"Rudenstine wanted to move more aggressively,"one Mass. Hall told The Crimson. "Knowles said,'wait and see.'"

Knowles, whose administrative fiefdom must payfor any aid increases, would still not commit lastweek to anything beyond a review of aid options bya committee over the summer.

This review was promised in March, when itbecame apparent that aid policies would notformally change during the spring term.

But even after Rudenstine and Millereffectively guaranteed the summer review wouldproduce formal aid changes last week, Knowlesrefused to promise anything more.

Rudenstine, who took office as President with apledge to unify Harvard's "fiendishlydecentralized" administration, has won more powerby relying on a consensus system.

But Rudenstine's persuasive power sometimesbreaks down when his subordinates rebel, asappeared to happen yesterday afternoon.

In what may become an important test case forRudenstine's authority in high-profile conflicts,Knowles' competing approach to financial aidappeared yesterday to win out over thepresident's.

In an early-afternoon e-mail, Miller said"whatever we do will be clear." Pressed forclarification, his predictions--which had matchedRudenstine's one week earlier--fell exactly inline with those given by Knowles.

"To state 'we're committed to an aid change' ispremature," Miller said in another e-mail. "Itwould be more accurate...to focus on a reviewprocess, rather than on an outcome."

Miller explained his reversal by saying that,while he had personal convictions about the bestdirection for aid change--"clearly, we thinkself-help levels should be looked at"--he "couldnot commit FAS" to any particular outcome.

Reached for comment last night, Knowlesrepeated the line he has held since March.

"I am establishing a committee to look at theshape of our financial aid packages," Knowlessaid.

"As a result of the study, we will make anychanges which would improve the nature of ourfinancial aid support," he said