Should Brazilian public universities charge tuition fees?

Brazil’s public higher education model is littered with issues. First, it is elitist: 40 percent of the students come from the wealthiest 20 percent of the population. It also doesn’t offer enough vacancies, with private universities making up 76 percent of all enrollments. And, finally, it’s expensive, consuming around 1 percent of the annual GDP, more than in countries such as the U.S. and Israel.

Even though public university students do not pay tuition fees and there are affirmative action mechanisms in place to offer places to black and low-income students, studying at one of these schools remains a distant dream for most Brazilians. 

Only 21 percent of people aged 34 and younger have a university degree in the country. That is lower than neighbors Argentina, Chile, and Colombia, which boast rates of 40, 34, and 30 percent, respectively. 

The average among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) — a group Brazil hopes to enter — is 44 percent.

For years, scholars and researchers have been racking their brains in search of a solution. And one of them set the public debate alight last week, dominating social media and drawing the attention of celebrities.

Make ’em pay

For the military personnel close to far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, the solution would be to start charging wealthy students for tuition fees. A bill to this end, signed by congressman and retired Army general Sebastião Peternelli, was put on the agenda of the House’s Constitution and Justice Committee.

Mr. Peternelli was elected on a platform that had nothing to do with higher education. His main campaign promises involved reducing the cost...