FINANCING OF THE FIVE MUNICIPAL UNIVERSITIES IN BRAZIL AND THE MUNICIPAL PRIORITIZATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND ELEMENTARY EDUCATION (2014–2023): Dilemmas and Disputes
Municipal Higher Education Financing; Municipal Universities; Quality Student Cost (CAQ).
The thesis examines the financing provided by municipalities for higher education, with a focus on the five municipal universities, grounded in the theoretical framework of historical neo-institutionalism. The central argument is that the five municipalities that maintain universities which charge tuition fees may only offer higher education if—and only if—they have fully met the needs within their constitutionally mandated areas of responsibility and possess the necessary and sufficient resources to ensure the minimum quality standards defined by the CAQi parameters.The investigation is guided by two core questions: whether the five municipal universities meet the requirements to be classified as universities, and whether the five municipalities that maintain these institutions ensure full and priority provision of early childhood education and primary education, with resources allocated above the constitutionally mandated minimum percentages.Regarding both questions, the analysis shows that all five institutions exhibit a vocation for teaching; however, among them, only FURB and UNITAU demonstrate the characteristics required for full classification as universities. From a financial perspective, it was observed that UniRV was the only institution to present a budget surplus. Regarding faculty employment status, only three universities fully complied with the required workload regime. With respect to the municipalities’ obligation to provide early childhood education and primary education, only São Caetano do Sul fulfilled all the verified criteria, while Rio Verde met them only partially.The analysis showed that the provision of early childhood education, primary education, and higher education places significant pressure on municipal budgets, given that municipal universities rely on their own revenues. The findings further revealed a dilemma arising from the fact that these universities are public institutions yet charge tuition fees, as well as the existence of a field of tension within the municipal sphere between the need to ensure full, high-quality provision of early childhood and primary education and the maintenance of municipal higher education offerings.