What does the new regulatory framework, Educação a Distância (EaD), mean for higher education in Brazil

On May 19, 2025, the Brazilian government enacted a decree establishing a new policy for distance education. Its primary objectives center on quality assurance, expanded accessibility, and standardized oversight of online learning programs. Educational institutions must now meet specific requirements for content delivery, student support services, and infrastructure.

Brazil’s new regulatory framework for distance education (EaD) marks a significant shift in how higher education institutions deliver online learning. This comprehensive transformation focuses on enhancing accessibility while maintaining educational quality across digital platforms. The framework introduces stricter standards for content delivery, student support, and technological infrastructure.

It is worth remembering that distance education in Brazil has grown in recent years and today represents almost 50% of all higher education enrollments. In a recent interview with the newspaper Valor Economico, Claudia Costin, former global education director at the World Bank said:

“I believe the measures are positive, even if overdue. Distance learning is certainly a way to expand access to higher education—this has been the case in other countries—but it must be quality education. There’s no point in reaching remote areas if the education offered is poor.”

The 15th edition of the Higher Education Map in Brazil was published by the Semesp Institute, they identified a high dropout rate among higher education students. The indicator points to a dropout rate in distance learning courses above 50%.

While this could be explained by different reasons, it’s important to note that the way in which a student learns and is encouraged to continue engaging in studies has a direct impact on these indicators, including dropout rates or demotivation, both of which ultimately result in low academic performance.

Key Provisions

Under the new framework, certain professional courses maintain mandatory in-person components, including medicine, law, dentistry, nursing, and psychology. These programs can no longer be offered entirely online. Other health-related degrees will require a minimum of 30% in-person classes.

The changes will also affect hybrid and in-person learning, reshaping the entire sector. Institutions will have two years to comply.

How will students benefit?

The new higher education (Ead) regulatory framework will require higher education institutions to invest in better infrastructure and enhance the overall learning experience. This change represents a valuable opportunity to improve access and quality of education for all students, including those with diverse learning needs.

While prioritizing campus quality, accessibility, and inclusion, institutions will also be encouraged to adopt learning models that allow students to engage with educational content in formats that best suit them, whether visual, auditory, or interactive.

In particular, students with neurodivergent profiles stand to gain significantly. Enhanced support systems, such as assistive technologies and personalized learning tools, will help address different cognitive styles and learning preferences. A focus on accessibility in the regulatory framework fosters a more inclusive academic environment, where every student has the tools and opportunities to succeed.

Next Steps

If your institution is exploring how to adapt to the new framework, our text-to-speech tools may help you comply with the EaD requirements. ReadSpeaker’s TTS tools integrate seamlessly into your LMS, assessment platform, or other digital learning environment.

ReadSpeaker provides natural, lifelike AI voices that audio-enable any and all text – plus a suite of reading and writing tools, including text resizing and font adjustments.

If you want to embrace the move towards EaD framework compliance, ReadSpeaker TTS can be an important part of your strategy and we’d be happy to discuss your needs and even demo your content. Contact us today.