EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON FORMER STUDENTS OF FACE-TO-FACE UNDERGRADUATE COURSES: CASE STUDY IN A PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

Abstract

This study brings to light the results from research carried out at a private Higher Education Institution (HEI) with former students of five face-to-face undergraduate courses in southeastern Brazil. The research used a theoretical framework on evasion and Human Capital Theory (HCT), relating the concepts to the Covid-19 pandemic, reported as more unfavorable to young people, women, withdrawn students, black people and low-income people by the 2020-2021 literature. This article was a descriptive and explanatory case study with documentary research and questionnaires. The results of the study show that withdrawn students underwent more damage than former graduated students. Women were more affected than men, and self-declared black participants had a three times higher percentage of layoffs than white ones. Considering values reported on a Likert scale at this study, most respondents reported psychological problems and change of jobs. Among the five analyzed courses, medical students were the ones who reported the highest increase in their workload, limited free time, and lack of study time, and the majority did not start a postgraduate course. Women also reported more physical and psychological problems, intensified tiredness while working remotely, and less free time than men. Race-wise, it is striking that fewer self-declared black people reported increased working hours. People with incomes between ten and twenty salaries had less time to study and less free time. Former students earning more than ten minimum wages had a greater increase in working hours, and those earning up to two wages reported many psychological problems and most job changes.