budget, Bush has earned praise for his proposal to increase by $500 million funding for Head Start--the program that provides preschool instruction for disadvantaged children.

At the education summit meeting with the nation's governors last September, Bush hailed the Head Start program, saying that it could help solve the problems associated with American education.

Increase in Research Spending

In other areas of the budget, Bush has proposed substantial increases in the National Science Foundation and AIDS research. This could result in more research grants to Harvard, says John Shattuck, vice president for government, community and public affairs.

While he says he is pleased with Bush's plans to increase funding for mathematics and science education, Shattuck says that the budget is "certainly not a major commitment to remedy the problems of student aid."

Although it is stressed as a top priority by the administration, educational research is still underfunded, says Patricia A. Graham, dean of the School of Education. New initiatives and ideas to improve education--such as school-based management--can only be implemented "if there is enough money to prepare them."

Bush's budget makes only modest increases in educational research and does little to stop the decline in the number of teachers, says Graham. If this trend is unchecked, Graham adds, there will be a massive teacher shortage by the year 2000.

Opponents of the Bush budget say that they anticipate a fight on Capitol Hill over proposed expenditures, particularly student aid. Few observers believe the education portion of the budget will pass the Democratic-controlled Congress without at least some revision.

"I think the 'Education Congress' will put more money into the Education Department," Todd said. "Senate Leader [George J.] Mitchell and House Speaker [Thomas S.] Foley are both on the record for calling for more aid to education."

After the negotiations and budget battles have ended, however, many like Graham agree that whatever emerges from Congress will be "too little, too late."

Major Initiatives in the Bush Education Budget proposed for the fiscal year 1991 .Research, statistics and assessment of education  $122million .Math and science education  $230million .Drug education and abuse prevention programs  $593million .Presidential Merit Schools and Magnet Schools of Excellence  $325million .Alternative certification programs  $25million .Awards for Excellence in education  $7.6million .Endowment grants for historically Black colleges and universities  $15million .National Science Scholarship program  $5million .Bilingual education  $31million .Programs to combat adult illiteracy  $226million .Grants for educating the handicapped  $1.9million .Chapter 1 grants for disadvantaged children  $5million Total request by the Bush Administration  $24.6million