Brazil's Prouni scholarship opens verification deadline; student disputes denial

The federal Programa Universidade para Todos (Prouni) has opened a period for students pre‑selected in the second call for the 2026 second semester to verify their registration information. Candidates must submit the required documentation directly to the private higher‑education institution that pre‑selected them by 14 September. The program offers 471,304 scholarships – 219,725 full‑tuition and 251,579 partial – across 380 courses at 879 private institutions.

Separately, Eduardo Luvizetto dos Santos, a student from Campinas who was pre‑selected for a full‑tuition scholarship at UNIP in São Paulo, had his award denied after the university counted recurring bank transactions from his mother’s account as family income. Luvizetto argues the funds stem from online betting platforms and do not constitute actual income. Education specialists note that while bank statements are used to assess income, frequent non‑salary deposits should be examined individually before being counted as revenue.

The Ministry of Education (MEC) also administers the Bolsa‑Permanência “Pé‑de‑Meia” benefit of R$ 700 per month for students holding full‑tuition Prouni scholarships, with eligibility criteria including full‑time enrollment and a minimum course load.