With the start of 2025, the Brazilian Federal Government continues its focus on social programs aimed at education. One of the highlights is the Pé-de-Meia program, which supports public high school students. Managed by the Ministry of Education (MEC), this initiative maintains its scheduled disbursements for the year, beginning with payments pertaining to the 2024 academic year. Pé-de-Meia is dedicated to encouraging the continuation of studies among young people from low-income families.
The payments are organized according to students' birth months, starting on February 20 and extending until February 27. This timeline ensures orderly, efficient access to the benefit. But how exactly does the Pé-de-Meia payment schedule work?
The payment schedule for Februar 2025 follows specific dates for different groups of students. The distribution is as follows:
- January and February: February 20 (Thursday)
- March and April: February 21 (Friday)
- May and June: February 24 (Monday)
- July and August: February 25 (Tuesday)
- September and October: February 26 (Wednesday)
- November and December: February 27 (Thursday)
What financial values can students expect from the Pé-de-Meia program? The payments for February 2025 are still related to the 2024 academic year, with varying types of incentives:
- Completion Bonus: An annual total of R$ 1,000 paid at the end of the school year for students who complete their grade with approval.
- ENEM Incentive: A single payment of R$ 200 for third-year high school students participating on both days of the ENEM (National High School Exam).
- Enrollment Incentive: An annual payment of R$ 200 scheduled between March 26 and April 7, for students enrolled at any level of public high school.
- Attendance Incentive: An annual total of R$ 1,800, paid across nine installments throughout the year for students who maintain at least 80% attendance.
Who qualifies to participate in the Pé-de-Meia program? Registration isn’t required; students must simply possess a CPF and be enrolled in any grade of public high school. They also need to be aged between 14 and 24 years and part of families registered under the Federal Government's Unified Registry for Social Programs (CadÚnico). Notably, students whose families are enrolled within the Bolsa Família program received priority for benefits. Others from the CadÚnico were included later to extend the benefit to more youths facing social vulnerability.
The impact of the Pé-de-Meia program on education has been significant. By providing financial support, the program effectively reduces dropout rates and promotes continued education. With specific incentives for attendance and participation in important exams like ENEM, Pé-de-Meia motivates students to engage more vigorously with their studies, thereby preparing them for future endeavors.
Starting February 25, 2025, the Ministry of Education will commence payments of R$ 1,000 to students of the Pé-de-Meia program who completed stages of high school during the past year. Also on this date, R$ 200 will be deposited for students finishing the third year who participated in both days of the 2024 ENEM. Payments will be carried out according to students' birth dates, between February 25 and 27. The payment schedule references the following details:
- February 25: For students born from January through June.
- February 26: For those born from July through December.
- February 27: For first- and second-year students, regardless of birth month.
To qualify for the incentive linked to each year of high school, students must have passed their respective grade. Those who graduated the third year may withdraw the funds immediately, whereas students still attending the first or second year will not be able to access their funds until they complete high school.
Launched under Law 14.818/2024, Pé-de-Meia is positioned as financial-educational assistance aimed at promoting continued education among public high school students. Approximately 532,200 students from São Paulo, 406,400 from Bahia, 347,100 from Minas Gerais, and 282,400 from Ceará are expected to benefit from this program.
Participants receive payments based on attendance and deposits at the end of each successfully completed academic year. Students can accrue up to R$ 9,200 during their high school education, with funds deposited by the MEC to automatically created accounts at Caixa Econômica Federal.
For minors accessing the fund, legal guardians must consent to and authorize its use, either via application or directly with the bank. If students are 18 or older, their accounts will be automatically accessible.
A notable addition for 2025 is the Pé-de-Meia Licenciaturas, directed at students opting for teaching degree courses. This initiative targets addressing the shortage of teachers by providing financial support for students achieving scores of at least 650 on their ENEM. Such students may receive monthly aid of R$ 1,050, incentivizing more young individuals to enter teaching roles.
To manage receipt of these benefits effectively, students should update their CadÚnico information regularly, track the payment calendar, meet the required attendance levels, and utilize government-provided apps and platforms for monitoring deposits.
Pé-de-Meia stands as one of Brazil's significant advancements in public education, combating student dropout rates and facilitating continued education. By alleviating financial burdens, it allows young participants to focus wholly on their studies. The structured payment strategy and new incentives for prospective teachers will bolster the overall impact of the program, promising to reduce dropout rates and empower educational completion among Brazil's youth.