The next day, Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68 pledged the other $10,000.

“SAC members have been talking to me, [Associate Dean of the College] David P. Illingworth ’71, and Sally Donahue all year about this, so last week I decided to help fund this for next year, so we can have a year seeing how the program works, and looking for a permanent funding source,” Lewis wrote in an e-mail. “I hope it’s a help to students who are now holding themselves out of popular social and cultural activities because of the cost of tickets.”

Chopra said finding alumni donors should not be a problem if the vouchers are received well next year.

“If the pilot program goes well, we’ll be looking to have it permanently endowed for future years,” Chopra said.

He said the final hurdle the council faces is convincing House Committees and student groups to accept the vouchers, but he does not foresee too much of a problem.

“I don’t know why they wouldn’t accept them,” he said.

Chopra also said council members will work to convince Houses and student groups to sell their event tickets through the Harvard Box Office in order to help students who use the vouchers retain their anonymity.

—Staff writer Alexander B. Ginsberg can be reached at ginsberg@fas.harvard.edu.