The effectiveness of social programs for accessing higher education: the case of ProUni

Abstract

Growing competition nowadays observed brings as an effect a higher demand for education. This presses educational system to equilibrate the relation between supply and demand, what partially can be made through social programs creation. University for all program (ProUni) was created by Brazilian federal government to include afro-descendents, indigenous and low income Brazilians into higher education, a still little discussed initiative. In this paper we deal with its effectiveness evaluation from its beneficiary’s optics. Our research adopted a qualitative perspective, approaching ProUni grant holders through interviews semi-structured in depth. Main results suggest that, although this program assists to the inclusion expectations in the higher education, being associated to it several expectations and evidences of professional and social ascension, there are critics, what indicates the need of adjustments on education public politics formulation. Besides scope of ProUni, conclusions show that even with reaching a lot of Brazilians, this program hires need of high investments in public and high quality education.