The functioning of higher education institutions is influenced by the public policies adopted in the country, both in terms of the funding required for their maintenance and development, as well as the conditions of entry of their students. Since the early 2000s affirmative action has been implemented in higher education, with a view to making its access more inclusive for segments from non-traditional routes, in particular adults who left the system early (Portugal), and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds (Brazil). These actions aim to respond to the diversification of cultures and the broadening of representation of minority groups (Barbosa et al, org. 2020). Recent policies to democratize access (e.g. the Quotas Act in Brazil) and the regulations of Special Competitions for Access and Admission to Higher Education (e.g. Portugal) materialize these guidelines. This article will observe the experience of a public Portuguese University and its competition for those aged 23 years/plus and some University Extension actions, in a federal university in Brazil, aimed at offering community pre-vestibular courses. The aim is to understand the effectiveness of institutional affirmative actions in the access of this student profile into 1st cycle courses (bachelor's degree). The substantive information supporting the development of the two case studies is based on a mixed methodology, quantitative – with secondary data from administrative records of the Direção Geral de Estatísticas da Educação e Ciência (Portugal), the Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira and the Núcleo de Pesquisa Institucional da UFRJ (Brazil) – and qualitative – through a content analysis of information elements, such as the CVs and motivation letters submitted by the candidates as part of their application and the success rate of their entry. The inclusion of adults in the system has been faced with some prejudice and resistance. The reactive weight of the adults entering the system by this way represents today, in Portugal, little more than the minimum established by law (6%). However, in a historical context marked by the bet on knowledge as the first factor of international competitiveness, the challenge of improving the technical skills and the qualified profiles of the adult population presents itself as a fundamental mission of collective empowerment and response to the achievement of the 4th objective of the SDG 2030.

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Affirmative actions,Non-traditional routes,Adults,Distance-learning

This publication is associated with the following record:

• AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONS FOR THE INTEGRATION OF NEW STUDENT PROFILES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: PORTUGAL AND BRAZIL

This publication is an output of the following project(s):

• Gestão universitária e inovação pedagógica no ensino superior, Brasil e Portugal