University of São Paulo: In 2021, USP has more than 50% of incoming students from public schools
In 2021, USP registered a rate of 51.7% of students enrolled from public schools in their undergraduate courses and, among them, 44.1% self-declared black, mixed race and indigenous (PPI). This is the highest percentage reached by the University since the beginning of the reservation of places for these students, approved by the University Council in 2017. Of the 10,992 places filled this year, which represents 98.8% of the total, 5,678 are students from schools public and, of these, 2.504 are PPI.
“With the reservation of vacancies, we started to have more proactive mechanisms for students who come from public education. This inclusion has been extremely significant for the University to become more enriched and to interact even more with society. This is a very important task: giving opportunity for these young people, who are very talented. USP also seeks to integrate these students through sports, culture, career support and psychological support.”
Vahan Agopyan, Dean of USP
This is the fourth year that USP has adopted the reservation of vacancies. The reservation has been made in a staggered way: at the entrance of 2018, 37% of the places of each Teaching and Research Unit were reserved; in 2019, the percentage was 40% of reserved places for each undergraduate course; for 2020, the reserve of places in each course and shift was 45%; and in the entry of 2021 and in the following years, the reserve of vacancies should reach 50% per course and shift.
This reserve also includes the percentage of 37.5% of quotas for self-declared PPI students, an index equivalent to the proportion of these groups in the State of São Paulo verified by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
When applying for the entrance exam, both for Fuvest and for Sisu, when choosing their career and course, the student has three options: Wide Competition (AC), Affirmative Action Public School (EP) and Affirmative Action Preto, Pardo and Indigenous ( PPI).
Entry profile
A fact that draws attention to the profile of new entrants this year is that, in relation to the total number of vacancies offered, the number of self-declared freshmen PPI in undergraduate courses has also increased. This year, of the 10,992 incoming students, 3,011 are students belonging to this group, which represents 27.4% of the total number of vacancies, regardless of the type of competition. Last year, this index was 26.1%. In addition, of the self-declared PPIs, 18.9% entered through the AC modality, that is, they did not use the reservation of vacancies.
According to a survey carried out by the Pro-Rectory of Graduation (PRG), of the 42 Teaching and Research Units of the University, 12 did not reach the rate of 50% of students entering public schools, although the average among them was at the mark of the 49%.
Regarding students from public PPI schools, only four Units did not reach the goal of 37.5%. The Unit with the highest number of EP / PPI newcomers was the Ribeirão Preto School of Physical Education and Sport (EEFERP), with 56.7%; followed by the Faculty of Education (FE), with 51.5%; School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH), with 51%; and Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB) and Oceanographic Institute (IO), both with 50%. At the Faculty of Medicine (FM), the percentage was 41.1%; at the Polytechnic School (Poli), 41.5%, and at the Faculty of Law (FD), 49.3%.
In relation to the socioeconomic information of the new USP students, in 2021, there was a change in what concerns the families’ incomes. This year, 49.4% of freshmen have a gross family income between one and five minimum wages and 54.6% have an income above five minimum wages. In 2019, these rates were 47.5% and 55%, respectively.
The freshman segment whose family income is up to one minimum wage (up to R $ 1,045.00) also grew, from 2.9% in 2020 to 4.6% in 2021.
“The process of social inclusion that began in 2018, preserving merit as a fundamental requirement for access to USP, has made it more diverse and plural! USP is transforming!”
Edmund Chada Baracat, Dean of Undergraduate Studies
student stay
The growth in the number of incoming students with socioeconomic needs has demanded more efforts from the University regarding the actions of the Support Policy for Student Training and Permanence (PAPFE), which provides support and scholarships to students, such as housing support, food, book allowances, maintenance allowances and transport allowances.
In 2021, resources of more than R $ 250 million were invested, 6.7% more than last year, from the University budget, for the scholarships and grants program based on socioeconomic criteria, including extended grants. to all students, such as the costs related to food subsidies, physical education and sport and internships, for example.
“The budget for student stay actions grew as the number of public school students gradually increased, until we reached the current moment of more than 50%. The planning carried out proved to be quite correct. Today, there are more than R$250 million destined to meet the conditions of permanence of students”.
Antonio Carlos Hernandes, vice-chancellor