Federal Aid Changes Will Not Affect HLS Students

Students receiving federal financial aid will not be personally penalized for their universities' free speech violations, thanks to a law signed by President Clinton this week.

The legislation alters the Solomon Amendment, which cuts off federal funding from universities that ban military recruiting on campus.

Prior to the new amendment, supported by Rep. Barney Frank '61-'62 (D-Mass.) and Thomas J. Campbell (R-Calif.), individual students were also subject to losing their individual grants and loans if their universities didn't comply.

"The purpose of student loans and grants are to help the student, not the institution," he said. "The university will still have the problem with funding, but not the students."

Harvard Law School (HLS) allows military recruiters to appear on campus if a group invites them and is therefore not affected by the law or the change.

Since the military bans openly gay Americans, HLS--which maintains a non-discrimination policy--bans the military from its career office, according to HLS spokesperson Michael J. Chmura.

But because the military is barred only from using career services at HLS and from the entire campus, the Solomon Amendment never affected HLS students nor the school in general, Chmura said.

Law schools were the main targets of the legislation because the army actively recruits for the Judge Advocate General program.

According to Suhail A. Khan, Campbell's press secretary, the representative believes in the Solomon Amendment but was concerned about individual students.

"They shouldn't be jeopardized because of their school's policies," Khan said.