Alfabetização financeira na graduação: desigualdades raciais e socioeconômicas entre cotistas da UFG

Abstract

This study analyzed the level of financial literacy among students at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), with emphasis on ethnic-racial and socioeconomic disparities between quota students (black, indigenous and quilombolas) and non-quota students. Starting from the context of affirmative action policies, which have expanded access to higher education, the research investigated how historical factors of economic and educational exclusion impact the knowledge and financial behavior of these groups. The methodology combined quantitative approaches (questionnaires adapted from Potrich et al., 2016) and qualitative approaches, applied to a stratified sample of 122 students, to assess variables such as income, type of pre-university school, access to financial services, and consumption habits. Contrary to previous studies, such as those by Potrich et al. (2013) and Lusardi and Mitchell (2014), which suggest significant differences in the level of financial literacy between ethnic and socioeconomic groups, the results of this research did not confirm such disparities in a statistically significant way. The average financial literacy among the respondents was 3.51 on a 5-point scale, indicating moderate knowledge, but without marked differences between quota and non-quota students when controlling for variables such as family income and age. Regression analysis showed that ethnicity explained only 1.35% of the variation in financial literacy (R2 = 0.0135; p = 0.8262), while family income had an even smaller impact (R2 = 0.00076; p = 0.763). Similarly, educational background (public or private) was not a relevant predictor (R2 = 0.0046; p = 0.4599). These results contradict the initial hypothesis (H1) that quota students would have lower levels of financial literacy due to historical factors of exclusion. The university experience (H4) may have acted as an equalizing factor, reducing pre-existing asymmetries. However, it was observed that inappropriate financial practices, such as the irregular use of credit cards and lack of planning, persist regardless of race or income, reinforcing the need for institutional policies that integrate. financial education with academic training.