In addition, the National Association hopes to remove a clause in the sweeping 1986 tax act that calls for a $150 million cap on tax-exempt financing for private universities' buildings and equipment.

This cap has made it virtually impossible for Harvard to issue tax-exempt bonds to help fund the construction of buildings, according to Harvard's Director for Governmental Relations Nan F. Nixon, who lobbies in Washington.

"What it has done is it has knocked two dozen private institutions out of tax-exempt financing," says Nixon, whose chief areas of concern for Harvard are taxation and student aid. Harvard is "out of the market" and "significantly" over the cap, Nixon adds.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D--N.Y.) is the lead sponsor of a bill to remove the provision, and it could be passed this year, Nixon says.

On Their Own

Although cooperation among institutions and organizations of higher education has served to move legislation at the federal level, many private universities strike out on their own to seek federal funding.

These institutions, Boston University among them, prefer to contract directly with a lobbying firm in Washington, hoping to secure funding for specific endeavors and research projects. In this way, some university administrators say, these schools can approach representatives and senators directly, avoiding the competition that usually accompanies the arduous grant proposal process.

Insiders call this "pork barreling," and many at Harvard say they don't like it.

"Pork barrel funding for a project is the worst offense of all," says Harvard's Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs John Shattuck. "Pork barreling circumvents the regular appropriations process...It's quite dangerous."

And Governmental Affairs Director Corlette says, "I think it's a bad precedent. I think it takes money that could be otherwise available for research."

On, On to the State House

For funding, Harvard may look to Washington. But in non-financial concerns, the University usually turns to the State House, Shattuck says.

For example, Shattuck's office cooperates with the state in coordinating the disposal of low-level radiation substances from Harvard Medical School's teaching hospitals.

But there are financial issues at stake at the state level, too, says Kevin Casey, Harvard's director of state relations. Casey and his associates are fighting to keep the close to $1 million in scholarship money the University currently receives from the state each year. The state would like to give this money to public colleges and universities.

"The state's trying to balance its books, of course," Casey says. But, he adds, "if a scholarship is the bridge to let a student go to a school where they might feel more comfortable, let them make the choice."