Although Payanzo says she is grateful for the financial help she is receiving from Harvard, she also thinks that she should not be treated differently than students with other types of financial burdens.

"Why should students who have kids get more than those who don't?" she says.

Equitable Aid

James S. Miller, director of financial aid, says he agrees with Payanzo.

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) assesses the circumstances of each student individually. All extenuating circumstances, including dependent children, are weighed in the same manner.

The FAO simply looks at a student's total expenses and the total resources available to them. It then attempts to meet the difference with a combination of grants, loans and a Federal Work Study Program job.

"The more complex the issues involved in an individual case the longer it may take for us to resolve them," Miller says, "but I do believe very strongly that ultimately students get the financial help they need along with the reassurance and advice they need."

Miller says that funding housing and day care are the most pressing financial concerns facing undergraduate mothers. In addition, the stress of juggling parenthood and work compels undergraduate parents to take extra time to complete requirements.

According to Miller, the FAO calculates its aid to students for living expenses based on the annual standard room and board fee; this year that sum was $7,278. Students who choose to live off campus, such as Ocon and Payanzo, must pay for any additional room and board expenses through loans, jobs and family resources.

Associate Dean of the College for housing Thomas A. Dingman '67 says that undergraduate parents are not allowed to live in the houses with their children.

"Most of our single rooms are made for one person," Dingman says. "We would have to charge them more for rent if we gave them a double room and that would get rather pricey."

Dingman says that Harvard Planning and Real Estate has been very helpful in accommodating undergraduates with special circumstances, like Ocon and Payanzo. But while many might assume that the day-care center, laundry rooms and proximity to campus make Peabody Terrace the most coveted housing for young parents, Dingman says that the apartment complex where Ocon and Bailey live can be financially taxing.

"The farther you get away from Harvard Square, the cheaper the rents are," Dingman says. "But the Financial Aid Office knows that somebody living in West Medford or Somerville is not ideal. They have taken that into account when determining the financial aid package."

When Payanzo was looking for an apartment, she ran into the problem Dingman describes. She found a two-bed- room apartment in Union Square in Somerville that cost only $650 a month but chose to live in a smaller apartment that was closer to the Yard.

Once housing issues have been considered, the FAO must also consider the cost of day care. While Payanzo currently avoids these costs with the help of her live-in mother and boyfriend, Ocon had a tougher decision to make.