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Federal Measure Creates Scholarship, Specialized Training, and Selection Criteria to Strengthen the Teaching Staff in Regions with the Greatest Teacher Shortage, Aiming to Attract Graduates and Increase Classroom Retention.
The Ministry of Education (MEC) regulated the More Teachers Scholarship, a benefit of US$ 420 per month, for up to 24 months, for teachers in basic education working in regions and areas with a greater shortage of professionals.
Linked to a distance specialization course of 360 hours, the measure aims to reduce the shortage of adequately trained teachers in public schools and increase the retention of graduates in the classroom.
The initiative is part of the More Teachers for Brazil program, created by federal decree in 2025 and implemented in partnership with Capes.
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In total, the federal government plans to pay 8,000 scholarships across the country, as a complement to the salary already paid by states and municipalities.
The amount does not count towards the national salary floor for teachers.
What is the More Teachers Scholarship
In practice, the More Teachers Scholarship serves as a monthly supplement paid to teachers who agree to work in public basic education schools in areas with a lack of professionals.
The benefit is part of actions aimed at valuing and providing ongoing training for teachers.
The program intends to encourage entry into the teaching career in hard-to-fill regions and increase the number of teachers with appropriate training in curricular components.
This financial incentive will be paid for up to two years, with no possibility of extension.
During this period, the teacher remains linked to their school network, and the scholarship amount is added to their monthly salary.
States and municipalities may add their own financial supplements to enhance the attractiveness of the positions.
Who Can Receive the US$ 420 per Month
The target audience of the program is teachers in public basic education, with a bachelor’s degree or pedagogical training recognized by MEC.
Teachers in probationary positions, professionals hired to fulfill the program’s requirements, or teachers with a minimum functional link of two years may be nominated.
The selection of scholarship recipients will be made by the public networks themselves, which will conduct a local selection process.
In some cases, the National Teacher Exam may be used as a scoring or classification criterion.
In addition to being approved in the process, the teacher must sign an adhesion and commitment term with the Union.
They will need to fulfill the workload and pedagogical activities defined by the network and the institution responsible for the specialization.
Distance Specialization Course with 360 Hours
The scholarship is linked to participation in a lato sensu graduate course offered in the distance learning modality.
The training will have 360 hours, distributed over the 24 months of the scholarship duration.
The course focuses on pedagogical practice, emphasizing the connection between theory and practice.
The objective is to deepen the didactic and methodological knowledge in the area in which the teacher works.
To maintain the benefit, the teacher will need to meet minimum requirements of attendance, participation, and performance.
Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the suspension or cancellation of the scholarship.
Adherence of States, Number of Scholarships, and Timeline
Participation in the program depends on the adherence of each state and the Federal District through Simec.
The deadline set by the federal government is until December 10.
Each network will be entitled to at least 120 scholarships, with the possibility of receiving more positions according to MEC’s technical criteria.
The distribution considers indicators such as adequacy of teacher training, socioeconomic level of schools, and, in some cases, performance in national assessments.
The networks that join will receive a list of eligible schools within the system.
The scholarships will primarily target the final years of elementary education and high school.
The timeline indicates that the teacher selection period will occur between December 15 and January 15, 2026.
After the submission of the classified list by the networks, the specialization course will start in early March.
Context of Teacher Shortage in Basic Education
Data from MEC and studies from Inep show that about one third of teaching positions are held by teachers without a specific degree in the area they teach.
In the North and Northeast regions and in rural areas, the problem intensifies, especially in the final years of elementary education.
Another aspect is the low conversion of graduates into teachers.
Even with the increased availability of teacher training courses over the years, only a portion of graduates proceeds to the classroom.
This pressures states and municipalities and increases the use of temporary contracts and professionals outside their area.
Areas such as mathematics and sciences/biology display greater imbalance between the number of graduates and network demand.
The combination of financial incentive, free specialization, and targeted allocation aims to reduce inequalities and strengthen teacher retention in regions with greater need.
The effectiveness of the program will depend on the adherence of local governments, the organization of the networks, and the teachers’ search for the positions.
To what extent can an additional US$ 420 combined with a 360-hour specialization stimulate more graduates to remain or enter the teaching career in areas with the greatest shortage of professionals?
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