Custos familiares com o ensino superior de estudantes do Instituto Federal do Amapá (2021-2023)

Abstract

This research addresses the theme of Higher Education Financing. It focuses on the family costs related to higher education for students of the Federal Institute of Amapá (IFAP). The general objective is to analyze the costs faced by students at the Federal Institute of Amapá (IFAP) to remain in higher education, considering the implications of neoliberal policies on the financing of public higher education institutions and the impact of these costs on students' family budgets. As a theoretical and methodological foundation, this study adopts Historical and Dialectical Materialism (HDM), based on the understanding that family expenses related to higher education should not be analyzed in isolation, but rather as part of a broad, historical, and dialectical social context. We recognize that these costs are embedded in a set of contradictory social relations, often shaped by the interests of hegemonic groups. The research uses a quantitative-qualitative approach to achieve a more comprehensive and in depth understanding of the phenomenon. The methodology involves the application of a questionnaire to students regularly enrolled in and attending the 6th semester (admitted in 2021) and 4th semester (admitted in 2022) of on-campus undergraduate Licentiate and Bachelor’s programs at the Macapá, Porto Grande, and Laranjal do Jari campuses during the academic term 2023.2 (August to December 2023). To support data analysis, the Student Assistance Policy (PAE) of IFAP and its effect on family budgets were examined, highlighting how this policy helps enable students to continue their higher education. Data from the questionnaires were analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), a software widely used in the Social Sciences for statistical analysis and data processing. The results show that the costs faced by IFAP students to remain in higher education are influenced by neoliberal policies, which have significantly impacted public education in Brazil. The reduction of state intervention and the growing commodification of education have shifted the responsibility for financing academic training onto students and their families, exacerbating socioeconomic inequalities and hindering the retention of students from lower-income backgrounds. These financial burdens increase family hardship and lead to economic strain that threatens students' ability to remain in public higher education institutions, often forcing them to seek alternative funding sources such as loans, which may lead to indebtedness. Regarding the student assistance policy, it is shown to be limited and insufficient to fully meet the needs of students and their families. Within a neoliberal context, this policy appears fragmented, disjointed, and narrowly targeted, which undermines its effectiveness and the reach of its actions.