The Nacional Plan for Student Assistence (PNAES) em federal public higher education: political disputes and socio-historical effects

Abstract

Introduction: Amidst the precarization and contention within higher education institutions, student support policies emerge as a subject of debate. They aim to ensure conditions for students to continue and complete their studies, thereby reducing socio-economic inequalities and democratizing higher education, in parallel with other affirmative actions. However, their implementation faces challenges and exposes weaknesses in their legal-institutional framework. Objectives: To analyze the evolution of the National Student Assistance Plan (PNAES) in the context of Brazilian federal universities, seeking to comprehend the underlying contradictions within its political-institutional dynamics, and the interactions of major projects and political groups in contention within the social and political context. Methodology: We will conduct a historical and bibliographical analysis encompassing the background, origin, and development of the PNAES, as well as its social and economic implications. Results/conclusion: The PNAES, as a resource allocation strategy for processes affecting student retention, which effectively supports other affirmative policies implemented during the expansion of vacancies via REUNI, presents itself as legally fragile but remarkably resilient, largely due to the spontaneous or coordinated actions of political groups that comprise the Pro-Student Retention Forces.