Washington — Spurred by signs that market disruptions are beginning to affect the nation’s colleges and universities, the president of the American Council on Education has sent a letter to members of Congress, urging them to support a bailout bill containing tax breaks for colleges and families.

The letter, which was sent on behalf of ACE, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the Association of American Universities, cites Wachovia’s recent decision to freeze the short-term assets of hundreds of colleges as cause for growing concern.

“Today’s news has further highlighted the potential for these events to negatively impact colleges and universities and the students they serve,” wrote the council’s president, Molly Corbett Broad.

The letter’s release comes a week after a group of student and consumer advocates, including the state-college association, wrote to lawmakers asking them to leave student loans out of the rescue plan. At the time, the council said it was not endorsing the letter because it did not want to complicate Congress’s efforts to respond to the nation’s financial crisis.

Terry W. Hartle, the council’s senior vice president for government and public affairs, said ACE had decided to send today’s letter after Congress added a tax package to the bailout bill, Wachovia froze colleges’ assets, and Boston University’s president called for a hiring freeze and a moratorium on new construction.

“It is, in fact, a very short distance from Main Street to Old Main, and credit problems that affect local businesses will very soon affect local colleges,” he said.

The U.S. Senate passed the bailout measure last night, and the House of Representatives is expected to vote on it on Friday. In addition to renewing the expired tax benefits, the bill would provide billions in taxpayer dollars to buy banks’ frozen assets. —Kelly Field