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Law

Special program for access to federal institutions of higher education and secondary-level technical education (Law No. 12,711/2012, the Quotas Law, amended by Law No. 14,723/2023)

Problem
Access to federal institutions of higher education and secondary-level technical education for students from public schools, low-income students, Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and quilombola students, and persons with disabilities. Before the federal law, universities adopted their own reservations, such as UERJ, through state laws of 2000 and 2001, and UnB, which, according to the university itself, approved racial quotas in 2003.
Who it serves
Students who completed all of high school (or elementary school, in the case of technical education) in public schools, with sub-quotas for income and for self-declared Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and quilombola students and persons with disabilities.
How it works
Law of parliamentary origin: Bill (PL) 73/1999, by Deputy Nice Lobão, to which PL 3,627/2004 was attached, was approved by the Chamber of Deputies in 2008 in the form of the substitute text of the Education and Culture Committee and by the Federal Senate in 2012, with a veto by the president of the criterion of grade-point coefficient. Minimum reservation of 50% of the places in each selection process, by course and shift, for public school graduates; half of those places for per capita family income of up to 1 minimum wage (1.5 until 2023); filled by Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and quilombola students and persons with disabilities in proportion to the population of the state (UF) according to IBGE. In 2023, the National Congress approved PL 5,384/2020, with Deputy Dandara as rapporteur in the Chamber of Deputies and Senator Paulo Paim in the Federal Senate, and Law No. 14,723/2023 made candidates compete first in the open competition and provided for a ten-year evaluation and an annual report by the Ministry of Education (MEC).

EducationRacial equality

Relation to the Lula governments

Reshaped under Lula · Third term (since 2023) · since November 2023

Law No. 14,723/2023 lowered the income criterion of the sub-quota: half of the places reserved for public school graduates came to be allocated to students from families with income equal to or less than 1 minimum wage per capita, in both higher education and secondary-level technical education (previously, 1.5 minimum wages).[1]

Law No. 14,723/2023 included quilombolas among the beneficiaries of the reservation (alongside Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos) and Indigenous people and persons with disabilities), in proportion to their presence in the population of the state (unidade da Federação) according to the IBGE census, and determined that unfilled places be allocated first to self-declared Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and quilombola candidates or to persons with disabilities, and only afterward to public school students.[2]

Under Law No. 14,723/2023, in the selection processes of federal institutions of higher education and secondary-level technical education, candidates first compete for the open competition places and, if they do not reach the score for admission through that route, they go on to compete for the reserved places.[3]

Law No. 14,723/2023 determined that, every 10 years from the publication of the law, an evaluation of the special access program be conducted, and that the Ministry of Education publish annually a report with data on, at least, the access, retention and completion of beneficiary and non-beneficiary students.[4]

Law No. 14,723/2023 gave priority to those who opted for the reservation and are in a situation of social vulnerability in receiving student aid from federal institutions, and determined that federal institutions of higher education, within their autonomy, promote affirmative action policies for Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and quilombola people and persons with disabilities in their stricto sensu graduate programs.[5]

Law No. 14,723/2023 determined that, 3 years after the release of the IBGE census results, the Executive Branch adopt a methodology to update annually the percentages of Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and quilombola people and persons with disabilities in the populations of the states (unidades da Federação), as provided in regulations.[6]

Shared implementation · Third term (since 2023) · since 2024

According to data from Inep's 2024 Higher Education Census reported by Radioagência Nacional and Agência Brasil, 49% of students who entered through reserved places at federal universities and in the federal vocational education network completed their degrees, compared with 42% of other entrants; between 2013 and 2024, more than 1.4 million people entered federal institutions through reserved places (cumulative), and in 2024 alone there were 133,078 students (annual flow), 110,196 at universities and 22,587 in the federal network.[7]

Origin and precursors

Origin milestone: founding legal act, Between governments (2011 to 2022).

Law No. 12,711 of August 29, 2012, which provides for admission to federal universities and federal secondary-level technical education institutions, was signed into law by President Dilma Rousseff with a partial veto (reasons in message No. 385/12) and published in the Official Gazette (DOU) on August 30, 2012; the Chamber of Deputies records its origin as the Legislative Branch.[8]

Precursors

  • PL 73/1999 (Deputy Nice Lobão), originating bill of Law 12,711/2012 earlier technical basis Law No. 12,711/2012 originated from PL 73/1999, introduced in the Chamber of Deputies on February 24, 1999 by Deputy Nice Lobão (PFL/MA), which provided for admission to federal and state universities and reserved fifty percent of the places for students selected from high school courses.[9]
  • Reservation of places at UERJ by Rio de Janeiro state laws (Laws 3,524/2000, 3,708/2001, and 4,151/2003) similar initiative, no succession stated by the source According to a report by the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), State Law No. 3,524 of December 28, 2000, established a quota of 50% of the places at the state public universities (UERJ and UENF) for students who had completed all of elementary and high school in public schools of the State of Rio de Janeiro, and Law No. 3,708 of December 9, 2001, required the reservation of 40% of the places in each course for self-declared Black (negros) and mixed-race (pardos) students.[10]
  • Racial quotas at the University of Brasília (approved in 2003, first intake in 2004) similar initiative, no succession stated by the source According to the University of Brasília (UnB), its racial quota policy was approved in 2003, before there was any law requiring higher education institutions to reserve places; in the first entrance exam with quotas, in 2004, 388 students entered through the system. For 2022, UnB reports that "there were 10,094 students," without specifying whether the number refers to students entering that year or to the total number of quota students. UnB also reports that Black and Indigenous students accounted for 4.3% of all students in the first semester of 2003 and 48% in 2019.[11]
  • Own affirmative action programs of state and federal universities (70 of 96 by 2012) similar initiative, no succession stated by the source According to Senkevics and Mello (2019), based on a survey by Daflon, Feres Júnior and Campos (2013), by 2012, 70 out of a total of 96 state and federal universities had implemented their own affirmative action programs, approved by their university councils; for the authors, more than inaugurating affirmative action, the Quotas Law standardized the minimum criteria for reserving places and extended them to all Federal Institutions of Higher Education (Ifes).[12]
  • ProUni (Law 11,096/2005), percentage of scholarships for affirmative policies similar initiative, no succession stated by the source Law No. 11,096 of January 13, 2005 (conversion of MP No. 213/2004), which established ProUni, provided that the enrollment agreement of private institutions include a percentage of scholarships for affirmative policies of access to higher education for persons with disabilities or self-declared Indigenous and Black people, at least equal to the percentage of self-declared Indigenous, mixed-race (pardos) or Black (pretos) people in the state (unidade da Federação) according to the latest IBGE census. ProUni has its own dossier (prouni).[13]

Precursor investigation: new structure established (October 14, 2026).

Scope: Records of PL 73/1999 and PL 3,627/2004 (Chamber), printed text of PL 3,627/2004 with statement of reasons, PLC 180/2008 (Senate), Law 12,711/2012 (original publication, veto, and data on the norm at the Chamber; compiled text from the Planalto in the Internet Archive), Decree 7,824/2012, Law 11,096/2005, UERJ report (2011) with the history of the state laws, UnB news item (2023), STF news item on ADPF 186 (2012), Ipea (2012), and Senkevics and Mello (2019) on the universities' own programs.

Responsibilities

  • National Congress (PL 73/1999 and PLC 180/2008, approved in 2008 and 2012; PL 5,384/2020, approved in 2023) legislative approval

    In the Federal Senate, with Senator Paulo Paim as rapporteur, PL 5384/2020 was approved by the Plenary on October 24, 2023, with votes against from Senators Flávio Bolsonaro, Cleitinho, Magno Malta, Eduardo Girão, Marcos Rogério, Rogério Marinho and Jorge Seif, and sent for presidential approval.[14]

  • Ministry of Education (monitoring, evaluation, and annual report; chair of the Monitoring Committee) federal management

    Law No. 14,723/2023 determined that, every 10 years from the publication of the law, an evaluation of the special access program be conducted, and that the Ministry of Education publish annually a report with data on, at least, the access, retention and completion of beneficiary and non-beneficiary students.[4]

  • Federal institutions of higher education and of secondary-level technical education (application of the reservation in selection exams) federal management

    In its original wording, Law No. 12,711/2012 required federal institutions of higher education linked to the Ministry of Education to reserve, in each selection process, by course and shift, at least 50% of their places for students who had completed all of high school in public schools, of which 50% for students from families with per capita income equal to or less than 1.5 minimum wages.[15]

  • Federal Court of Accounts (Ruling 2376/2022-Plenary) oversight

    In an operational audit carried out between March and July 2022 (Ruling 2376/2022-TCU-Plenary, rapporteur Minister Walton Alencar Rodrigues), the TCU pointed to the absence of guidance from the MEC on controlling racial self-declaration, insufficient monitoring and evaluation of the policy by the MEC, and the fact that the shares of Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and disabled students in the undergraduate courses of federal institutions had not yet reached the shares of these populations in the IBGE census.[16]

  • Rectors, faculty, students, and preparatory courses for Black and low-income students (consulted in the drafting of PL 3,627/2004, according to the MEC) social participation

    In the Statement of Reasons for PL 3,627/2004 (E.M. No. 025 of April 28, 2004, signed by Tarso Genro), the Ministry of Education stated that the bill combined ethnic-racial criteria with income criteria and that its drafting involved the participation of university rectors, teachers' professional associations, student representatives and organizations of entrance-exam preparatory courses for Black and low-income students.[17]

Timeline

Timeline of Special program for access to federal institutions of higher education and secondary-level technical education (Law No. 12,711/2012, the Quotas Law, amended by Law No. 14,723/2023)
DatePhaseWhat happened
December 2000Legal actRio de Janeiro State Law No. 3,524 reserves 50% of the places at UERJ and UENF for graduates of the state's public schools.[10]
2003ImplementationUERJ holds the first entrance exam with reserved places.[18]
2004ImplementationFirst admission through racial quotas at UnB (388 students).[11]
January 2005Legal actLaw 11,096/2005 (ProUni) provides for a percentage of scholarships for affirmative policies.[13]
August 2012Legal actLaw 12,711/2012 signed into law by President Dilma Rousseff, with a veto of art. 2.[8]
December 2016Legal actLaw 13,409/2016 includes persons with disabilities in the reservation.[19]
2024Implementation2024 Higher Education Census: 133,078 new students through reserved places at federal institutions.[7]

How it works

Under the original wording of art. 3 of Law No. 12,711/2012, the places reserved at each federal institution of higher education would be filled, by course and shift, by self-declared Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos) and Indigenous students in a proportion at least equal to that of these groups in the population of the state (unidade da Federação), according to the latest IBGE census; places not filled would be completed by students from public schools.[20]

Law No. 12,711/2012 extended the reservation to federal secondary-level technical education institutions: at least 50% of the places in each course, by shift, for students who completed all of elementary school in public schools, with the same rules on income and on the proportion of Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos) and Indigenous students.[21]

Law No. 12,711/2012 determined that the Executive Branch would conduct, within 10 years of its publication, a review of the special access program, and that institutions would implement at least 25% of the reservation each year, with a maximum period of 4 years for full compliance.[22]

Governance

In its original wording, Law No. 12,711/2012 assigned the monitoring and evaluation of the program to the Ministry of Education and the Special Secretariat for Policies to Promote Racial Equality of the Presidency of the Republic, with Funai being consulted.[23]

Changes

By Message No. 385 of August 29, 2012, the president vetoed art. 2 of the bill (PLC 180/2008, No. 73/99 in the Chamber of Deputies), which required public universities to select public school students based on the grade-point coefficient (Coeficiente de Rendimento) of high school, on the grounds that this criterion is not based on a standardized exam common to all candidates.[24]

On August 9, 2023, the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies approved the substitute text to PL 5,384/2020 adopted by the rapporteur of the Committee on Human Rights, Minorities and Racial Equality, Deputy Dandara (PT-MG), and the matter went to the Federal Senate (PL 5,384-B/2020).[25]

Observed results

A result observed during a term may have causes other than the program.

According to Inep (news item of November 20, 2023 reproduced by Agência Gov), admissions to federal higher education through affirmative action rose from 40,661 in 2012 to 108,616 in the 2022 Higher Education Census, an increase of 167% in ten years (annual flow of new students; the same student may have more than one form of admission or reservation program).[26]

Audits

According to the TCU (news item of November 3, 2022 on case TC 004.907/2022-1, session of October 26, 2022), there were no systematic annual reports on the evaluation of the implementation of the reserved places or reports with consolidated data from 2017 to 2022, and the MEC had no data on quota students served by Pnaes or by the Bolsa Permanência, nor a survey of quota students who dropped out of their courses; the Court assessed that this lack of data would hinder the review of the policy.[27]

Context

The record of Law No. 12,711/2012 in the Chamber of Deputies' Computerized Legislation database carries the note "See ADI No. 7,561/2023."[28]

Precursors

According to Ipea (2012), affirmative action programs were developed autonomously by dozens of public educational institutions; a survey by GEMAA/UERJ of universities (Feres Júnior, Daflon and Campos, 2010) indicated that 71% of them had some type of affirmative action and 57% of these adopted a racial criterion.[29]

On June 23, 2004, the Board of the Chamber of Deputies granted REQ 1910/2004, which detached PL 73/1999 from PL 1643/1999 and attached PL 3627/2004 to it.[30]

On September 21, 2005, the Education and Culture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved the report of the rapporteur, Deputy Carlos Abicalil (PT-MT), recommending approval of PL 73/1999 and of the attached PLs 615/03, 1,313/03 and 3627/04, with a substitute text.[31]

On November 20, 2008, the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies approved the substitute text of the Education and Culture Committee to PL 73/1999, with the attached bills, among them PL 3,627/04, being rendered moot, and the matter went to the Federal Senate as PL 73-C/99.[32]

In the Federal Senate, the bill proceeded as PLC 180/2008 and was approved by the Plenary on August 7, 2012, with a vote against by Senator Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, and sent for presidential approval.[33]

Sources and evidence

Excerpts are quoted in the original language of the source.

  1. 1. Law No. 14,723/2023 lowered the income criterion of the sub-quota: half of the places reserved for public school graduates came to be allocated to students from families with income equal to or less than 1 minimum wage per capita, in both higher education and secondary-level technical education (previously, 1.5 minimum wages).

    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, new wording of art. 1, sole paragraph, of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “No preenchimento das vagas de que trata o caput deste artigo, 50% (cinquenta por cento) deverão ser reservadas aos estudantes oriundos de famílias com renda igual ou inferior a 1 (um) salário mínimo per capita”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 1, sole paragraph (original wording). Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Parágrafo único. No preenchimento das vagas de que trata o caput deste artigo, 50% (cinquenta por cento) deverão ser reservados aos estudantes oriundos de famílias com renda igual ou inferior a 1,5 salário-mínimo (um salário-mínimo e meio) per capita.”
  2. 2. Law No. 14,723/2023 included quilombolas among the beneficiaries of the reservation (alongside Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos) and Indigenous people and persons with disabilities), in proportion to their presence in the population of the state (unidade da Federação) according to the IBGE census, and determined that unfilled places be allocated first to self-declared Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and quilombola candidates or to persons with disabilities, and only afterward to public school students.

    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, new wording of art. 3, main provision, of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Em cada instituição federal de ensino superior, as vagas de que trata o art. 1º desta Lei serão preenchidas, por curso e turno, por autodeclarados pretos, pardos, indígenas e quilombolas e por pessoas com deficiência, nos termos da legislação, em proporção ao total de vagas no mínimo igual à proporção respectiva de pretos, pardos, indígenas e quilombolas e de pessoas com deficiência na população da unidade da Federação onde está instalada a instituição”
    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, art. 3, § 1, of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “§ 1º No caso de não preenchimento das vagas segundo os critérios estabelecidos no caput deste artigo, as remanescentes deverão ser destinadas, primeiramente, a autodeclarados pretos, pardos, indígenas e quilombolas ou a pessoas com deficiência e, posteriormente, completadas por estudantes que tenham cursado integralmente o ensino médio em escola pública.”
  3. 3. Under Law No. 14,723/2023, in the selection processes of federal institutions of higher education and secondary-level technical education, candidates first compete for the open competition places and, if they do not reach the score for admission through that route, they go on to compete for the reserved places.

    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, art. 3, § 2, of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “§ 2º Nos concursos seletivos para ingresso nas instituições federais de ensino superior, os candidatos concorrerão, inicialmente, às vagas disponibilizadas para ampla concorrência e, se não for alcançada nota para ingresso por meio dessa modalidade, passarão a concorrer às vagas reservadas pelo programa especial”
    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, art. 4, § 2, of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “§ 2º Nos concursos seletivos para ingresso nas instituições federais de ensino técnico de nível médio, os candidatos concorrerão, inicialmente, às vagas disponibilizadas para ampla concorrência e, se não for alcançada nota para ingresso por meio dessa modalidade, passarão a concorrer às vagas reservadas”
  4. 4. Law No. 14,723/2023 determined that, every 10 years from the publication of the law, an evaluation of the special access program be conducted, and that the Ministry of Education publish annually a report with data on, at least, the access, retention and completion of beneficiary and non-beneficiary students.

    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, art. 7, main provision, of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “A cada 10 (dez) anos a contar da data de publicação desta Lei, será promovida a avaliação do programa especial para o acesso às instituições de educação superior de estudantes pretos, pardos, indígenas e quilombolas e de pessoas com deficiência, bem como dos que tenham cursado integralmente o ensino médio em escola pública.”
    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, art. 7, sole paragraph, of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Parágrafo único. O Ministério da Educação divulgará, anualmente, relatório com informações sobre o programa especial de acesso às instituições federais de educação superior e de ensino técnico de nível médio, do qual deverão constar, pelo menos, dados sobre o acesso, a permanência e a conclusão dos alunos beneficiários e não beneficiários desta Lei.”
  5. 5. Law No. 14,723/2023 gave priority to those who opted for the reservation and are in a situation of social vulnerability in receiving student aid from federal institutions, and determined that federal institutions of higher education, within their autonomy, promote affirmative action policies for Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and quilombola people and persons with disabilities in their stricto sensu graduate programs.

    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, art. 7-A of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Os alunos optantes pela reserva de vagas no ato da inscrição do concurso seletivo que se encontrem em situação de vulnerabilidade social terão prioridade para o recebimento de auxílio estudantil de programas desenvolvidos nas instituições federais de ensino.”
    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, art. 7-B of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “As instituições federais de ensino superior, no âmbito de sua autonomia e observada a importância da diversidade para o desenvolvimento científico, tecnológico e de inovação, promoverão políticas de ações afirmativas para inclusão de pretos, pardos, indígenas e quilombolas e de pessoas com deficiência em seus programas de pós-graduação stricto sensu”
  6. 6. Law No. 14,723/2023 determined that, 3 years after the release of the IBGE census results, the Executive Branch adopt a methodology to update annually the percentages of Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and quilombola people and persons with disabilities in the populations of the states (unidades da Federação), as provided in regulations.

    • Lei nº 14.723, de 13 de novembro de 2023 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 2, art. 7-C of Law 12,711. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Após 3 (três) anos da divulgação dos resultados do censo do IBGE, o Poder Executivo deverá adotar metodologia para atualizar anualmente os percentuais de pretos, pardos, indígenas e quilombolas e de pessoas com deficiência em relação à população das unidades da Federação, na forma da regulamentação.”
  7. 7. According to data from Inep's 2024 Higher Education Census reported by Radioagência Nacional and Agência Brasil, 49% of students who entered through reserved places at federal universities and in the federal vocational education network completed their degrees, compared with 42% of other entrants; between 2013 and 2024, more than 1.4 million people entered federal institutions through reserved places (cumulative), and in 2024 alone there were 133,078 students (annual flow), 110,196 at universities and 22,587 in the federal network.

    • Quase metade dos alunos cotistas concluem a graduação, diz Inep · National Radio Agency (EBC) Press
      Where: paragraphs 2 and 3. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “O levantamento divulgado pelo Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep) apontou que 49% dos alunos que entraram em universidades federais e em instituições federais de educação profissional, científica e tecnológica concluíram a graduação. O número é superior ao registrado pelos demais estudantes: 42%.”
    • Censo: 50% de alunos cotistas nas federais concluem graduação (reprodução de texto da Agência Brasil) · Correio do Estado (text from Agência Brasil) Press
      Where: body of the news item. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Os dados do Censo demonstram que, entre 2013 e 2024, mais de 1,4 milhão de pessoas ingressaram em instituições federais de ensino por meio de políticas de reserva de vagas, o que ampliou a presença, especialmente nas universidades federais, de grupos historicamente excluídos desses espaços. Somente em 2024, esse número foi de 133.078 estudantes. A maior parte das matrículas ocorreu em universidades, que registraram 110.196 alunos cotistas, enquanto 22.587 foram contabilizados em instituições da rede federal.”
    • Quase metade dos alunos cotistas concluem a graduação, diz Inep · National Radio Agency (EBC) Press
      Where: first paragraph. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Os dados do Censo da Educação Superior de 2024 acabam com a ideia de que a política de cotas reduz a qualidade de ensino das instituições.”
  8. 8. Law No. 12,711 of August 29, 2012, which provides for admission to federal universities and federal secondary-level technical education institutions, was signed into law by President Dilma Rousseff with a partial veto (reasons in message No. 385/12) and published in the Official Gazette (DOU) on August 30, 2012; the Chamber of Deputies records its origin as the Legislative Branch.

    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: summary and closing. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Dispõe sobre o ingresso nas universidades federais e nas instituições federais de ensino técnico de nível médio e dá outras providências.”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: closing and signatures. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Brasília, 29 de agosto de 2012; 191º da Independência e 124º da República. DILMA ROUSSEFF”
    • PL 73/1999, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: legislative progress, August 29, 2012. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Transformado na Lei Ordinária nº 12.711/2012. DOU 30/08/12 PÁG 01 COL 03. Vetado parcialmente. Razões do veto (MSC 385/12-PE): DOU 30/08/12 PÁG 03 COL 03.”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, dados da norma · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official record
      Where: Norm Data. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Proposição Originária: PL 73/1999 Observação: Vide ADI nº 7.561/2023. Origem: Poder Legislativo”
  9. 9. Law No. 12,711/2012 originated from PL 73/1999, introduced in the Chamber of Deputies on February 24, 1999 by Deputy Nice Lobão (PFL/MA), which provided for admission to federal and state universities and reserved fifty percent of the places for students selected from high school courses.

    • PL 73/1999, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: Identification of the Bill. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Autor Nice Lobão - PFL/MA Apresentação 24/02/1999 Ementa Dispõe sobre o ingresso nas universidades federais e estaduais e dá outras providências. Dados Complementares: Reserva cinqüenta por cento das vagas para serem preenchidas mediante seleção de alunos nos cursos de ensino médio - cota universitária.”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, dados da norma · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official record
      Where: Norm Data. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Proposição Originária: PL 73/1999 Observação: Vide ADI nº 7.561/2023. Origem: Poder Legislativo”
  10. 10. According to a report by the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), State Law No. 3,524 of December 28, 2000, established a quota of 50% of the places at the state public universities (UERJ and UENF) for students who had completed all of elementary and high school in public schools of the State of Rio de Janeiro, and Law No. 3,708 of December 9, 2001, required the reservation of 40% of the places in each course for self-declared Black (negros) and mixed-race (pardos) students.

  11. 11. According to the University of Brasília (UnB), its racial quota policy was approved in 2003, before there was any law requiring higher education institutions to reserve places; in the first entrance exam with quotas, in 2004, 388 students entered through the system. For 2022, UnB reports that "there were 10,094 students," without specifying whether the number refers to students entering that year or to the total number of quota students. UnB also reports that Black and Indigenous students accounted for 4.3% of all students in the first semester of 2003 and 48% in 2019.

    • Cotas 20 Anos: a história de pioneirismo da UnB · University of Brasília (UnB Notícias) Government communication
      Where: paragraph 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Pioneira na ação, a UnB iniciou o sistema antes mesmo da criação de lei que obrigava as instituições de ensino superior a reservar vagas para esse público. A política afirmativa foi aprovada em 2003 e, no ano seguinte, houve o primeiro ingresso de alunos via cotas.”
    • Cotas 20 Anos: a história de pioneirismo da UnB · University of Brasília (UnB Notícias) Government communication
      Where: paragraph on data. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Dados apontam que, no primeiro semestre de 2003, negros e indígenas representavam somente 4,3% do total de alunos na UnB. Enquanto em 2019, a população do mesmo grupo correspondia a 48%. No primeiro vestibular, em 2004, ingressaram 388 estudantes pelo sistema de cotas. Já em 2022, foram 10.094 discentes.”
    • Cotas 20 Anos: a história de pioneirismo da UnB · University of Brasília (UnB Notícias) Government communication
      Where: paragraph on data. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “No primeiro vestibular, em 2004, ingressaram 388 estudantes pelo sistema de cotas. Já em 2022, foram 10.094 discentes.”
  12. 12. According to Senkevics and Mello (2019), based on a survey by Daflon, Feres Júnior and Campos (2013), by 2012, 70 out of a total of 96 state and federal universities had implemented their own affirmative action programs, approved by their university councils; for the authors, more than inaugurating affirmative action, the Quotas Law standardized the minimum criteria for reserving places and extended them to all Federal Institutions of Higher Education (Ifes).

    • O perfil discente das universidades federais mudou pós-Lei de Cotas? (Cadernos de Pesquisa, v. 49, n. 172, 2019) · Adriano Souza Senkevics and Ursula Mattioli Mello (Cadernos de Pesquisa, Carlos Chagas Foundation) Academic study
      Where: Introduction, third paragraph. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “A julgar pelo levantamento realizado por Daflon, Feres Júnior e Campos (2013 ), viu-se que, até 2012, 70 de um total de 96 universidades estaduais e federais haviam implementado seus próprios programas de ação afirmativa, aprovados no âmbito de seus conselhos universitários atendendo a reivindicações sociais de distintas ordens, e apresentando parâmetros e formatos variados.”
    • O perfil discente das universidades federais mudou pós-Lei de Cotas? (Cadernos de Pesquisa, v. 49, n. 172, 2019) · Adriano Souza Senkevics and Ursula Mattioli Mello (Cadernos de Pesquisa, Carlos Chagas Foundation) Academic study
      Where: Introduction, third paragraph. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Assim, mais do que inaugurar a ação afirmativa no acesso às universidades e institutos federais, a Lei de Cotas foi responsável por homogeneizar os critérios mínimos para reserva de vagas, estendendo-os a todas as Ifes”
    • O perfil discente das universidades federais mudou pós-Lei de Cotas? (Cadernos de Pesquisa, v. 49, n. 172, 2019) · Adriano Souza Senkevics and Ursula Mattioli Mello (Cadernos de Pesquisa, Carlos Chagas Foundation) Academic study
      Where: Introduction, second paragraph (definition of Ifes). Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “para o acesso às Instituições Federais de Educação Superior (Ifes) e aos institutos federais de ensino técnico de nível médio vinculados ao Ministério da Educação (MEC)”
  13. 13. Law No. 11,096 of January 13, 2005 (conversion of MP No. 213/2004), which established ProUni, provided that the enrollment agreement of private institutions include a percentage of scholarships for affirmative policies of access to higher education for persons with disabilities or self-declared Indigenous and Black people, at least equal to the percentage of self-declared Indigenous, mixed-race (pardos) or Black (pretos) people in the state (unidade da Federação) according to the latest IBGE census. ProUni has its own dossier (prouni).

    • Lei nº 11.096, de 13 de janeiro de 2005 (texto compilado) · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 9, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: header. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Conversão da MPv nº 213, de 2004”
    • Lei nº 11.096, de 13 de janeiro de 2005 (texto compilado) · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 9, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 7, item II, original wording. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “II - percentual de bolsas de estudo destinado à implementação de políticas afirmativas de acesso ao ensino superior de portadores de deficiência ou de autodeclarados indígenas e negros.”
    • Lei nº 11.096, de 13 de janeiro de 2005 (texto compilado) · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 9, 2026); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 7, § 1, original wording. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “§ 1º O percentual de que trata o inciso II do caput deste artigo deverá ser, no mínimo, igual ao percentual de cidadãos autodeclarados indígenas, pardos ou pretos, na respectiva unidade da Federação, segundo o último censo da Fundação Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística - IBGE.”
  14. 14. In the Federal Senate, with Senator Paulo Paim as rapporteur, PL 5384/2020 was approved by the Plenary on October 24, 2023, with votes against from Senators Flávio Bolsonaro, Cleitinho, Magno Malta, Eduardo Girão, Marcos Rogério, Rogério Marinho and Jorge Seif, and sent for presidential approval.

    • PL 5384/2020, página da matéria · Federal Senate Official record
      Where: legislative progress, October 24, 2023. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “24/10/2023 PLEN - Plenário do Senado Federal × Apreciação do PL 5384/2020 Situação: APROVADA Ação: (Sessão Deliberativa Ordinária, realizada em 24/10/2023)”
    • PL 5384/2020, página da matéria · Federal Senate Official record
      Where: legislative progress, October 24, 2023. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Aprovado o Projeto, com os votos contrários dos Senadores Flávio Bolsonaro, Cleitinho, Magno Malta, Eduardo Girão, Marcos Rogério, Rogério Marinho e Jorge Seif. À sanção.”
    • PL 5384/2020, página da matéria · Federal Senate Official record
      Where: Rapporteurship. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Senador Paulo Paim (encerrado em 24/10/2023 - Matéria deliberada no plenário)”
  15. 15. In its original wording, Law No. 12,711/2012 required federal institutions of higher education linked to the Ministry of Education to reserve, in each selection process, by course and shift, at least 50% of their places for students who had completed all of high school in public schools, of which 50% for students from families with per capita income equal to or less than 1.5 minimum wages.

    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 1, caput. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Art. 1º As instituições federais de educação superior vinculadas ao Ministério da Educação reservarão, em cada concurso seletivo para ingresso nos cursos de graduação, por curso e turno, no mínimo 50% (cinquenta por cento) de suas vagas para estudantes que tenham cursado integralmente o ensino médio em escolas públicas.”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 1, sole paragraph. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Parágrafo único. No preenchimento das vagas de que trata o caput deste artigo, 50% (cinquenta por cento) deverão ser reservados aos estudantes oriundos de famílias com renda igual ou inferior a 1,5 salário-mínimo (um salário-mínimo e meio) per capita.”
  16. 16. In an operational audit carried out between March and July 2022 (Ruling 2376/2022-TCU-Plenary, rapporteur Minister Walton Alencar Rodrigues), the TCU pointed to the absence of guidance from the MEC on controlling racial self-declaration, insufficient monitoring and evaluation of the policy by the MEC, and the fact that the shares of Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos), Indigenous and disabled students in the undergraduate courses of federal institutions had not yet reached the shares of these populations in the IBGE census.

    • Auditoria operacional: Política de Cotas (Lei 12.711/2012), ficha-síntese · Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) Audit
      Where: p. 1, What the TCU found. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “O TCU, com base na previsão legal de revisão da política de cotas, realizou, entre março e julho de 2022, fiscalização com o objetivo de avaliar a política de reserva de vagas para ingresso em cursos de graduação nas instituições federais de ensino e encontrou os seguintes problemas:”
    • Auditoria operacional: Política de Cotas (Lei 12.711/2012), ficha-síntese · Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) Audit
      Where: p. 1, findings. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Ministério da Educação em relação a instrumentos de controle relacionados à autodeclaração racial (pretos, pardos e indígenas).”
    • Auditoria operacional: Política de Cotas (Lei 12.711/2012), ficha-síntese · Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) Audit
      Where: p. 1, Why these findings matter. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “A Insuficiência das ações de monitoramento e avaliação da política de cotas por parte do Ministério da Educação, bem como de estudos sobre convergência com os programas de assistência estudantil, impacta na análise dos resultados da política e na integração entre as políticas públicas.”
    • Auditoria operacional: Política de Cotas (Lei 12.711/2012), ficha-síntese · Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) Audit
      Where: p. 1, findings. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “pretos, pardos, indígenas e estudantes com deficiência, nos cursos de graduação das instituições federais de ensino, ainda não atingiram os percentuais dessas populações conforme o censo do IBGE.”
    • Auditoria operacional: Política de Cotas (Lei 12.711/2012), ficha-síntese · Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) Audit
      Where: p. 2, Ruling data. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Acórdão: 2376/2022-TCU-Plenário Data da sessão: Relator: Ministro Walton Alencar Rodrigues TC 004.907/2022-1”
  17. 17. In the Statement of Reasons for PL 3,627/2004 (E.M. No. 025 of April 28, 2004, signed by Tarso Genro), the Ministry of Education stated that the bill combined ethnic-racial criteria with income criteria and that its drafting involved the participation of university rectors, teachers' professional associations, student representatives and organizations of entrance-exam preparatory courses for Black and low-income students.

  18. 18. According to UERJ, in 2003 the university held two separate entrance exams, one of them (SADE) intended only for candidates from the public school system, both including Afro-descendants; the process was modified by State Law No. 4,151, enacted on September 4, 2003, with the first students entering through the 2004 entrance exam, which set a reservation of 20% for public school students, 20% for Black students and 5% for persons with disabilities and members of ethnic minorities, with a family income criterion.

    • Avaliação Qualitativa dos Dados sobre Desempenho Acadêmico, relatório ano 2011 (Comissão de Avaliação) · State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Official record
      Where: p. 6, chapter 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “No ano de 2003 foram realizados dois concursos vestibulares distintos: um, denominado Sistema de Acompanhamento do Desempenho dos Estudantes do Ensino Médio mantido pelo Poder Público – SADE, destinado apenas aos candidatos oriundos das escolas da rede pública; outro, para os demais candidatos, ou seja, o vestibular nos moldes tradicionais. Ambos consideravam a inclusão de afrodescendentes, porém sem o corte relativo à carência sócioeconômica.”
    • Avaliação Qualitativa dos Dados sobre Desempenho Acadêmico, relatório ano 2011 (Comissão de Avaliação) · State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Official record
      Where: p. 6, chapter 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Este processo foi modificado em atendimento à Lei n◦ 4.151, promulgada em 04 de setembro de 2003, tendo os primeiros alunos ingressados no Vestibular 2004. Em função do disposto nesta Lei, a Universidade passou a trabalhar com a questão social, adotando o critério de análise sócio-econômica de restrição de renda familiar.”
    • Avaliação Qualitativa dos Dados sobre Desempenho Acadêmico, relatório ano 2011 (Comissão de Avaliação) · State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Official record
      Where: p. 6, chapter 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “A Lei 4.151 estabeleceu os seguintes percentuais de reserva de vagas: I - 20% (vinte por cento) para estudantes oriundos da rede pública de ensino; II - 20% (vinte por cento) para negros; III - 5% (cinco por cento) para pessoas com deficiência e integrantes de minorias étnicas”
  19. 19. Law No. 13,409 of December 28, 2016 amended arts. 3, 5 and 7 of Law No. 12,711/2012; under the new wording of art. 3, the reserved places also came to be filled by persons with disabilities, in a proportion at least equal to that of persons with disabilities in the population of the state (unidade da Federação), according to the latest IBGE census.

    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, dados da norma · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official record
      Where: See Norm(s). Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Lei Ordinária nº 13409 de 28 de Dezembro de 2016 (Poder Legislativo) - (Alteração). Art. 3º, "caput" ; Art. 5º, "caput" ; Art. 7º .”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012 (texto compilado) · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 5, 2025); original address: www.planalto.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Presidency of the Republic (Planalto).
      Where: art. 3, wording given by Law No. 13,409 of 2016. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Art. 3º Em cada instituição federal de ensino superior, as vagas de que trata o art. 1º desta Lei serão preenchidas, por curso e turno, por autodeclarados pretos, pardos e indígenas e por pessoas com deficiência, nos termos da legislação, em proporção ao total de vagas no mínimo igual à proporção respectiva de pretos, pardos, indígenas e pessoas com deficiência na população da unidade da Federação onde está instalada a instituição, segundo o último censo da Fundação Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística - IBGE.”
  20. 20. Under the original wording of art. 3 of Law No. 12,711/2012, the places reserved at each federal institution of higher education would be filled, by course and shift, by self-declared Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos) and Indigenous students in a proportion at least equal to that of these groups in the population of the state (unidade da Federação), according to the latest IBGE census; places not filled would be completed by students from public schools.

    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 3 and sole paragraph. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Art. 3º Em cada instituição federal de ensino superior, as vagas de que trata o art. 1º desta Lei serão preenchidas, por curso e turno, por autodeclarados pretos, pardos e indígenas, em proporção no mínimo igual à de pretos, pardos e indígenas na população da unidade da Federação onde está instalada a instituição, segundo o último censo do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE).”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 3, sole paragraph. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Parágrafo único. No caso de não preenchimento das vagas segundo os critérios estabelecidos no caput deste artigo, aquelas remanescentes deverão ser completadas por estudantes que tenham cursado integralmente o ensino médio em escolas públicas.”
  21. 21. Law No. 12,711/2012 extended the reservation to federal secondary-level technical education institutions: at least 50% of the places in each course, by shift, for students who completed all of elementary school in public schools, with the same rules on income and on the proportion of Black (pretos), mixed-race (pardos) and Indigenous students.

    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 4, caput. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Art. 4º As instituições federais de ensino técnico de nível médio reservarão, em cada concurso seletivo para ingresso em cada curso, por turno, no mínimo 50% (cinquenta por cento) de suas vagas para estudantes que cursaram integralmente o ensino fundamental em escolas públicas.”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 5, caput. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Art. 5º Em cada instituição federal de ensino técnico de nível médio, as vagas de que trata o art. 4º desta Lei serão preenchidas, por curso e turno, por autodeclarados pretos, pardos e indígenas, em proporção no mínimo igual à de pretos, pardos e indígenas na população da unidade da Federação onde está instalada a instituição, segundo o último censo do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE).”
  22. 22. Law No. 12,711/2012 determined that the Executive Branch would conduct, within 10 years of its publication, a review of the special access program, and that institutions would implement at least 25% of the reservation each year, with a maximum period of 4 years for full compliance.

    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 7. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Art. 7º O Poder Executivo promoverá, no prazo de 10 (dez) anos, a contar da publicação desta Lei, a revisão do programa especial para o acesso de estudantes pretos, pardos e indígenas, bem como daqueles que tenham cursado integralmente o ensino médio em escolas públicas, às instituições de educação superior.”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 8. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Art. 8º As instituições de que trata o art. 1º desta Lei deverão implementar, no mínimo, 25% (vinte e cinco por cento) da reserva de vagas prevista nesta Lei, a cada ano, e terão o prazo máximo de 4 (quatro) anos, a partir da data de sua publicação, para o cumprimento integral do disposto nesta Lei.”
  23. 23. In its original wording, Law No. 12,711/2012 assigned the monitoring and evaluation of the program to the Ministry of Education and the Special Secretariat for Policies to Promote Racial Equality of the Presidency of the Republic, with Funai being consulted.

    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, publicação original · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: art. 6. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Art. 6º O Ministério da Educação e a Secretaria Especial de Políticas de Promoção da Igualdade Racial, da Presidência da República, serão responsáveis pelo acompanhamento e avaliação do programa de que trata esta Lei, ouvida a Fundação Nacional do Índio (Funai).”
  24. 24. By Message No. 385 of August 29, 2012, the president vetoed art. 2 of the bill (PLC 180/2008, No. 73/99 in the Chamber of Deputies), which required public universities to select public school students based on the grade-point coefficient (Coeficiente de Rendimento) of high school, on the grounds that this criterion is not based on a standardized exam common to all candidates.

    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, veto (Mensagem nº 385, de 29 de agosto de 2012) · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: Message No. 385, vetoed provision. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “decidi vetar parcialmente, por contrariedade ao interesse público, o Projeto de Lei nº 180, de 2008 (nº 73/99 na Câmara dos Deputados)”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, veto (Mensagem nº 385, de 29 de agosto de 2012) · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: Message No. 385, art. 2 and reasons for the veto. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “"Art. 2º As universidades públicas deverão selecionar os alunos advindos do ensino médio em escolas públicas tendo como base o Coeficiente de Rendimento (CR), obtido por meio de média aritmética das notas ou menções obtidas no período, considerando- se o currículo comum a ser estabelecido pelo Ministério da Educação.”
    • Lei nº 12.711, de 29 de agosto de 2012, veto (Mensagem nº 385, de 29 de agosto de 2012) · Chamber of Deputies (Computerized Legislation) Official legal act
      Where: Message No. 385, reasons for the veto. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “"O Coeficiente de Rendimento, formado a partir das notas atribuídas ao longo do ensino médio, não constitui critério adequado para avaliar os estudantes, uma vez que não se baseia em exame padronizado comum a todos os candidatos e não segue parâmetros uniformes para a atribuição de nota."”
  25. 25. On August 9, 2023, the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies approved the substitute text to PL 5,384/2020 adopted by the rapporteur of the Committee on Human Rights, Minorities and Racial Equality, Deputy Dandara (PT-MG), and the matter went to the Federal Senate (PL 5,384-B/2020).

    • PL 5384/2020, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: legislative progress, Board of Directors, detachment. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “decorrente da aprovação em Plenário do Substitutivo ao Projeto de Lei nº 5.384, de 2020, adotado pela Relatora da Comissão de Direitos Humanos, Minorias e Igualdade Racial (Sessão Deliberativa Extraordinária de 9/8/2023 - 13h55 - 134ª Sessão).”
    • PL 5384/2020, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: legislative progress, Plenary, final wording. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Aprovada a Redação Final assinada pela Relatora, Dep. Dandara (PT-MG). Inteiro teor A Matéria vai ao Senado Federal (PL 5.384-B/2020).”
  26. 26. According to Inep (news item of November 20, 2023 reproduced by Agência Gov), admissions to federal higher education through affirmative action rose from 40,661 in 2012 to 108,616 in the 2022 Higher Education Census, an increase of 167% in ten years (annual flow of new students; the same student may have more than one form of admission or reservation program).

    • Ingresso por cotas aumentou 167% nas universidades · Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (Inep), via Agência Gov (EBC) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 25, 2025); original address: agenciagov.ebc.com.br. Original page deactivated in October 2026 'in compliance with the electoral legislation in force'; the Internet Archive copy was used. The text gives as its origin the Inep news item at gov.br/inep. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (Inep), via Agência Gov (EBC).
      Where: paragraph 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “O número de ingressos na educação superior federal por meio de ações afirmativas aumentou 167% em dez anos. O salto se deve, em sua maior parte, à Lei de Cotas promulgada em 2012. Naquele ano, 40.661 alunos ingressaram em cursos de graduação em virtude de políticas dessa natureza. Já o Censo da Educação Superior 2022, realizado pelo Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep), revela que 108.616 estudantes usufruíram das cotas somente no último ano”
    • Ingresso por cotas aumentou 167% nas universidades · Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (Inep), via Agência Gov (EBC) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 25, 2025); original address: agenciagov.ebc.com.br. Original page deactivated in October 2026 'in compliance with the electoral legislation in force'; the Internet Archive copy was used. The text gives as its origin the Inep news item at gov.br/inep. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (Inep), via Agência Gov (EBC).
      Where: paragraph 3 and date. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Cabe pontuar que um mesmo aluno pode ter mais de um tipo de forma de ingresso ou programa de reserva, caso se enquadre em mais de um critério.”
    • Ingresso por cotas aumentou 167% nas universidades · Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (Inep), via Agência Gov (EBC) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 25, 2025); original address: agenciagov.ebc.com.br. Original page deactivated in October 2026 'in compliance with the electoral legislation in force'; the Internet Archive copy was used. The text gives as its origin the Inep news item at gov.br/inep. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (Inep), via Agência Gov (EBC).
      Where: date and source link. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “20/11/2023 13:19”
  27. 27. According to the TCU (news item of November 3, 2022 on case TC 004.907/2022-1, session of October 26, 2022), there were no systematic annual reports on the evaluation of the implementation of the reserved places or reports with consolidated data from 2017 to 2022, and the MEC had no data on quota students served by Pnaes or by the Bolsa Permanência, nor a survey of quota students who dropped out of their courses; the Court assessed that this lack of data would hinder the review of the policy.

  28. 28. The record of Law No. 12,711/2012 in the Chamber of Deputies' Computerized Legislation database carries the note "See ADI No. 7,561/2023."

  29. 29. According to Ipea (2012), affirmative action programs were developed autonomously by dozens of public educational institutions; a survey by GEMAA/UERJ of universities (Feres Júnior, Daflon and Campos, 2010) indicated that 71% of them had some type of affirmative action and 57% of these adopted a racial criterion.

    • Igualdade racial. Políticas Sociais: acompanhamento e análise n. 20 (2012) · Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea) Academic study
      Where: p. 20 of the PDF, section on education. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Nesse contexto, os programas de ação afirmativa desenvolvidos de forma autônoma por dezenas de instituições públicas de ensino são emblemáticos. Segundo levantamento do Grupo de Estudos Multidisciplinares da Ação Afir­ mativa da Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), realizado apenas em universidades,50 71% delas desenvolvem algum tipo de ação afirmativa e 57% destas adotam critério racial (FERES JÚNIOR, DAFLON e CAMPOS, 2010).”
  30. 30. On June 23, 2004, the Board of the Chamber of Deputies granted REQ 1910/2004, which detached PL 73/1999 from PL 1643/1999 and attached PL 3627/2004 to it.

    • PL 73/1999, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: legislative progress, June 23, 2004. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “23/06/2004 Mesa Diretora ( MESA ) Deferido o REQ 1910/2004 solicitando a desapensação do PL 73/1999 do PL 1643/1999 e a apensação do PL 3627/2004 ao PL 73/1999.”
  31. 31. On September 21, 2005, the Education and Culture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved the report of the rapporteur, Deputy Carlos Abicalil (PT-MT), recommending approval of PL 73/1999 and of the attached PLs 615/03, 1,313/03 and 3627/04, with a substitute text.

    • PL 73/1999, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: legislative progress, September 21, 2005. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “21/09/2005 Comissão de Educação e de Cultura ( CEC ) - 10:00 Reunião Deliberativa Ordinária Aprovado por Unanimidade o Parecer do Relator, deputado Carlos Abicalil, com Complementação de Voto, pela aprovação deste, da Emenda ao Substitutivo nº 1 - CEDC, dos PL's 615/03, 1.313/03 e 3627/04, apensados, com substitutivo.”
    • PL 73/1999, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: legislative progress, August 11, 2005. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Parecer do Relator, Dep. Carlos Abicalil (PT-MT), pela aprovação deste, do PL 615/2003, do PL 1313/2003, e do PL 3627/2004, apensados, com substitutivo.”
  32. 32. On November 20, 2008, the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies approved the substitute text of the Education and Culture Committee to PL 73/1999, with the attached bills, among them PL 3,627/04, being rendered moot, and the matter went to the Federal Senate as PL 73-C/99.

    • PL 73/1999, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: legislative progress, November 20, 2008 (Plenary). Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “20/11/2008 Plenário ( PLEN ) Discussão em turno único (Sessão Extraordinária - 9:00).”
    • PL 73/1999, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: legislative progress, November 20, 2008 (Plenary). Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Aprovado o Substitutivo adotado pela Comissão de Educação e Cultura. Inteiro teor Em conseqüência ficam prejudicadas a proposição inicial, os Projetos de Lei de nºs. 73/99, 373/03, 615/03, 1.313/03, 2.923/04, 3.627/04, 14/07, 1.330/07 e 1.736/07, apensados, e as emendas apresentadas ao Projeto de Lei nº 3.627/04, apensado.”
    • PL 73/1999, ficha de tramitação · Chamber of Deputies Official record
      Where: legislative progress, November 20, 2008 (Plenary). Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “A Matéria vai ao Senado Federal (PL 73-C/99). DCD 21 11 08 PAG 52943 COL 02.”
  33. 33. In the Federal Senate, the bill proceeded as PLC 180/2008 and was approved by the Plenary on August 7, 2012, with a vote against by Senator Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, and sent for presidential approval.

    • PLC 180/2008, página da matéria · Federal Senate Official record
      Where: legislative progress, August 7, 2012. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “07/08/2012 SF-ATA-PLEN - SUBSECRETARIA DE ATA - PLENÁRIO × Apreciação do PLC 180/2008 Situação: APROVADA Ação: Discussão encerrada, após usarem da palavra os Senadores Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, Ana Rita, Paulo Paim e Pedro Taques. Aprovado o projeto, ressalvadas as emendas, com o voto contrário do Senador Aloysio Nunes Ferreira.”

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