SOCIAL CONDITIONS, SCHOOLING AND STUDY HABITS IN THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF FINALISTS IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH

Abstract Many factors contribute to the difficulty in accessing and remaining in Higher Education in Brazil. The objective of the present study was to identify the difference in the performance of the students due to socioeconomic conditions, schooling and study habits. We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study based on the data of the National Student Performance Exam (Exame Nacional de Desempenho dos Estudantes, in Portuguese), with a sample of 196,856 students from health courses in 2013. The clear obstacle faced by the students from underprivileged social classes to their admission and permanence in Higher Education requires a constant struggle for greater social justice. While the current situation remains unchanged, it is the role of the government to provide strategies to make viable the access to Higher Education through affirmative policies and resources to make it possible for the underprivileged to invest in their education. The permanence scholarship presented itself as crucial in the struggle for equity, and it enabled a better performance on the part of the students, especially due to their stronger ties with the Higher Education Institution.