Four higher education interstate compacts in the United States facilitate cooperation among their member states to address common challenges, leverage resources, and improve educational opportunities for students within their respective regions. The compacts are nonpartisan, non-profit organizations that were established in 1948, Southern Regional Education Board (SREB); 1953, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE); 1955, New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE); and 1991, Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC). Established by either Congress or by agreements among the states themselves, the compacts together represent 47 states and territories and 6 state affiliate partners.