Políticas públicas e educação: uma avaliação do programa universidade para todos (PROUNI) em Natal-RN

Abstract

In the governments of President Lula (2002-2010), there has been a significant expansion of Higher Education in Brazil, either through the growing of access in Federal Public Universities, or through programs as the Fund for Student Financing (FIES) and specifically the University Program For All (ProUni). The research "Public Policies and Education: an Valuation of the University for All Program (ProUni) in Natal-RN", has as finality evaluate the effectiveness of ProUni while a public policy in the area of Higher Education in the city of Natal – RN. In the specific objectives, the process that involves the implementation, creation, characteristics and institutional design of the program, as well as its limits and advances, the social effectiveness of ProUni in the capital of Rio Grande do Norte was investigated and discussed. ProUni was created in 2005 in Brazil as a federal government program that allows, through a public-private partnership, the expansion of access to higher education. The methodological process consists of a bibliographical and documentary analysis of the implementation of ProUni in the country, in Rio Grande do Norte and in the city of Natal – RN, as well as a theoretical-methodological discussion on the field of Valuation of Public Policies and On Higher Education in the country, public education and private education. However, for the foundation of the thesis, individual interviews were also conducted with managers of private higher education institutions and focus groups with students of the program in Natal – RN. The results presented by the research to pointed that although there are some issues that need to be improved in ProUni, such as the conditions for scholarship holders to stay in the courses, the program is an important tool for accessing a degree for a portion of society that did not Public Universities, thus modifying the future perspective of the beneficiaries of this public policy, pointing new professional possibilities, new opportunities to transform their lives and the life's history of their families by expanding their capacities as a ProUni Fellow, in a graduate course at a private higher education institution in Natal – RN.