The Senate approved today (26) the provisional measure (MP) that allows the offer of scholarships from the University for All Program (Prouni) to students coming from private schools without a scholarship. The text of the MP underwent changes in the Senate and, therefore, returns to the Chamber for a new analysis.
When it was edited in December last year, the federal government justified that the measure seeks to expand access to higher education for students graduating from private high schools who took the course with partial scholarships. The text, however, also benefits private school students who completed high school without a scholarship.
In addition, the MP brings a change in the reserve of quotas for blacks, indigenous peoples and people with disabilities. With the measure, the percentage of blacks, pardos or indigenous people and people with disabilities will be considered in isolation and no longer together.
The measure also included the possibility of waiving the need to present a document proving family income and the situation of people with disabilities, when the information is available in government agencies’ databases. This provision was changed in the Chamber, with the deputies approving the need for proof of income. The MP’s rapporteur in the Senate, Wellington Fagundes (PL-MT), however, restored the government’s original intention.
Complaint
Some senators complained about the lack of proof of the socioeconomic status of candidates for vacancies under the program. Senator Paulo Rocha (PT-PA) was one of those who asked for the return of this requirement, a device included when the MP passed through the Chamber and was withdrawn by Fagundes in the Senate. Senators Simone Tebet (MDB-MS) and Zenaide Maia (Pros-RN) also spoke in the same direction.
“I see several students who came from private schools, were paying for college and are not able to pay. I think the project is healthy. Now, I think that with the waiver of documentation proving the socioeconomic criteria, it becomes difficult,” said Zenaide.
The rapporteur argued that the MP facilitates access to those interested in participating in Prouni and removes the bureaucracy of this access. “We are bringing credibility to the student’s own declaration and to the government structure, in this case the MEC, so that, through the social programs’ databases, it has the ability to define the classification of that student as a beneficiary of Prouni. With this measure, we are reducing bureaucracy”. Fagundes added that the government must “believe in the good faith of the people.”
The rapporteur’s amendment was voted on separately and Fagundes’ intention to maintain the government’s original text was approved. Therefore, the text needs to be analyzed again by the deputies.
