Between the public and private sectors, there is a model that has for decades supported higher education in regions where the government does not reach, and which now has new opportunities for action.

A decree signed by the federal governmentregulates the accreditation of community higher education institutions (ICES) and establishes the rules under which these entities may enter into partnerships with state agencies and access public funds.

ICES are nonprofit colleges and universities organized as associations or foundations, managed by community boards composed of members from various segments of civil society.

These institutions play an important role in democratizing access to higher education, especially in regions where there are no public universities.

Among the powers provided for in the decree are the receipt of direct public funds for the development of activities in the public interest, the ability to secure funding through congressional amendments to the budget bill, and the role of providing public services as an alternative when such services are not made available directly by state entities.

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The new regulation implements the so-called Community Colleges Act (Law No. 12,881/2013) and was drafted by a working group established by the Ministry of Education (MEC) in 2024. The group brought together experts from the ministry, representatives from the National Education Council (CNE), and sector organizations, such as the Brazilian Association of Community Institutions of Higher Education (Abruc) and the Consortium of Community Universities of Rio Grande do Sul (Comung).

Education Minister Camilo Santana highlighted the performance of community institutions on the National Medical Education Assessment Exam (Enamed), administered last year.

According to him, the results underscore the importance of these institutions in the Brazilian educational landscape, especially in municipalities that do not have public universities.

“The regulations represent a new milestone for the sector,” said Maria das Graças Soares, president of the Brazilian Association of Community Institutions of Higher Education (Abruc).

In her view, the decree opens up new opportunities for high-quality expansion in higher education and reinforces these institutions’ commitment to the country’s educational development.

Source: Agência Brasil.

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