Student assistance in Brazilian scientific production (2020-2024)

Abstract

Student retention is a relevant subject of study for understanding the social and economic inequalities that hinder the completion of undergraduate courses by new social actors entering the Brazilian university system. Within this context, aiming to analyze the operationalization of student assistance policies in Brazilian public universities, a systematic review of scientific production indexed in the SciELO and CAPES Journals databases was conducted. The articles were searched for the period 2020 to 2024 using the descriptors: student assistance and student support. Using a qualitative approach guided by critical social theory, it was observed that, among the 36 articles, analyses focused on financial aid predominated, although there are advances in articulating material, academic, and symbolic retention. A low incidence of studies on sports, culture, leisure, inclusion, pedagogical support, and mental health, as well as on student assistance in state universities, was also noted. Furthermore, the budgetary dimension emerges as a central axis, highlighting that the withholding of resources restricts the reach of policies, reinforces their selective nature, and prioritizes material survival over comprehensive education.