D.C. Lobby May Block Aid Cuts

Two days of lobbying campaigning in the capital have left organizers optimistic about their efforts to block President Reagan's proposal financial and cuts but they are unsure how many congressmen the national lobby day actually swayed.

Over the two-day lobby effort, the initial cynicism of many sympathetic congressmen turned to guarded admission that the effort "may have changed a few minds," said Barbara Tornow. Brandies University's financial aid director, who helped coordinate the Massachusetts arm of the lobby.

Many also noted a change in Congress mood since last year, when Reagen's budget package passed without amendment. Whereas last year most official felt a powerful mandate to back Reagan in making sweeping economic changes, increasingly divided views on the success of Reaganomics are leading this year to much more skeptical response to the President's proposals.

"Last year we voted like a bunch of trained seals." Rep Schroeder (D-Col) told a group of lobbyists and we really did people in.

Still both organizers and congressional friends of the student effort cautioned repeatedly against overconfidence Of the otherwise "solid" Massachusetts delegation. Rep Margaret Heckler and Sylvio O Contri-the only two Republicans in the group--spoke enthustastistically this week in support of educational opportunity declaring then opposition to any further cuts.

"Jumping on the political bandwagon" was a charged leveled not only at Conti and Heckler but at rally speakers and at 21 Republican congressmen who signed a letter supporting financial aid.

In meetings losting most of Monday, supporters of the lobby--including House speaker Thomas P O Neil Jr (D-Mass) and sponsor Rep Peter M. Peyser (D-Mass) urged students not to" waste time talking to your friends--talk to the people who are against you" But few students felt after the weekend that in face to face arguments with congressmen or other officials they had substantially affected views on the budget.

Brian Connelly, a Suffolk University student and lobby organizer said yesterday that the only "brick wall" he and his co-workers met was Thomas Milady assistant secretary for post secondary education in the Education Department, who "basically said, Reagan's my boss and his stance is the one I'm going to take '"Connolly said.

Mindy's position on aid typifies that of many supporters of Reagan's budget, most of whom argue that, while the Administration supports higher education, it believes in the principle of "access" rather than "choice." They do not consider it a hardship that "not everyone can attend a Harvard or a Georgetown," Connolly explained.

Those who oppose the cuts argue that choice of college is an integral part of the right to education and that, furthermore, the public institutions will be unable to handle the sudden influx of students that massive cuts would cause.

While several more congressmen came out strongly against further cuts while testifying yesterday before the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, the New York Times yesterday reported that Reagan is "digging in his heels" and refusing to consider any changes in his budget proposals, or to offer support or even comment on alternatives suggested by Congress.

Reagan's strategy may be to stay quiet in hopes that, without his support, no viable alternative plan will surface, and then to push his plan through easily became of lack of specific opposition, the Times article said.

An organizers warned that Reagan supporters may attempt to "bargain" by playing against each other the two major threats to aid--the Poll grants, cuts in direct aid for needy undergraduates and the effort to cut for needy under graduated and the efforts to cut all graduate and professional students off from eligibility for guaranteed student loans (GSLs)

The GSL proposals are "something of a red herring," Dallas Marin president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators told the lobbyists. He counseled that students counter any suggestion of resorting the GSLs in "exchange" for the Pell grants by "telling them, 'We absolutely dismiss this; now let's look at the rest of your bad proposals"

Congressmen can oppose further cuts in education at three points in the coming months. At the end of March they can vote to continue the "continuing resolution" passed last year in the absence of agreement on the 1982 fiscal budget; by July 1 they can vote to amend the parts of the whole budget which deal with student aid; between now and Labor Day they can vote against changing the authorization laws to but all graduates and professional students from participation in the GSL programs