The Ministry of Education (MEC) published on Tuesday (30) in the Official Gazette of the Union the concierge which regulates the Interest for Education Program.
The initiative allows Brazilian states to reduce interest on their debts with the Union in exchange for investments and targets for expanding enrollment in secondary-level professional and technological education (EPT) and improvements in the infrastructure for offering technical courses.
Objective
The new federal program aims to create conditions to increase productivity and new professional opportunities, by increasing enrollment in state technical education, following the guidelines of the National Education Plan (PNE).
High school students linked to EPT (in the integrated and concomitant forms), those who have already completed high school and wish to enroll in a technical course (subsequent form) and students in youth and adult education (EJA) in high school, in the form integrated with professional education, will benefit.
Goals
After debt renegotiation and definition of amounts available for investment, the States and the Federal District will agree with the Ministry of Education (MEC) annual implementation and expansion targets for enrollment.
The goals are based on each state’s enrollment deficit, adjusted based on the state’s population, considering the 2022 Demographic Census, from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
The ordinance establishes that only enrollments in state networks offering Professional and Technological Education (EPT) will be considered.
To calculate compliance with the target, only enrollments created after the state joined the federal program will be accepted. The student’s attendance record is mandatory for validation.
If the state does not meet the target in one year, the outstanding enrollment balance is redistributed to the following years.
Investments
States must allocate at least 60% of the resources saved with their debt to the Union for technical education, as a result of joining the State Debt Payment Program (Propag). The percentage may drop to 30% in exceptional cases where it is impossible to fully comply with the defined minimum investment percentage.
Resources can be used to:
- capital: works, expansions of state schools that offer EPT; and purchase of equipment/technology.
- funding: payment of personnel linked to the expansion of enrollments, teaching materials, permanence grants for students and teacher training.
Application Plan
States must annually present an Application Plan detailing where and how they will invest the money (municipalities, types of courses, physical-financial schedule).
The Application Plan must be sent within 30 days after the state joins the Interest for Education Program.
Transparency
States must publish semi-annual balance sheets (January and July) and send an annual report to the MEC.
All enrollments and application plans must be officially registered and validated in the National Professional and Technological Education Information System (Sistec).
Partnerships
The state and the Federal District can offer the courses directly or through partnerships with other EPT educational institutions, such as Sistema S, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) or private schools. However, responsibility for quality and supervision remains with the federation unit.
Interest for Education
Interest for Education is part of the State Debt Payment Program (Propag), established by Complementary Law No. 212/2025, which allows states and the Federal District to renegotiate their debts with the Union and make investments in strategic areas, such as secondary level professional and technological education (EPT)..
Currently, the performance goals coincide with the goals established for professional education in the current National Education Plan (PNE) (goals 10 and 11).
WWith the program, the federal government wants to promote the training of young people for the world of work and, with this, promote social and economic inclusion through education.
