In September 1958 Congress passed the National Defense Education Act. It provided extensive aid to bring American students and schools in line with the Soviet Union’s educational system, which many people believed to superior to that in the United States. The act was passed shortly after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first space satellite. The act gave grants to state schools to improve their foreign language and science programs. It also gave money to schools to help them to utilize media such as television, radio, and motion pictures for educational purposes. In addition, the legislation provided loans and fellowships to college students.
