Desigualdades sociais e acesso ao ensino superior: um olhar sobre os estudantes trabalhadores

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between social inequalities and access to higher education, focusing on the reality of working students enrolled in the Social Work program at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF). It is based on the understanding that, although the expansion of policies aimed at democratizing access to higher education has enabled historically excluded groups to enter universities, these students' ability to remain in higher education continues to be marked by several challenges related to their socioeconomic conditions. The objective of this study is to understand the difficulties and challenges of balancing work and academic studies. To achieve this objective, the research is based on a bibliographic and documentary review, with an analysis of secondary data produced by institutional and academic studies on the subject. The findings indicate that the need to reconcile work and study creates obstacles that go beyond individual choices, reflecting structural inequalities related to class, gender, and race. It is concluded that the effective democratization of higher education depends not only on expanding access but also on strengthening public student assistance policies capable of ensuring the material conditions necessary for students to continue their academic education.