Abstract:
This paper analyzes the University for All Program - PROUNI, created as an affirmative policy of higher education access democratization. Materialized in a transaction between private institutions of higher education and the Federal Government, through tax incentives, PROUNI has been quite controversial. Whereas the effectiveness of a program of such magnitude can only be examined in the medium and long term, this study adds to the debate about this policy. The article aims to conduct an analysis of the program from the view of its beneficiaries, considering that little has been done in this direction. By collating beneficiaries' opinions it is possible to attain the program assessment from this relevant perspective. The results indicate that, in fact, PROUNI meets the demands of a particular segment of the population for inclusion in higher education. However, beneficiaries consider that the program needs adjustments, and that their academic carrier has been defined more by prospects of labor market and by institutions conveniences than for personal fitness criterion. Labor activity has been appointed as the reason to the low academic performance, and there is symptom of the existence of discrimination.
Key words:
Educational policies; Higher education; Program University for all - PROUNI; Democratizing access