Student Retention Policies

faces of the inclusion of low-income young people in Public Higher Education on a campus in the Amazonas’ countryside

Abstract

This study presents the results of a research developed in the period of 2020/2021 under the Scientific Initiation Program of a federal university. The main concern of the study was to deepen knowledge about the factors that contribute to the permanence of young people from the lower classes who access the undergraduate courses at this university. The guiding question that conducted the investigative process was the following: What factors are involved in the permanence of low-income young people who access undergraduate courses? The field work was authorized by the Ethics and Research Committee, however, with the aggravation of the pandemics situation, the application of the survey forms took place in an online format. Due to the nature of the object and objectives of the study, the data was analyzed using a qualitative approach. Among the 130 emails sent to academics inviting them to participate in the research, only 53 participants replied. After analyzing the data, it was possible to verify the relevance that grants and scholarships assume in the permanence of students from low-income classes at the university, although the number of actions and programs is still not enough to meet the growing demand of those in need.