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National Defense Education Act (NDEA) 1958 Signed by President Eisenhower pushed by key legislators including Senator Lister Hill and Representative Carl Elliott Introduced federal student loans to encourage study in science, math, and foreign languages during the Cold War. Purpose: To strengthen national defense and security by improving educational, scientific, and technical competence. Action: The act provided over \(\$1\) billion for student loans, graduate fellowships, and improved instruc