O ensino superior público deve ser gratuito? Algumas considerações preliminares

Abstract

Given the context of higher education expansion, this article specifically questions whether public higher education should be free. Free education refers to the non-payment of tuition or fees, given that both financing and the public provision of goods and services are funded by society as a whole through direct and indirect taxes. Three aspects should be considered when financing higher education: the relationship between economic and social returns; the distribution of students by income level; and the proportion of higher education spending relative to early childhood education.