New USP fund already has at least R$5 million in cash – 03/27/2024 – Education

At a dinner attended by businesspeople and philanthropists, as well as professors and managers from USP (University of São Paulo), on Monday night (25) the USP Diversa Fund was launched, an endowment fund to maintain the program that grants grants for the permanence of students in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability.

The fund already starts with R$5 million in cash, donated by businesswoman and philanthropist Cristiane Sultani, from Instituto Beja, who is its creator alongside singer Marisa Monte and doctor and USP professor Ludhmila Hajjar. Marisa is also the project’s ambassador.

At the event, held at the home of businesspeople Candido and Teresa Bracher, there were signs of new members, which have not yet been confirmed. The goal, according to the organization, is to raise enough money so that all students in vulnerable situations receive aid.

The program serves all USP units. Beneficiaries are all undergraduate students, freshmen and veterans, coming from public schools and in situations of economic and social vulnerability, considering self-declared black, brown or indigenous people (PPI), people with children up to three years old, people with physical disabilities, of the LGBTQIA+ community and other minority segments.

The USP Diversa Fund is managed by the USP Heritage Fund, created to receive donations of any value from individuals or legal entities and which already provided support to students, such as student housing (there are 2,653 places on the campuses) and food assistance.

Of the 60,120 undergraduate students enrolled at the university, 27.76% requested financial aid in the last year. Of these almost 17 thousand, 67.6% are students who entered through quotas. In total, aid was granted to 13,764 students: 13,460 through the Student Permanence and Training Support Program with resources from the USP budget and 304 with resources raised by USP Diversa.

However, this support from the Heritage Fund is still not enough to prevent the most disadvantaged students from dropping out. Therefore, the USP Diversa Program was created. It grants permanence assistance in the amount of R$800 or R$300 (for those students who already have a place in housing) per month. The selection is made exclusively by the university, without any interference from the USP Diversa Fund.

To maintain the scholarship, students must meet certain performance goals. You must be enrolled in a minimum number of subjects, prove attendance and pass a stipulated number of credits per year. Furthermore, the results are monitored and analyzed to verify the impact on the retention and academic performance of those served.

Cristiani Sultani comments that he got involved in this project because he saw an opportunity to change the narrative of our society and to accelerate training so that young people remain at USP, realize their full potential and achieve better positions in the job market.

“This group strengthens the growth of Brazilian GDP, reinforces our plurality and democracy and reflects, in the best university in the country, the composition of our population, mostly made up of brown and black people”, she says.

Marisa Monte, who holds an honorary doctorate from USP for her contribution to the university, said it was a challenge and an honor to be an ambassador for the program.

“Education is an unquestionable value that has the power to broaden the horizons of individuals and their families with repercussions throughout society. I believe in mixing as the only solution to complex human issues and I enjoy learning from others and our differences. A A diverse university better reflects the Brazilian reality and enriches learning about who we are.”