Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-17
ReIigiOusIssue
PeriIsCoIIeue
Aid Measures
by ROBERT X. WALSH
star staff writer

St4r SIAN NriteT
Federal aid measures for col
legeS and universities viii come
out Of q long Legislative coma
this week but might suffer .
relapse because Of the religious
issue.
Seven weeks after the House
Rules Committee broke a
three-months' deadlock and let
the legislation so to q House.
Senate conference committee.
the nine Senate and seven
House conferees will start
meeting Tuesday.
Their already difficult job Of
reconciling conflicts in the
House and Senate bills passed
last January has been cofnph-
Gated by increasing protests
against aid TO higher educa-
ton institutions operated by
church denominations.
Groups Protest
Sponsors Of the bills said
yesterday that protests have
been received from the National
Congress Of Parent and Teach
er Associations, American AS
ISOLATION of School Administra-
tors, National School Boards
Association, Council Of State
School Officers, and the Ameri-
can Vocational Association.
The National Education AS
ISOLATION also was reported To
be considering a recommends
ton that Federal funds for
construction and scholarships
be limited to non-Sectarian col
leges and universities.
Much the same controversy
caused shelving of the admin
istration's bill last year to pro-
vide Federal financial help for
grade and high school con-
Struction and teachers salaries
Loan Program
President Kennedy proposed
that such aid go only to public
schools. The administration
has indicated, however, that 1t
does not object to such Federal
aid for private and Sectarian
colleges.
The Senate bill includes the
administrators proposals for q
$2.67 billion five-year program
Of loans to colleges and uni
versities to build clasSrooms
and provide 212,500 four-yeal
scholarships for needy and tai
ented students.
The House bill calls for $30C
million annually for five year.
in grants and loans for con.
struction Of academic facilities
only.
Sectarian Schools
Both bills would apply II
non-public as well as public
institutions.
The question Of Federal aiC
to sectarian schools was dis
cussed briefly in House ant
Senate debate on the respec
tive bills and during House de
bate May 2 when the legisla
ton was sent to conference. i
move to prohibit Federal fund
; to private and Sectarian school
was defeated in the Senate
. 72-15.
} The main dispute between
House and Senate was ON thu
provision for scholarship aid
From all indications the HOUSE
would refuse to accept any con.
ference committee measure re.
tanning that provision.
BackdOOr Spending
The cost and the length o.
the proposed aid program, the
hassle over so-called ''backdool
spending" authorization, anc
the inclusion Of junior college!
in some Of the provisions wert
other points certain to cause
trouble for the conferees.
II the issue of aid to sectar'
ian schools threatens to blocl
the legislation, some of the con.
! ferees said they would sugges
a provision whereby church
supported colleges could &c
Federal loans only for con
, struction Of facilities for teach
} ing Of science, mathematics an,
/. foreign languages. The Ma
4. tional Defense Education Ac
lRO1t aiV0 atV,afIar yxrav,;s;a,