America's scientific community, which had long been pushing for a new direction in science education, seized on the national mood to rejuvenate the curriculum.

NPR: Sputnik Left Legacy for U.S. Science Education

And so if anything you would expect and want from a social standpoint the trend to be exactly in the opposite direction - that is broaden access to higher education for America's children from more modest backgrounds.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Education | Higher education 'market' warning

But critics of the bill passed Friday are concerned that it will quash the lending industry by steering colleges in the direction of Direct Loans administered by the Department of Education instead of federally guaranteed loans, which account for about 80% federal student loans.

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