National Defense Education Act (NDEA) was a law enacted by the United States Congress in 1958. It was one of the most significant education bills in U.S. history. The 1957 launch by the Soviet Union of the first successful artificial space satellite, Sputnik 1, created concern in the United States that the nation’s students were falling behind in education, especially in science and technology. The NDEA was one response to this concern. It provided financial aid to states, educational institutions, and individuals to improve educational programs in the United States.
The NDEA provided federal loans to students who showed financial need. Repayment began after the student left school. A borrower who entered certain fields of teaching or who taught in certain schools might have part of the debt canceled.
The NDEA also provided funds for states to buy teaching equipment in science, mathematics, language, English, reading, history, civics, and geography. Private schools also could borrow money for that purpose. The NDEA was administered by the United States Department of Education. Over time, as certain sections of the NDEA were repealed and other sections were replaced by new laws, the importance of the NDEA ended. Some of the laws that replaced the NDEA included the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965) and the Higher Education Act (1965).
