Brazil's Education Ministry rolls out Pé-de-Meia student cash incentive and PDDE Equidade school funding

The Ministry of Education (MEC) has detailed how the Pé-de-Meia program calculates attendance to award cash benefits. Eligible public‑school high‑school students aged 14‑24 who maintain at least 80 % attendance receive a monthly payment of R$200, deposited by Caixa Econômica Federal. For students in the Youth and Adult Education (EJA) stream, an additional R$225 is paid for meeting the attendance requirement. Payments are automatic, with accounts opened in the students' names, and parental authorization is required for minors.

Separately, the PDDE Equidade program – a direct‑funding initiative for vulnerable public schools – set a June 10 deadline for schools and education secretariats to sign up. As of the deadline, 90 % of municipal networks, all state networks and 60 % of eligible schools had confirmed participation. The program, coordinated by MEC and the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE), will allocate about R$378.2 million in 2026 to roughly 30 000 schools to improve infrastructure, teaching conditions and equity in disadvantaged areas. Sign‑ups are processed through the Simec Programas system.