City Residency Declaration Threatens Student Benefits

Out-of-state students may lose eligibility for certain scholarships and for admission to some medical schools if they fail to sign up as non-Cambridge residents with their house superintendent by May 3.

A notice from Archie C. Epps III, dean of students, posted in all dining halls last Monday, says the Cambridge Election Commission has requested the University to prepare a list of all students who consider themselves Cambridge residents.

Dean Epps said yesterday that the state will consider students who do not sign up to be excluded from the list to be Massachusetts residents. Such students may no longer qualify for certain scholarships with state residency requirements or for admission to out-of-state medical schools, Epps added.

George Goverman, a Cambridge Election Commissioner, said yesterday the state expects students who declare their residency in Massachusetts to vote and file their income tax in Massachusetts.

Goverman said the Election Commission needs the residency information to complete the annual "street list" of Cambridge residents, a census of Cambridge's population.

A population increase resulting from the inclusion of Harvard students in the census for the first time may help Cambridge to receive more financial aid from the state, Goverman added.