The National Defense Education Act, which for the first time offered direct federal funding for higher education, was passed into law by Congress in 1957 in response to:

Answer

This was in response to the Soviet launch of satelite into space

Explanation:

Befor the 1957, there was nothing like National Defence Education Act as a result of the fact that the United States gevernment didn't see any need for it. Though there was a space war between the Soviet Union and the United State on who would be the first country to send a satelite into space, this did not warrant for special funding of the educational sector.

After the successful launching of the satelite to space by the Soviet and the obtaining of the first image, the prompted the Congress to pass a special law known as the National Defence Education Act with the sole aim of boosting funding for public and private universities towards their research, providing students with low cost student loan towards their academic pursuit.

On the long run, this paid off as the United States was able to launch thier own satelites into space later and with other scientific breakthrough that was achieved as a result of increased funding.

d.) continue to rise rapidly