DROPOUT IN BRAZILIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND POSSIBLE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

Abstract

The phenomenon of dropout in Brazilian higher education has been, for the Ministry of Education, one of the main challenges to the realization of the right to education, especially in a context marked by the expansion of access to universities. Given this scenario, this research aims to analyze the main causes of dropout in Brazilian higher education, discuss its consequences for individuals, and present possible intervention strategies aimed at promoting student retention. From a methodological point of view, this is a bibliographic research. The results showed that dropout is a multifactorial phenomenon, influenced by economic, academic, social, institutional, and personal factors, highlighting financial difficulties, the need to reconcile study and work, dissatisfaction with the course, low academic performance, and weaknesses in retention policies. It was also found that dropout has significant impacts on students, higher education institutions, and society, resulting in academic, economic, and social losses. It is concluded that addressing this problem requires integrated actions that combine student assistance, pedagogical support, psychosocial monitoring, and improvement of institutional practices, in order to favor student retention and course completion. The proposed objective was achieved, since the research allowed for the identification of the main causes of dropout, an understanding of its consequences, and the discussion of strategies aimed at reducing it.