In the last decade, access to higher education through dimension system became popular in Brazil. First, black students and students from public schools benefited. Now, a number of universities have instituted the reservation of places for trans and transvestite people.
The trend, which began in 2018, aims to reduce the exclusion of these populations in education and the job market. According to Second (National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals), only 0.3% of trans people in Brazil can access .
Discover public institutions that approved quotas for trans people in undergraduate studies:
UFSB (Federal University of Southern Bahia)
A pioneer in the creation of affirmative policies, UFSB established undergraduate access quotas for transsexuals, transvestites and transgender people in 2018.
Since then, the university has not only maintained the policy but also improved it, developing stay grants for this portion of the population through PROAF (Dean of Affirmative Actions), which administers the APPT (Permanence Allowance – Trans People).
UFBA (Federal University of Bahia)
The following year, in 2019, UFBA started to reserve places in undergraduate courses for trans people and other focus groups of the quota policy. The vacancies, which can be accessed through the university’s own notice, are additional to those offered by .
UFABC (Federal University of ABC)
Since 2019, UFABC is another federal institution that offers a number of places reserved for transgender people. The university, founded in 2005, was the first to adopt this policy in the state of São Paulo.
FURG (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul)
Since 2022, FURG has an exclusive selection process for trans candidates. You must have studied fully in public schools or have been on scholarship at private schools.
UFLA (Federal University of Lavras)
In 2023, UFLA became the first institution in Minas Gerais to implement the measure.
This is an additional place in each undergraduate course on the Lavras and São Sebastião do Paraíso campuses. To compete, candidates must have completed high school in public schools, participate in and register in a specific notice, in addition to declaring themselves as a trans person at the time of registration.
UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina
Also in 2023, UFSC approved one, which extends from basic education to postgraduate.
The measure includes reservations for undergraduate, postgraduate and public competitions, as well as priority access to student assistance notices.
The policy also includes the combating transphobiaeducational campaigns, affirmative actions and infrastructure adjustments. Although other universities already have similar policies, UFSC’s stands out for its comprehensiveness.
UFSM (Federal University of Santa Maria)
UFSM annually opens registrations for the selection process for trans people, with 120 places in 77 in-person undergraduate courses.
Candidates who took any complete edition of Enem between 2020 and 2024 can participate. If they participated in more than one edition, the highest score will automatically be considered.
Unifesp (Federal University of São Paulo)
In September 2024, undergraduate courses and postgraduate programs. The measure will be applied to entrance exams in the coming years.
To validate registrations, candidates will also go through a self-declaration validation procedure. According to the approved resolution, 2% of the places offered in the selection process for each course and shift will be reserved for .
For the reservation of postgraduate places, 30% of the places will be allocated to affirmative actions, with 50% of the places going to black and quilombola people and the other 50% to people with disabilities and trans people.
UFF (Fluminense Federal University)
UFF became the higher education institution in Rio de Janeiro to implement quotas for trans people in undergraduate courses. The policy was approved in September 2024 and will come into force in 2025.
The measure also allocates 2% of places on undergraduate courses, benefiting more than 300 students annually. The university promises support for the stay and reception of students.
The decision is the result of dialogues between groups of trans students and the UFF management, marking an advance in student protagonism. In postgraduate studies, the policy expands quotas, requiring at least one place for trans students in all master’s and doctoral programs.
UnB (University of Brasilia)
In a recent change, UnB approved, in October, trans – which, in the university’s definition, includes transvestites, trans women, trans men, transmasculines and non-binary people. In total, 2% of vacancies are allocated to this population.
Admission, according to UnB, will be done through the entrance exam in August 2025, for entry into courses starting in 2026.
