Lula Announces Over R$100 Million Investment to Expand Support for Popular Prep Courses

On October 18, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced a significant funding boost for Cursinhos Populares (CPOP), a program supporting educational preparatory courses aimed at vulnerable youth in Brazil. At an event in São Bernardo do Campo, Lula emphasized education as a crucial tool for social mobility, urging young people facing financial difficulties not to give up. He stated, "The Brazil of the future will be better than the Brazil of the present. No one your age has the right to give up."

The government committed R$108 million toward expanding CPOP to 500 popular preparatory courses nationwide by 2026, building on the current support for 384 courses up from 130 at the program's start. This expansion is especially focused on assisting socially disadvantaged students, particularly Black and Indigenous youth. To date, over 12,000 students have benefited from a R$74 million investment in the program's initial phase, Minister of Education Camilo Santana noted, highlighting education's power to transform lives.

Former Education Minister Fernando Haddad praised the progress made in educational inclusion over the past two decades, citing the Prouni program which helped 4 million students graduate since 2004, as well as the expansion of public universities and affirmative action policies. CPOP serves as a bridge for vulnerable students to access opportunities like the ENEM and higher education pathways.

This announcement adds to Lula's broader social policy priorities, affirming education as a cornerstone for Brazil's development and social equity.