# Portuguese higher education reforms and funding

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/portuguese-higher-education-reforms-and-funding
> Updated: 2026-09-28T23:01:36.000Z. Sources: 30. Developments: 2.

The Portuguese government recently approved new legislation to update the legal framework for higher education and science. Aiming to align with European standards, the reforms include the formal valuation of Higher Professional Technical Courses and the introduction of microcredentials to assist with professional requalification.

However, data from the OECD ‘Education at a Glance 2026’ report indicates that Portugal’s public expenditure per higher education student is significantly lower than the OECD average. In 2023, Portuguese spending per higher education student was approximately 8,239 euros, compared to the OECD average of 14,428 euros. This makes Portugal an outlier among member states, as public spending in the country increases through compulsory education levels rather than at the university level.

To address financial pressures, the state provides various support mechanisms, such as the housing supplement and the Incentive Scholarship for first-time higher education students.

## Claims

- Brazil's public education spending was 4.5% of its GDP in 2023. (disputed by 8 sources)
- Education spending in Brazil fell from 5.5% of GDP in 2015 to 4.6% in 2023. (disputed by 7 sources)
- Brazil's annual expenditure per student from elementary to higher education was US$ 4,133 in 2023. (corroborated by 8 sources)
- The OECD average annual expenditure per student is US$ 13,601. (corroborated by 8 sources)
- Bill 3227/26 proposes including technical training questions in the Enem exam. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- 9% of public basic education teachers in Brazil lack full qualification. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Bill 3029/26 proposes to abolish entrance exams (vestibular) and guarantee universal access to public universities for high school graduates. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Mato Grosso do Sul reached its highest historical Ideb scores in 2025 across all evaluated stages. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-28: Brazil education spending per student is one-third of OECD average

An OECD report shows Brazil's per-student education spending is one-third of the OECD average, despite higher GDP allocation. Meanwhile, new bills propose reforms to the Enem exam and university access.

26 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/portugal-higher-education-funding-falls-below-other-educational-levels

### 2026-09-09: Portugal approves new higher education and science legislation

Portugal has approved new legislation to update higher education degrees and create a Science and Innovation Law, aiming to align the national system with European standards.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/portugal-approves-new-higher-education-and-science-legislation

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Cite as: Portuguese higher education reforms and funding. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/portuguese-higher-education-reforms-and-funding