yesterday with the news a controversial tuition surcharge for overseas students has been dropped.

Four Bermudian Howard University graduates, including two MPs, called a news conference yesterday at the PLP's Alaska Hall to announce the "good news.'' Starting in the spring semester, students at the predominantly black Washington DC university will get a $2,000 reduction in per-term fees.

They were paying some $5,780 a semester.

But thanks to the strenuous efforts of the school's board of trustees, staff and alumni, the overseas student surcharge, which was implemented controversially in 1990 under the Bush Administration, has been rescinded effective next year, Opposition MP and graduate Dr. Ewart Brown announced.

"It will again be the only US university where the tuition is as reasonable as it is for the services provided,'' he said.

He noted the surcharge had increased overseas student fees by 50 percent since it was implemented.

And as a result, the international student population had fallen from 1,608 in 1990 to 690 this autumn, with the Bermudian fall-off being less than the Caribbean's and other countries'.

The university lobbied the US Government for the surcharge's removal because it did not want "extra barriers for international students,'' Dr. Brown said.

The federally-funded private university held more than 50 meetings with Congress, Education officials, the State Department and the White House, he said.

The Bush Government's thinking was it did not feel the American taxpayer should be indirectly subsidising the education of foreign students.

But Howard officials argued "it was in America's strategic interest to assist other countries in educating their future leadership,'' Dr. Brown said.

The Clinton Administration accepted the latter argument in early October and it was announced by South Africa's Nelson Mandela on a visit to Howard last month.

Shadow Education Minister and Howard graduate Miss Jennifer Smith said she had visited Howard earlier this year and the Bermudians had expressed "great trouble and grief over the surcharge.'' "I can say they will welcome the news most joyously,'' she said. "And I expect the established tradition of attracting Bermudians will continue.'' On hand to make the community announcement were Howard Alumni Club members Mr.

Delroy O'Brian, a computer science major, and Ms Tona Douglas, an international business major.

Dr. Brown noted Howard's soccer coach was a local man, Mr. Keith Tucker.