Lula's Education Promises Will Require at Least R$ 7.2 Billion More at MEC
Expanding scholarships in high school and higher education strains the budget; the 2027 bill provides R$ 246 billion for the ministry, 6% more than in 2026.
Translated from the Portuguese original by the Panorama newsroom. Read in Portuguese
Summary written by the Panorama newsroom from the sources listed below. Facts are attributed to the original publications.
Lula's next term will have to secure a multibillion-real infusion for the MEC to fulfill campaign promises, according to Folha. The expansion of scholarships for high school and college students alone will require at least R$ 7.2 billion more.
There are also plans with no estimated cost: expanding federal institutes, recreating Science Without Borders with a focus on technology and artificial intelligence, and making full-time schooling universal.
The picture is strained by the current scarcity of resources, such as the difficulty in keeping universities running, and by a package of measures that exceeded R$ 234 billion. The 2027 budget has not yet been approved: the bill provides R$ 246 billion for the MEC, 6% above 2026 in nominal terms.
Universalizing Pé-de-Meia, announced during the campaign, is one of the costliest promises. The program, which serves about 4 million students and has a R$ 12 billion budget, already consumes 28% of the ministry's discretionary budget.
The Finance Ministry responded that the amounts do not represent, in full, additional impact, and that adjustments will respect the primary target and the fiscal framework.