Only 500 to 600 Harvard students currently receive Pell Grants. Ninety percent of the Pell Grant recipients come from families with incomes lower than $30,000 per year.

But for students at community and state colleges the grant increase will have a major effect. Unlike Harvard, these institutions often can not afford to meet a student's entire need.

"The advantage is for the thousands of students at the community colleges or state colleges that don't have their own internal school scholarships," Clagett said. "That increase can have a dramatic impact on their ability to attend that college."

The House passed the resolution with a resounding 397 to 13 vote. The Senate is expected to give their approval to the increase as well.

The debate did have a partisan spirit, despiteits almost unanimous passage by both parties.Democrats expressed concerns that the Republicanbill was intended to divert money that wouldotherwise have gone to President Clinton'seducational initiatives.

But Republicans complained that the President'splan, which aims to help school districts hire atleast 100,000 new teachers, would negativelyimpact the successful Pell Grant program.

Cambridge's representative Democrat Michael A.Capuano approved the resolution, along with mostof his party.

"He knew the cost of a college education issoaring and programs like the Pell Grant help cutthose costs," said Alison M. Mills, Capuano'spress secretary.

Rep. Howard P. McKeon (R-Calif.), the bill'sco-sponsor, stressed the superiority of grants toloans in helping students afford the university orcollege of their choice