National Defense Education Act

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Regulatory framework
National Defense Education Act
Higher Education Act of 1965
HEROES Act
U.S. Dept. of Education · FAFSA
Cost of attendance · Expected Family Contribution
Distribution channels
Federal Direct Student Loan Program
Federal Family Education Loan Program
Loan products
Perkins · Stafford
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Private student loans
National Defense Education Act
Great Seal of the United States
Long titleAn Act to strengthen the national defense and to encourage and assist in the expansion and improvement of educational programs to meet critical national needs and for other purposes.
NicknamesNational Defense Education Act of 1958
Enacted bythe 85th United States Congress
EffectiveSeptember 2, 1958
Citations
Public law85-864
Statutes at Large72 Stat. 1580
Codification
Titles amended20 U.S.C.: Education
U.S.C. sections created
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the House as H.R. 13247
  • Passed the House on August 7, 1958 (266-108, in lieu of H.Res. 675)
  • Passed the Senate on August 13, 1958 (62-26)
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on August 22, 1958; agreed to by the Senate on August 22, 1958 (66-15) and by the House on August 23, 1958 (212-85)
  • Signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 2, 1958

The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) was signed into law on September 2, 1958, providing funding to United States education institutions at all levels.[1]

NDEA was among many science initiatives implemented by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958 to increase the technological sophistication and power of the United States alongside, for instance, DARPA and NASA. It followed a growing national sense that U.S. scientists were falling behind scientists in the Soviet Union. The early Soviet success in the Space Race catalyzed a national sense of unease with Soviet technological advances, especially after the Soviet Union launched the first-ever satellite, Sputnik, the previous year.

The act authorized funding for four years, increasing funding per year: for example, funding increased on eight program titles from $183 million in 1959 to $222 million in 1960.[2] In total, over a billion dollars was directed towards improving American science curricula.[3] However, in the aftermath of McCarthyism, a mandate was inserted in the act that all beneficiaries must complete an affidavit disclaiming belief in the overthrow of the U.S. government. This requisite loyalty statement stirred concern and protest from the American Association of University Professors and over 153 institutions.[4][5]

  1. ^ Schwegler 1
  2. ^ Schwegler 19
  3. ^ Larry Abramson (2007). "Sputnik Left Legacy for U.S. Science Education". Npr.org. NPR. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  4. ^ “Disclaimer Affidavit: Non-Participating and Disapproving Colleges and Universities.” AAUP Bulletin, vol. 48, no. 3, American Association of University Professors, 1962, pp. 282–282.
  5. ^ Maher, Brent D. (May 2016). "Divided by Loyalty: The Debate Regarding Loyalty Provisions in the National Defense Education Act of 1958". History of Education Quarterly. 56 (2): 301–330. doi:10.1111/hoeq.12184. ISSN 0018-2680. S2CID 147853534.