As a result, the program lacks a broad base of support in higher education that a more equally distributed aid program enjoys.

"The program...does support students going to the upper tier institutions," said Russell E. Berg, dean for admissions and financial aid in the GSAS.

"The only thing I can say about that, [is that] as a social value, we ought to say that the college teachers of the future ought to get their degrees at the institution that prepares them most appropriately."

In the past, Harvard, a very decentralized university, has not tended to apply as an institution for fellowship programs-something the consolidation would require.

"One of the problems with uniform regulations is that it's hard to find one size that fits all," said James H. Rowe III '73, vice president of government, community and public affairs.

"It's going to be harder for Harvard as a decentralized university than other universities that operate differently," he added.

Jim P. Manley, spokesperson for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass.) said the Senator "feels this is an extremely effective program. This is a program that enjoys broad support [in the Senate], and it's something Senator Kennedy strongly supports."

Kennedy is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, which oversees the reauthorization in the Senate.

David B. Williams, chief of staff for representative John F. Tierney (D-Mass.), agreed that "there is probably sufficient support to keep the program alive."

Tierney is the only Massachusetts representative on the House Education and Work Force Committee, which oversees the reauthorization in the House.

Loan Flexibility

Harvard is also trying to break down what James S. Miller, director of financial aid for Harvard and Radcliffe, calls the "firewall" between undergraduate and graduate federal loan ceilings.

Currently, students are limited in the amount they can borrow during both undergraduate and graduate study.

Harvard aims to allow graduate students who did not reach their federal loan ceiling as undergraduates to borrow the leftover amount.

Doing so would allow graduate students to shift their loan burden more toward the federal government and away from commercial lenders, whose loans generally entail uncapped, higher interest rates and whose repayment plans do not include access to loan consolidation or income contingent repayment.