Nest egg: registration, pros and cons

Requirements to participate in the Pé-de-Meia Program

When we talk about the advantages and difficulties of the Pé-de-Meia Program, we cannot fail to mention the requirements that a student must meet to be eligible for the benefit.

In addition to being a low-income student enrolled in public high school and having a CPF, to receive financial incentives the young person must: have at least 80% of school attendance; present successful completion of the school year; participate in mandatory exams; be between 14 and 24 years old and be from families registered in the Single Registry for Social Programs of the Federal Government (CadÚnico).

Students in the EJA modality between 19 and 24 years old can be included in the Pé-de-Meia Program under the condition of participating in the National Exam for Certification of Skills for Young People and Adults (Encceja).

Requirements

• Incentives to stay in school: If the lack of money to travel, buy materials and even eat outside of school or the need to work to earn some income are impediments for the student to stay in school and complete their studies, the money made available by the government can help solve the problem and make it possible for the student to finish high school.

• Perspective after finishing high school: One problem faced by low-income students after finishing high school is the lack of money until they get their first job. When they finish high school with the guarantee of R$3,000 in savings, they can have some extra peace of mind and even allocate this money to their professional future, using the amount to pay for a course and improve their resume, for example.

• Incentive to take the Enem: The National High School Exam, or Enem, is an exam for public and private universities throughout the country. When receiving a financial incentive to take the exam, low-income candidates can use the money to pay for their transportation to the exam location, which is especially necessary when they are assigned to a place far from their home, and even to buy some food so that they can replenish their energy during the exam.

Difficulties

• Not for everyone: Although it provides a good amount of financial support to encourage low-income students to complete their studies, the program does not cover all students who actually have low incomes, since it only provides support to students enrolled in public high school, while there may be low-income students who have scholarships at private schools, but also need financial assistance to stay in school and complete high school.

• Frequency and approval: Students who wish to benefit from this benefit need to be even more attentive and dedicated to school, since the Pé-de-Meia Program requires a minimum of 80% of school attendance, in addition to completing the school year with approval. Therefore, missing classes unnecessarily is not a good idea, as the student may run the risk of exceeding the percentage of absences tolerated by the program. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, since it is another way to encourage the student not to miss classes unless there is a real need.

• Value is paid gradually: Although the amount paid by the Pé-de-Meia Program may exceed R$9,000, the student who receives the benefit does not have access to all of this amount at once; the amount is paid gradually, as detailed above.

How much does the student receive through the Pé-de-Meia Program?

The amounts received by public school students who receive the benefit can reach R$$ 9.2 thousand. However, this total is not made available all at once. It works like this: the Pé-de-Meia Program provides an enrollment incentive in the amount of R$$ 200, which is paid in an annual installment; an attendance incentive of R$1.8 thousand per year, which is paid in nine installments (exceptionally, in 2024 eight installments will be deposited); a completion incentive, which includes R$1 thousand paid annually after the student passes each academic year of high school, totaling R$$ 3 thousand, which is retained and can only be withdrawn after the completion of the three years of high school; and the Enem incentive, corresponding to R$$ 200, paid in a single installment.

Step by step guide on how to access the Pé-de-Meia Program

1. Registration: First of all, it is important to know that it is not necessary to register for the Pé-de-Meia Program and that eligible students who are part of families that benefit from the Bolsa Família Program have priority in receiving incentives. In addition, it is enough to have a CPF, be enrolled in a public school until April 2024, attend high school, meet the other requirements provided, being a student eligible for the program, and that the student's data is correctly provided by the offering education systems.

2. MEC: At the beginning of each year, the Ministry of Education (MEC) will publish an ordinance with the criteria necessary to participate in the program.

3. Account at Caixa: Caixa is the institution responsible for opening an account, if applicable, and for making the benefit credit available to those indicated by the Ministry of Education. Therefore, if the student meets all the requirements to participate in the Program, the MEC will request that CAIXA open a CAIXA Tem account to receive the incentive credit. If the student already has a CAIXA Tem account, it will not be necessary to open a new account, as long as it is a Digital Social Savings or CAIXA Tem Savings account and is in the student's name.

4. Legal representative: For students under 18 years of age, the legal guardian must authorize account transactions through the Caixa Tem App by selecting the “Programa Pé-de-Meia” option and then “Allow access to a minor”, or at a Caixa branch. In the Caixa Tem App, if the legal guardian is the student's father, he or she will need to upload the student's ID. If the legal guardian is not the student's father or mother, the consent process must be carried out at a Caixa branch.

5. Channels through which the beneficiary can operate the account: Caixa Tem App, Caixa ATMs, Lottery Shops and Caixa Aqui Correspondents using digital withdrawals with tokens and account cards.

6. Consultation channels: To check the payment schedule, payment status, frequently asked questions, program rules and information about the account and amounts received, students can use channels such as: Caixa Tem App, Jornada do Estudante App, Caixa Citizen Portal, MEC Contact Us by calling 0800 616161.

To know more

Access the following link and be taken to the Pé-de-Meia Program page on the Caixa website, which provides a series of information and clarifies doubts about the benefit:

Access the website and sign up