Lula Proposes Savings-and-Stipend Plan for University Students

Overview

• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the proposal in a social‑media video on Tuesday, outlining a new university version of the Pé‑de‑Meia program as part of his re‑election campaign.
• The design calls for R$700 per month for ten months plus a R$2,500 deposit each year, which campaign spokespeople say would build roughly R$10,000 in a four‑year degree for each student.
• Campaign estimates target about 1 million beneficiaries — students at federal and state universities and Prouni scholarship holders — with an annual cost near R$4.6 billion funded from the Fundo Social (pré‑sal).
• Key implementation details are missing: there are no published rules on eligibility, application or distribution, no official start date, and the campaign says students would need to pass the year to receive the annual deposit.
• The proposal expands the existing Pé‑de‑Meia model created by law in 2024 and is presented as a way to reduce financially driven dropout and give graduates seed capital, but any rollout would require post‑election regulation and budget action.