Additionally, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy ’54-’56, D-Mass., the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-NH, the committee chair, both oppose redistributing federal aid, said Kennedy spokesperson Jim Manley.

“We try to advise everyone on campus that these proposals are potential options. There’s a long way to go before a final bill is passed,” Day said.

Day added that the current House proposal would have a 10-year phase-out of the base guarantee so that families could adjust to the new financial expectations.

Donahue said she did not think that reorganizing the distribution of funds would adequately address the problems facing low-income students.

“Just redistributing money is something in my mind that is probably a band-aid approach to a national crisis for low-income students,” Donahue said. “What I think would really make sense is to increase the money going to the federal aid programs.”

Donahue added, “There is an increasing relative need of low-income students for financial aid to go to college and stay in college, especially with the rising cost of tuition and inflation.”

—Staff writer Alan J. Tabak can be reached at tabak@fas.harvard.edu.