The National Youth Administration (NYA) was created by Executive Order 7086 on 26 June 1935. It was primarily a relief agency within and using the facilities of the Works Progress Administration, although administratively the two organizations were separate. Funds were earmarked by Congress for the general appropriation for emergency relief and apportioned by the U.S. President for two chief aims:

1. Student aid for the part-time employment of needy school, college, and graduate students, to enable them to continue their education

2. Funds for part-time employment of youth from relief families, to work on projects from which they could gain valuable work experience and benefit the communities in which they lived.

The NYA programs at the University of North Dakota were supervised by the University Federal Relief Officer, Mabel Davis. During the program’s first fiscal year, 1935 to 1936, a monthly average of 225 students received aid for a total payroll amount of over $26 million. The second year was the peak year, with an aid to an average of 300 students per month, but this fell to 133 by 1941. Congress terminated the NYA program in 1943.