Funding efficiency in Brazilian federal higher education institutions 1995-2009

Abstract

In a date range from 1995 to 2002, the Brazilian government focused its policy in searching a more efficient use of Federal Universities Resources. In a date range from 2003 to 2009, it prioritized the democratization of access to higher education, through affirmative policies, scholarship offer in private institutions (PROUNI) and expansion of Federal Universities. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of 52 Higher Education Federal Institutions (HEFI), in a date range from 1995 to 2009, in response to the different trajectory of funding over two governments with different strategies to meet the increase demand for higher education. The evaluation was made up using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The results show that the period analyzed alternated years of proven efficiency and inefficiency and that this efficiency was being achieved gradually.