National Retention Grant Program
What is the National Retention Grant Program?
The Retention Grant Program (Programa Bolsa Permanência – PBP), administered by the Brazilian Ministry of Education, is a government initiative that provides financial assistance to students enrolled at federal higher education institutions who are in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability, as well as to Indigenous and Quilombola students. The grant is paid directly to undergraduate students through a benefit card.
This financial support aims at reducing social inequalities and contributing to the retention and degree completion of undergraduate students in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability. Its value, established by the Ministry of Education, is equivalent to that of federal scientific initiation scholarships and currently amounts to R$ 1,400.00. For Indigenous and Quilombola students, a differentiated amount is guaranteed, corresponding to at least twice the amount paid to other students, in recognition of the specific characteristics of their communities, including their social organization, geographical conditions, customs, languages, beliefs, and traditions, as protected by the Federal Constitution.
A major advantage of the Retention Grant provided by the Ministry of Education is that it is cumulative and may be received in conjunction with other academic scholarships, such as those offered through the Tutorial Education Program (PET) and the Institutional Scientific Initiation Scholarship Program.
Objectives of the Program
The objectives of the program are:
I – to enable the retention of students in situtions of socioeconomic vulnerability, especially Indigenous and Quilombola students;
II – to reduce the costs associated with maintaining vacant places resulting from student dropout;;
III – to promote the democratization of access to higher education through complementary actions aimed at improving academic performance.
Who is eligible?
In order to be eligible for the Retention Grant, students must:
I – have a monthly per capita family income not exceeding one and a half minimum wage;
II – be enrolled in an undergraduate program with an average daily course load of at least five hours;
III – not exceed the standard duration of their undergraduate program by more than two semesters;
IV – have signed the Term of Commitment;
IV – have their records approved and validated monthly by the federal institution of higher education through the program’s information system.
In addition, the Program prioritizes Indigenous and Quilombola students, who may receive the grant regardless of the average course load of the programs in which they are enrolled.
For further information, please access prae.ufsc.br/bolsa-permanencia-mec/ and portal.mec.gov.br/programa-bolsa-permanencia.
