Aid to Non-Registrants Unpopular, Poll Indicates

Fewer than half of male Harvard undergraduates think universities should provide any assistance for students who for felt federal aid and loans by failing to register for the draft, according to a survey conducted this week.

The survey, in which 303 randomly selected male students in the College were polled by telephone, also found that 13 eligible undergraduates, or roughly 4 percent of the sampling, have not registered for the draft.

The sampling represents about 8 percent of Harvard's male undergraduate population.

Congress passed a law this summer which would withdraw federal aid from students who do not verify their draft-registration to financial aid officers at their school.

University response

In reaction to recent announced regulations which will implement the legislation, several universities--including Harvard and Yale--have advocated measures that would ease the financial burden of non-registrants who lose federal assistance.

Dean of the Faculty Henry Rosovsky told a Faculty meeting last week that Harvard is leaning towards aiding penalized students by providing them with market-rate loans and extra employment. The University has not yet taken any formal action in this area.

The survey results show that Harvard undergraduates' rate of compliance with the registration law is about equal to the national rate--94 percent according to estimates made in the fall.

But the College's compliance rate is some what higher than the comparable figure for the state of Massachusetts--86 percent, based on estimates made last year.

According to legislation enacted in July 1980, male citizens must register for the draft within 10 days of their 18th birthdays.

The survey asked students who said they approve of universities assisting non-registrants whether they thought the scheme Harvard is contemplating is excessive, adequate, or inadequate. Of the 127 students who answered this question, 83--roughly 65 percent--responded that the proposed measure is adequate.

The remaining respondents were about equally divided between finding the measure excessive and inadequate.

In addition, the survey asked the 13 respondents who said they did not register for the draft whether they would proceed to do so if the regulations linking federal assistance and registration went into effect. Eight of the 13 said they would not, and five said they would.

Many of the students who disapproved of universities assisting non-registrants said the plan Harvard is considering subverts Congress' intentions.

"I could never support the school doing anything against the law," said Paul F. Vittimbergs '86.

Jeopardy

Other respondents who have registered and currently receive financial assistance from the University expressed fears that Harvard's proposal would be unfair to them, and might jeopardize their own aid packages.

"All the other students would be required to pay--tuition would go up," said Daniel J. Wakin '83. "No aid that we give to people who haven't registered should hurt people who have," said Edward R. Warburton '86.

At its Monday meeting, the Undergraduate Council voted to urge University administrators to formalize the proposal to provide penalized non-registrants with market-rate loans and additional employment.