Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 announced yesterday a plan to give an additional $25,000 of College money to student groups next year.

The new student activities funds are expected to alleviate the money crunch burdening many of Harvard's undergraduate organizations.

"I am more elated than I can express," said Beth A. Stewart '00, president of the Undergraduate Council.

According to Stewart, the $25,000 allotment will increase the general level of student funding by 25 percent.

The money will come from the College budget and will be doled out by a committee chaired by Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III and Susan T. Cooke, director of student activities.

Stewart and other members of the council, including the chair of the grants committee, will also serve on the committee.

The fund will award grants of $500 to $1000, according to a letter from Lewis.

Grants will be awarded based upon "merit and for activities in keeping with the mission of the College."

According to Lewis, his office is aware of a need for more student group funding.

"There has been a lot of growth in the number and activity of the student organizations, with little or no growth in the funds available," Lewis said.

"We allocate $90,000 and we have requests for $200,000," Stewart said. "Studentgroups, which are the lifeblood of non-academiclife here, are operating under severe financialconstraints."

Epps said the College was attempting to respondto the need for more funding.

"We thought it best to use the resources of theCollege to meet the need," he said. "It representsour recognition that there is a need for moreresources to go to student organizations, who weagree are integral to the vitality of studentlife."

Stewart called the $25,000 "a healthy start."She added that the use of merit as a criterioninstead of need would allow student groups who arenot in desperate financial shape to receive somefunding. According to Stewart, large groups havetraditionally been excluded from council fundingbecause their need is not as great as otherorganizations.

Stewart also said she was not displeased thatthe Dean's office would play a large role indispensing the new money.

"What matters is not autonomy, but that moneygets to student groups," she said. "This will give[Epps and Lewis] greater consciousness of howgreat the need is."

Epps and Lewis said the announcement wasdeveloped in response to the council's request tostart an endowment for student group funding.

"It was the U.C., through the Committee onCollege Life, that put this issue on the table,"Lewis said.

But Stewart said she was pleased because the$25,000 allotment would enable the council toexpand on the $15,000 it already has in the bank.

"This takes care of students next year,"Stewart said. "An endowment means you have to have20 times the amount you want to spend."

Stewart said the council's already deposited$15,000 will go towards raising money from alumnifor the long term, hopefully around I milliondollars