A política institucional de assistência estudantil aos discentes da modalidade de educação à distância da Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (UFGD

Abstract

The lack of a national policy focused on student assistance for distance learning (DE) students constitutes a regulatory gap that significantly impacts the retention and academic trajectory of these students. Given this scenario, this dissertation seeks to answer the question: how have Brazilian federal universities implemented student assistance policies for distance learning students, and what guidelines can be proposed to fill this gap? The central objective is to propose guidelines for an institutional student assistance policy aimed at distance learning, taking as a reference the case of the Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD). The research adopts a quantitative and qualitative approach, descriptive and exploratory in nature, based on bibliographic and documentary research, and content analysis. The empirical universe corresponds to the 69 Brazilian federal universities, constituting a census survey. The results reveal that, although 83.8% of universities offer distance learning undergraduate programs, only 5.9% reported having specific student assistance initiatives for this population. Most maintain programs focused exclusively on in-person learning, in accordance with the guidelines of the National Student Assistance Policy (PNAES/2024). Some institutions, such as UFPel, UFMS, UNIPAMPA, and UFERSA, have specific initiatives, but with a low level of institutionalization. In contrast, UFGD stands out as the only university to consolidate a structured policy for distance learning students, using its own institutional resources and offering emergency financial aid, initially targeted at the Letras-Libras program. Based on this analysis, a set of guidelines inspired by UFGD's experience is proposed, aiming to promote equality of conditions between in-person and distance learning students, strengthening access to and retention in public higher education. The study contributes both to the academic field, by filling a research gap on distance learning student assistance, and to institutional practice, by providing support for public policymaking.