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The Senate Approved A New Bill That Offers Scholarships For University Students. The Proposal Now Goes To President Lula’s Sanction, Marking A Significant Advance In Support Of Higher Education In Brazil.
University students who do not receive scholarships from government agencies will be able to count on a grant of R$ 700 to continue their studies. The Bolsa Permanência, part of the bill (PL 5.395/2023), was approved by the Federal Senate this Tuesday, the 11th, and now goes to President Lula’s sanction. This initiative aims to provide essential financial support for higher education students, ensuring that they can continue their academic training without interruptions.
Understand How The Assistance For University Students Will Work
According to the approved text, the amount cannot be less than the scholarships for scientific initiation for undergraduate students, currently at R$ 700, and for junior scientific initiation scholarships for students in technical secondary education, which today corresponds to R$ 300. Indigenous and quilombola students will receive double scholarships.
The Bolsa Permanência proposal was presented in 2011 by then-deputy and now-senator Professor Dorinha Seabra (União-TO), aiming to ensure the retention of low-income students in federal higher education institutions and in federal technical, scientific, and technological education institutions until the completion of their respective courses.
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In addition to the assistance for university students, the Federal Government already has the National Student Assistance Program (also using the acronym Pnaes), created by Decree 7.234/2010, which offers assistance for student housing, food, health, transportation, digital inclusion, culture, sports, childcare, and pedagogical support.
The Bolsa Permanência is mainly aimed at federal institutions; however, if budget availability allows, the National Student Assistance Program (Pnaes) may assist, through agreements, graduate and doctoral students from these institutions or students from free public higher education institutions of states, municipalities, and the Federal District.
Requirements For Assistance For University Students
Students will be entitled to the scholarships if the monthly income of each family member does not exceed the minimum wage. The student must be duly enrolled in a degree program with a workload of five hours or more per day or in a technical course and must not exceed two semesters beyond the regular time of the undergraduate course.
It is important to highlight that the assistance rule for university students is different for indigenous and quilombola students, who may remain up to four semesters beyond the regular course time; the amount of assistance will be double that paid to other students, and they do not need to meet the income or workload requirements.
Flávio Arns, who was the rapporteur of the proposal in the Senate Education Committee (CE), emphasized that the text addresses a critical problem in higher education: school dropout. These scholarships for university students are an essential project for their lives. Many students drop out, leave, or stop attending higher education or professional institutions due to lack of means to support themselves.
Other Programs On The Agenda
Senator Alan Rick (União-AC), who was the rapporteur of the matter in the Senate Economic Affairs Committee (CAE), pointed out that the proposal does not impact the Union’s accounts. The project does not create new expenses for the Union, but rather strengthens and provides greater legal security to already existing programs such as Pnaes and Bolsa Permanência.
In addition to this program, which aims to provide assistance for university students, the student assistance program provides for the granting of direct benefits to students aimed at student housing, food, transportation, health care, pedagogical support, culture, sports, and preschool care for dependents.
This benefit is aimed at those who are graduates of the public basic education network and secondary level or the private basic education network as full scholars, among others.
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