Overview
- The 2026 budget approved by Congress leaves about R$6.43 billion for the 69 federal universities, a 7.05% drop versus the government’s original proposal.
- Roughly R$100 million of the reduction falls on student assistance, a 7.3% cut that Andifes says jeopardizes implementation of the new PNAES.
- Andifes cautions that without recomposition the 2026 allocation will be nominally below the 2025 executed level, reducing real capacity given inflation and mandated contract adjustments.
- The reductions are uneven across institutions and hit essential lines for teaching, research, extension and administration, with similar pressure cited for Capes and CNPq.
- The Education Ministry says it is studying measures to mitigate the impact and ensure policy delivery, but no restoration of funds has been announced.