Public Educational Policies in Distance Higher Education: a Systematic Literature Review

This study aims to understand what has been discussed about public educational policies in Brazilian higher education and its interface with distance education (DE). This is a Systematic Review of the Literature using the PRISMA protocol, with an excerpt from national studies published between the years 2013 and 2023. The articles were identified through searches in the following electronic databases: Web of Science, Scielo, Periódico Capes and Spell. The results highlight the importance of distance education to expand access to higher education in the face of socioeconomic and geographical challenges, such as lack of adequate regulation, insufficient funding and growing influence of the private sector in this type of education. In addition, the Open University of Brazil stands out as a significant milestone in distance education. It is concluded that despite the advances, obstacles persist that demand improvement of public policies to ensure equitable access, quality and democratization of distance higher education in Brazil.