STUDENT ASSISTANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE INSTITUTIONAL POLICY IN THREE UNIVERSITIES OF THE MIDWEST REGION
Student assistance; Student permanence in higher education; Dropout from higher education.
Student assistance constitutes an important public policy, providing subsidies that allow students to remain in university and complete their undergraduate courses. Evaluating and analyzing the effectiveness of these programs and the dropout rate enables a broader understanding of how universities have designed student assistance policies and their relationship with reducing dropout rates. Based on this, the general objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the implementation of policies under the National Student Assistance Program (PNAES) and school dropout rates in three federal universities in the Central-West region of Brazil, proposing strategies based on research evidence to improve student retention. Regarding the methodological procedures, the study aims to analyze three universities in the Central-West region of Brazil: the University of Brasília, the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, and the Federal University of Goiás. Using documentary research, based on primary sources and secondary data, through an inductive analysis, this study proposes the development of a technical report considering the data obtained throughout the research. Additionally, it aims to present a reference framework of best practices that can be implemented based on the study’s conclusions, in order to enhance the effectiveness and reach of student assistance.