How affordable is studying at USP (São Paulo) for Brazilians?

10/15/23    Is it true that studying at the university of São Paulo is only an option for wealthy Brazilians? My wife and I wish to contribute to society by taking motivated students into our home and give them a free room for the time that they are studying. We are interested in this, but only for students who don't have the money to fund their education or their stay in São Paulo. I just can't help but think that all students who qualify to enter at USP, come from wealthy families and don't need help.         -@Wout

What a wonderful idea!  Many students at USP undoubtedly come from wealthy families, but not all by any means, since like all public universities in Brazil, admission is by test.  It should not be too hard to find students, especially from the interior and from other states, who are struggling to live in São Paulo and need just this kind of hand up to be successful.

Another option to consider is PUC, the Pontifical Catholic University in São Paulo.  I know from personal experience that there are scholarship students from other states there who need the help, because my husband was one.  From the "New Middle Class" in Amazonas, he received a scholarship that covered full tuition, but not books, supplies, food, or lodging.  He dropped out after being robbed by a landlady, and then being unable to find a job with both the hours and the pay that would let him continue.  He came home and did fine -- he just got his law license -- but I'm sure that there are students at PUC, and probably at USP right now for whom your brainstorm would be an absolute godsend.

A university's Secretaria Acadêmica should be able to put you in touch with deserving students who have a legitimate need.

In my opinion the system of education in Brazil is rigged against poor people.  Public education, elementary and high school, are half day and inferior to private schools.  So the more affluent families send their kids to private school.  But then the private school students get into public universities which are free!  I love the generous idea you and your wife have Wout and there are many students at both PUC and USP that are in a situation where you can change their life by giving them a free room.

    In my opinion the system of education in Brazil is rigged against poor people.         -@Droplover

Which is why we want to reach out with a helping hand to those who are motivated to study, but can't afford it.

Not to give a free room to people who are already privileged, or just use studying as an excuse to be in São Paulo. I can imagine that thousands of students would be interested, but I would do extensive research before choosing. Maybe the most talented ones who don't have money (I heard that the most talented ones are funded by the government). Maybe students who are active in my domain (osteopathic medicine) so I can give them extra training throughout their education. If they improve, they can work in my own private practice. Or maybe just the most kindhearted people (volunteers etc), regardless of their skill level. It could be a mix. In an ideal world I'd recreate the atmosphere of the popular TV sitcom "Friends" and I would be the landlord living across the hall.

I can see some pitfalls. Maybe they don't get along so well. Or more realistically, my wifes family gets to know about it and now expects me to provide free student housing for her (distant) family. My mother in law was asked to take her own nephew into the apartment because his parents couldn't afford housing. She accepted it, and he played video games for 3 years. I will not go down that road.

Well, either way your intensions are generous and wonderful.  I teach english as a volunteer teacher to motivated students who can not afford to pay for english lessons (which are sadly most of Brazilians).  I teach a few university students who go to Unicamp who are from poor families but are very bright and motivated.  They get a stipend to live on and the university is paid.  The stipend is not much though.  Not sure if you ever saw some of the "Kitnets" students live in?  it's literally a single bed, a single burner and a tiny fridge in many cases.  Unfortunately we to have been taken advantage of, being gringo's.  I think that some brazilians think that gringo's have unlimited amounts of money and we have been billed some crazy amounts for simple work around the house.  With time we have gotten more assertive but unfortunately there are people that will take advantage.  On the flip side there are many generous and kind people despite their own circumstances.

    Is it true that studying at the university of São Paulo is only an option for wealthy Brazilians?
My wife and I wish to contribute to society by taking motivated students into our home and give them a free room for the time that they are studying. We are interested in this, but only for students who don't have the money to fund their education or their stay in São Paulo. I just can't help but think that all students who qualify to enter at USP, come from wealthy families and don't need help.
   

    -@Wout

USP-Universidade de Sao Paulo, is tuition free. The general assumption it is an wealthy enclave for rich kids is due to the fact the heavily disputed admission exam ( vestibular ) weeds out students whose pre-colege schooling  curricula is subpar, specially from the public education system.   So it's like your public tax dollars suibsidizing the rich folk at the poor man's expense.

There is no TOEFL or SATs scores here, and your high school grade history means didle squat.  You are in  through a two phase general admission exam ( vestibular ), and there used to be some specialized schools to help you to achieve exam passing grades.  The Objetivo Schools a  used to be famous at it.

Every year, once the exam results were posted,. the Objetivo schools used to run TV ads as to show, " hey, loo at how many students we place at these schools....  " It ended up, most of the smiling faces were actually either Japanese or Korean descendants. These communities valued hard work.

Honestly, I would not recommend USP program to anyone. For starters, it is a public (State ) institution, and  given that public education is  often underfunded in Brazil, its academic and administrator staff  is often on  strike. Besides, it's a commie loving enclave.

And as for curricular excellence, there are better value elsewhere.  For instance...

Engineering  - ITA ( Institutlo Tecnologico de Aeronautica in Sao Jose dos Campos-SP, and Faculdade Maua in Sao Caetano do Sul-SP. If you are to build airplanes, then ITA is the only acceptable choice.

Agriculture Sciences... USP Controlled Universidade Estadual Luis de Queiroz in Piracicaba-SP, and then Universidade Federal Lavras. in Lavras MG a powerhouse in Agricultural Sciences Research.

Business. Several, but I| would single out FAAP -Fundacao Armando Alvares Penteado, in Sao Paulo-SP, a school with a long standing tradition graduating business majors. 

Medical Schools,  Several scattered around the Country. I would emphasize UNICAMP from Campinas-SP, public, certainly USP in Sao Paulo-SP

USP also has an excellent  Medical Schooll in Ribeirao Preto-SP .

All around, private, I would look, into PUC-Pontificia Universidade Catolica, both in Campinas and Sao Paulo.   

Other good medical programs, I would suggest a peak into...

Fundacao ABC- Santo Andre- They actually control a lot of residency programs throughout Santo Andre-SP, Santos-SP.

Also, several good programs by Universidade Mogi das Cruzes, Mogi das Cruzes-SP

Then you have standouts like....

Universidade Federal do Parana by Curitiba-PR

Unitau- Universidade de Taubate by Taubate-SP

Unimpe - Universidade Metodista, in Piracicaba-SP

Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie ( Private, and a right wing redux, nonetheless excelllent major programs in Architecture, Engineering, Law, Humanities ) in Sao Paulo-SP

Universidade Federal de Santa Maria- Santa Maria-RS

Before you ever rank the diploma mills, there are several universities worth noticing in all over Brazil

Above all, you have to take what Brazzers say with a grain of salt.  They are all about prestige.  To put into perspective,, overall, they seldom ever recognize anything beyond Harvard or MIT. 

They offered get suckered into these prestige only affiliations with American Universies, as if it did gave any academic credo.   The whole concept or actually getting decent schooling is alien to them. They love certifications , credentials, uselless pieces of paper. 

Brazilians are awfull into evaluating value. Stock picking ain't into the average Brazilian national pastime./ 

My advice, ignore what Brazzers say,. and stick to your guns. 

Where USP excels...

Law - Escola de Direito do Largo de Sao Francisco . They have excellent name recognition, and a path to big name law firms. Excelent faculty.

Medicine - Faculdade de Medicina, you are garanteed residence on the Hospital das Clinicas complex in Sao Paulo.  Also they control the Ribeirao Preto Campus.  Also, under separate stewardship, Unicamp in Campinas.

Physics - They have an excellent program, I recall Nuclear Physics too. 

Engineering - Escola Politecnica - It used to be pretty decent. There are better choices elsewhere nowadays ( Maua, ITA ).  Also Unicamp.  Excellent Engineering program, and tech incubators.    If you can't pass muster on ITA or afford Maua, then there is FEI-Sao Bernardo do Campo-SP ( Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial ). They've added a few satellite campus.   Used to have an excellent library.

Agricultural Sciences, Veterinary - Definetively USP Controled. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luis de Queiroz , Piracicaba-SP.  Agribusiness, Agronomy, Animal Science, this is the place to go. Your diploma is just as good as any other place in Arkansas, if not any better. 

Maybe the Mathematics Department. 

As for every other discipline/major, you are wasting time with them.    There are better