Director of Undergraduate Programs at the Harvard College Fund Kathleen Murray said that while donations to financial aid do not affect the amount of aid given out by the College the following year, such donations enable the College to expand its financial aid program in future years.

“Look at how the increase of financial aid has changed over the years,” she said, as evidence for the long-term effect that donations to the financial aid program have.

Tsurudome said that donations earmarked for financial aid were also important for the statement they make to the College.

“I think that our participation and our support of efforts such as these like Senior Gift is a definite expression to alumni and to administrators of the University of how important we think financial aid is,” she said.

Members of the two campaigns are worried that the dichotomy between the two programs might end up dividing the senior class.

“What I don’t support is that [the Alternative Senior Gift is] a direct attack on what 200 seniors have directed their effort and energy towards,” Tsurudome said, adding that she would rather it not be framed as an alternative to the Senior Gift. “I know it’s not a perfect system, but Senior Gift is just one way that I want to say thank you.”

But Beckett said despite the campaign’s title, the move is not intended as an attack on the Senior Gift.

“I’m concerned that some senior gift representatives have felt offended or attacked by Alternative Senior Gift. And I guess to them I’d like to say that we did not envision this project as a method of undermining senior gift,” said Beckett. “We sort of only want to put other options out there and encourage a dialogue about Senior Gift and other gift giving.”