For more than two centuries, American's colleges and universities have been the backbone of the country's progress. They have educated the technical, managerial, {{U}}(1) {{/U}} and provided generation after generation of national leaders. Today educators from around the globe are turning to U. S. institutions of higher learning {{U}}(2) {{/U}}. They are apt to find many reasons for the excellence of American universities, but {{U}}(3) {{/U}} stand out as watersheds:
Education {{U}}(4) {{/U}}: In 1862 Congress enacted the Land-Grant College Act, which essentially extended the opportunity of higher education {{U}}(5) {{/U}}, including such disenfranchised groups as women and minorities. Each state was permitted to sell large tracts of {{U}}(6) {{/U}} and use the proceeds to endow at least one public college.
{{U}} (7) {{/U}}: Over the years, the decentralization and diversity of the America's colleges and universities have promoted competition for students and resources. Competitive pressure first arose {{U}}(8) {{/U}}. The academy's impact really grew after World War II, when {{U}}(9) {{/U}} commissioned by President Roosevelt argued that it was the federal government's responsibility to {{U}}(10) {{/U}} for basic research. Instead of being centralized in government laboratories, scientific research {{U}}(11) {{/U}} in American universities and generated increasing investment. It also gave graduate students research opportunities and helped {{U}}(12) {{/U}} far and wide, to the benefit of industry, medicine and society as a whole.
{{U}} (13) {{/U}}: The end of the World War II saw passage of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. The law, which provided for {{U}}(14) {{/U}} for returning veterans, made an already democratic higher-education system accessible in ways that were {{U}}(15) {{/U}} in Europe, opening the doors of the best universities to men and women who had {{U}}(16) {{/U}} of going to college.
{{U}} (17) {{/U}}: The creation of federal loan guarantees and subsidy programs, as well as outright grants for college students brought {{U}}(18) {{/U}} to higher education and further helped to democratize access. Since its founding {{U}}(19) {{/U}}, the Federal Family Education Loan Program has funded more than 74 million student loans worth more than {{U}}(20) {{/U}}.