Information about the French policy of government aid to private schools is presented in this report to promote understanding in the United States of the pluralist dilemma raised by the private school aid issue. An historical longitudinal policy evaluation involved document analysis and interviews with 16 French policy actors. The French policy is unlikely to serve as a model for American educational policy, although judged according to American criteria, the French policy was successful in that it provided free choice, was cost effective, and did not create segregation. However, cultural differences hindering implementation in the United States include the American perception of private schools' superiority, a political system based on separation of powers, and religious pluralism. A conclusion is that any unregulated program is politically dangerous because the private school aid issue is potentially divisive, raising the problem of autonomy and control; posing basic questions about the relationships among state, church, and family; and revealing inherent tensions among the democratic values of freedom, equality, and solidarity. An added factor in the United States is the racial issue. (53 references) (LMI)