Harvard has begun pounding the D.C. pavement in an effort to persuade legislators to see it our way when Congress reviews the sweeping regulations of federal financial aid contained in the Higher Education Act of 1965.

The act, which laid down the law for the administration of most federal student-aid programs including Pell grants and Stafford loans, comes up for a periodic review in January. Reauthorization of the act was last performed in 1992, and it affects the administration-not the appropriation-of education funding.

The two-year reauthorization process is in its beginning stages, with proposals being bandied about by higher education consortiums, congressional representatives and the Department of Education (DOE). Drafting has begun in the Senate, and Capitol Hill observers anticipate that legislative action will begin in January.

The University has set two priorities, according to Nan F. Nixon, director of federal relations, both of which primarily concern graduate students. They are preserving the prestigious Javits fellowship and making federal loan ceilings more flexible for graduate students.

Javits Fellowship

The Javits is unique among federal scholarship programs for two reasons. As a portable fellowship, winning students can use the award at any institution they choose, though winners tend to congregate at the most elite institutions, including Harvard.

The fellowship provides $10,051 toward tuition, which universities are required to match with sufficient funds to cover the rest of tuition, which at Harvard is another $10,000.

In addition, the four-year fellowship can include a stipend of up to $14,400, based on need.

The DOE aims to consolidate the Javits with other existing graduate education programs such as the Harris and GAANN programs. The resulting program would be institutional, meaning that Harvard would apply as a University, and the DOE would no longer have to evaluate the mountain of applications it receives each year from individuals.

Harvard officials suggested outsourcing the application process, but the DOE has not responded favorably to the suggestion. Congressional aides report that some have advocated moving the program under the umbrella of the National Endowment for the Humanities and out of the control of the DOE.

Officials from the DOE did not return several calls.

The proposed consolidation has caused concern that eliminating the fellowships-one of a very few that specifically provide funding for the humanities-could harm the area of study as a whole.

"The strength of the program is that the very best people in a given field-from any place in the country-can receive support and take it where they feel they will get the best education, as opposed to picking the very best people on one campus," said Nona D. Strauss, director of student financial services.

The Department's proposal poses special challenges to Harvard.

Though students can use the award at any institution, they tend to gravitate toward prestigious schools such as Harvard. Of the 80 to 100 fellows who receive awards each year, Harvard typically enrolls six.