The foundation and purposes of the School Preference Subsidy (SEP) were analyzed as an inequality corrective, as applied to educationalinstitutions that receivebasic funding from the State, whether they are public or private. This subsidy supplements the contributions madeto educational institutions in other ways, adding resources for each"priority" student (from a low socioeconomic background) that is attended to, as well as for the proportion of students in thiscondition within the institution. Its purpose is to support establishments with the latest financial resources so that theyfulfill the terms of a "performance agreement" associated witheducational goals of diverse types. For some authors, this instrument implies a paradigm shift in relation to the previous financial instruments. For others, it is a modernization based on the same foundation. While a more modern intention is seen, in practice it takes on the role of a typicalmarket incentive. For that reason, it does not respond to an alternative paradigm. This dispute has relevant nuances and points of view, which are reviewed in the text.