ACREDITAR - SCHOLARSHIPS

In 2005, based on research by public and private institutions on education inequality in Brazil, Bem Comum created a scholarship project for poor pre-university and university students. The project suits the aims of the organization supporting lines of action that seek to overcome social inequality and racial discrimination.

Education Inequality in São Paulo

Recent research* has proven the unfair conditions faced by poor students from the public schooling system in São Paulo who apply for admission to public universities as compared to students from higher social classes.

At University of São Paulo (USP), the most important public university in Latin America, the situation is as follows.

• 92% of the students from the public schooling system who succeeded entering USP in 2005 had attended university pre-entrance test preparatory courses. Among those from the private schooling system that rate falls to 69%.
• 75% of students are from the private schooling system.
• Only 29,7% come from areas of high poverty.
• Only 7% of freshmen are black.
• 68% of those who succeeded entering courses of high competitiveness – like medicine – belong to the rich classes

*Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) 2001-IBGE; Atlas da Exclusão Social no Brasil, Vários Autores, Vl. 2, Cortez Ed., 2003; Folha de S. Paulo, março 2005.

Objective

• To promote social justice by supporting students from the public schools located mainly in neighborhoods of high concentration of poverty and violence in São Paulo.
• To enhance the access to higher and technical education in public universities and schools for adolescents from the socially disadvantaged groups, especially afro-descendents.
• To create conditions for poor students at universities and technical schools to support themselves up to the completion of their studies or graduation.
  To stimulate the creation of public policies which strengthen a proper and free education for all.

Stage 1: Applications

The program focuses on 16 to 25 year old students, who have attended public schools and have already completed high school or are in their final grade. The process of application for scholarships takes place once a year. The eligibility criteria for selection are primarily based on financial need, gender and ethnicity. Grades and academic qualifications of the students are also taken into consideration.

Stage 2: University Pre-Entrance Preparatory Course and Access to University

The selected candidates receive a scholarship for the tuition of extensive university pre-entrance preparatory course (one year), vocational guidance workshops, psychological support, financial aid for food and transport.
The main objective is to make the student pass the public university pre-entrance test.

Stage 3: Graduation

Upon passing the test to enter university, the students receive financial assistance from the project for books and other personal living expenses he/she might need.

The Project in 2005

In the year of its foundation, the project awarded 50 scholarships to adolescents from the outskirts of São Paulo. Besides attending high quality preparatory courses for the university entrance-test, they were offered vocational guidance workshops. As a complement to this work, meetings were hold with the scholarship holders and professionals already acting in different fields, in order to give them an opportunity to ask questions and exchange experiences and information.

Profile of scholarship holders in 2005

• 77.36% belong to families whose monthly income
  is of approximately US$ 300.
• 54.72% are women.
• 64.16% are black or of black descent.

Acreditar intends to supply scholarships to 150 students within two years.