The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-03-31
Federal Aid

EuHlpdllyitlS lStI6I Rlo1Cu GOl
to Sen. Morse that the memo
randum has been prepared in
cooperation with the Justice
Department.
The principal proposal Con-
gresS has been urged to con-
slider to aid private and paro-
chial schools has been a loan
program for construction.
OF this, the administrations
brief said loans are "a less
substantial assistance to re.
ligion than outright grants,
(but) we are persuaded -.
that this proposal is no less
a form of support than grants
and is equally prohibited by
the Constitution"
LoW-i n tereSt I, across-the-
board construction loans, it
said, provide measurable eco
monte benefit" to religious in.
stitutions.
IT THEN APPLIED its test
that Federal funds must be
for special purpose net close
ly related to religious instruc.
ton. 1t concluded:
-. There Is a total fail.
ure in this proposal to diStin.
guish between those aspects
of a school which are involved
with religious teaching and
those which may not be. This
combination of factors when
applied to elementary and
secondary schools places the
proposal beyond the limits of
permissible assistance"
The brief held that across.
the-board grants, or gifts, to
church.related schools are for
hidden by the First Amend
ment to the Constitution as
a support of religious activi-
ties.
SINCE NO effort is
made to earmark the funds
for specific purposes, such a
broad grant would inevitably
facilitate the performance of
the religious function Of the
school," it said,
Tuition payments, regard
less OF whether the govern
ment gives the funds to par
ents, child or school, are also
unconstitutional, the brief
maintained. They accomplish
by indirection what grants do
directly" it said.
Tuition payments were adj
Vocated before Congressional
education by
spokesman for Citizens for
Educational Freedom, a par
ents' organization with st.
Louis, Mo-, headquarters.
THE A o STRATIoN.
upheld the constitutionality
OF its proposals to lend funds
to colleges, including church
related ones, for dormitory
and classroom construction.
The constitutional princi-
plies are the same, the brief
admitted, but it held that "the
factua circumstances sur
rounding the application of
the principles are dramati-
cally different"
THE DIFFERENT CIRcUM-
STANCES it indicated. in.
clude the fact that FREE public
education is not available to
all qualified college students,
the fact that the connection
between religion and educa-
ton is less apparent and re-
ligiouS "indoctrination Is less
pervasive In . Sectarian col
lege" and the disastrous ma
tional consequences winch
could result from exeluSior
of, or discrimination against"
certain private institutions on
the grounds of religious con-
nection.
OF THE ADMlNlSTRA-
TONS proposal to establish
a program Of Federal college
scholarships and give a $3.50
"cost of education" grant TO
each college where one of
the scholarship holders en-
rolls, the administration said:
THE payment TO the in.
stitution is in reality merely
a supplement to the scholar
ship. :.
"TUlTloNs VARY AMONG
colleges owing both to cost
differentials aud the size of
endowment and annual pri-
waite or public subsidy, but
invariably the cost of educa.
ton exceeds the tuition charg-
ed.
1T is to take account Of
this fact that the scholarship
grant is supplemented by the
S TO f-education allowance.
In essence, it is subject to
the students, not the govern
ment's, educational choice"