Federal Court prohibits charging diploma fees

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Fees for issuing diplomas and documents such as transcripts and certificates are already included in the monthly fees paid by students. This was what the Federal Court understood when determining that Sociedade Civil Ateneu Brasil, sponsor of Faculdades Associadas de São Paulo (Fasp), stop charging fees for issuing documents, including course completion certificates and diplomas. According to judge Rosana Ferri Vidor, who analyzed the case, the fees charged for issuing these documents are additional amounts. Furthermore, with the advent of the “electronic age”, issuing these documents does not involve any additional expenses, as the information is already available. In case of non-compliance with the decision, Fasp must pay a daily fine, which will be set by the judge later.

The case The action was filed by the Federal Public New Zealand Mobile Number Ministry. The body ordered Fasp to inform whether it charged students any kind of fee for issuing academic documents. The institution confirmed the charge. In August, the MPF filed a public civil action, requesting an injunction, so that the fees could be eliminated and also for the students to be compensated, receiving double the amounts unduly charged. The body also requested that the Union be obliged to supervise the higher education institution, demanding compliance with general national education standards. “The charging of these fees is abusive and is in complete disagreement with current legislation on the matter”, explains public prosecutor Sérgio Gardenghi Suiama, author of the action.



The Consumer Code guarantees the right to free information and that the services mentioned in the action are part of the provision of educational services. “According to the above, the issuance of a diploma is nothing more than a natural consequence of the completion of the course, and therefore, it is inexorably integrated into the amounts charged for the provision of the teaching service, covered by monthly fees, which also include other documents” , concluded the prosecutor. In Ceará In October 2010, the 4th Panel of the Federal Regional Court of the 5th Region also determined the end of charges for providing a diploma or certificate of course completion. The decision followed the Public Civil Action filed, in 2007, by the OAB of Ceará, through the Consumer Protection Commission.