Government-Sponsored Scholarships Might Be Interrupted in 2019, According to the Capes

08/03/2018 - 14h37

The Brazilian debt ceiling for 2019 might make casualties among future scholars and academics in the country. Capes, one of the main government agencies that finance scientific research and academic training, sent a warning to Education minister Rossieli Soares da Silva that the spending restriction imposed for the next year might impair its scholarship program, among others.

According to the document, signed by Capes' president Abilio Baeta Neves, the agency's funding would allow regular operations only until August 2019.

According to the Capes numbers, the number of people who would lose their monthly stipends would amount to 93,000 graduate students (in master, doctorate and post-doctorate programs), 105,000 recipients of programs to train K-12 teachers, and 245,000 people attached to the Brazilian Open University (UAB), among students and stipend recipients, such as teachers, tutors, teaching assistants and coordinators.

	MARCOS NAGELSTEIN/Folhapress
	Abilio Baeta Neves

The impact might be significant, because the bulk of Brazilian scientific research happens within universities, during the development of theses and dissertations. Without the stipend offered by Capes, many graduate students can't afford to do research full-time and give up on their academic careers.

Asked for comment, the Ministry of Education declared, through its press office, that it's the Ministry of Planning's responsibility to impose spending restrictions for all government departments.

By its turn, the Ministry of Planning said, in a press release, that it establishes the total budget to each government department according to the limits imposed by Government Budget Bill (Projeto de Lei Orçamentária).

Translated by NATASHA MADOV

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