A repercussão das ações afirmativas na permanência acadêmica na UNEMAT- Campus de Sinop

Abstract

This research is grounded in the context of social and economic inequalities that hinder access to — and, especially, student retention in — higher education. In this context, the importance of affirmative actions and their impact on reducing socioeconomic inequalities and promoting student retention is emphasized, as part of the educational public policies developed at the State University of Mato Grosso (Unemat), Sinop campus.The general objective was to evaluate the impact of affirmative actions and student assistance programs at Unemat’s Sinop campus, emphasizing their influence on student retention and academic performance from a socioeconomic perspective. The methodology is characterized as applied research with a quantitative approach, descriptive and exploratory objectives, and technical procedures including bibliographic and documentary research, surveys, and a case study. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire using a Likert scale, administered to a sample of 113 students who were beneficiaries of food and housing assistance between 2022 and 2024. The estimated sampling error was 5.9 percentage points. The study concludes that food and housing assistance had a positive impact on students’ retention and academic performance, demonstrating the effectiveness of student assistance policies in promoting equity. However, limitations persist regarding students’ awareness of affirmative action policies and the adequacy of the assistance in addressing their financial difficulties. It is expected that the results of this study will contribute to the improvement of these policies within the university context. As a contribution, a Technical Product entitled Practice Diary: the impacts of affirmative actions on academic retention at Unemat – Sinop Campus was proposed, aiming to improve the management of assistance programs, the monitoring of scholarship students, and guidance actions for CAEst, with the possibility of extension to other campuses. In this way, the study seeks to contribute to management planning through pedagogical and administrative actions, fostering more informed decision-making and expanding the reach of assistance programs.