College Will Give Students Meal Rebates

The Committee on Houses and Undergraduate Life unanimously voted yesterday that Harvard should allow students to choose one of three alternatives to the present meal contract system throughout the month of May.

Students will receive rebates if they choose to eliminate some of their meals. Rebates will be administered cither as credit on term bills or as individual checks.

Students will choose from the following options: a 14 meals-a-week, climinating all breakfasts; 15 meals-a-week, climinating all meals on Saturday and Sunday; 18 meals-a-week option, climinating all meals for one day a week; or the present 21 meals-a-week plan.

Dean May said last night that the plan "is being undertaken on an experimental basis only to test the values of flexible board contracts for next year."

The experiment will last from May 6 until June 2. "The long lead time in food ordering makes it impractical to begin at an earlier date," May said.

The Committee recommended that the cost of administering this system be carried by those requesting rebates in the form of reductions from each specific rebate. Dean May predicted that the rebate for the entire month would probably not exceed $10 for any of the options.

To change his contract, each student must indicate his choice to the House Secretary or Freshman Dean's office before April 21.