I don't know about the other countries, but the author has left out some important conditions about Brazil's universities. I checked on the two he listed to confirm, but most public universities in Brazil have similar rules.
They are tuition free for students who are accepted based on a standardized test given in Portuguese called the vestibular. This test, similar to the SAT in the US, is the entire basis of admission. Students choose a major, then take the vestibular. Public universities will have X slots available for each major. If T = the total amount of students taking the test who chose the same major, then you would be accepted if you scored better than (T-X) other students of your same major. The article seems to imply you don't need to know the native language to study there tuition free. In this case it's simply not true.
The other way an English speaker could be permitted to study at those universities is through an exchange program from a university where one is likely already paying a tuition. Even then, exchange students are only permitted to study for up to a year.
Last, the tuition may be free, but the dorm conditions in Brazilian universities that have them are pretty dismal to my knowledge. Most students live off campus, so room and board would likely still be a pretty big expense.
They are tuition free for students who are accepted based on a standardized test given in Portuguese called the vestibular. This test, similar to the SAT in the US, is the entire basis of admission. Students choose a major, then take the vestibular. Public universities will have X slots available for each major. If T = the total amount of students taking the test who chose the same major, then you would be accepted if you scored better than (T-X) other students of your same major. The article seems to imply you don't need to know the native language to study there tuition free. In this case it's simply not true.
The other way an English speaker could be permitted to study at those universities is through an exchange program from a university where one is likely already paying a tuition. Even then, exchange students are only permitted to study for up to a year.
Last, the tuition may be free, but the dorm conditions in Brazilian universities that have them are pretty dismal to my knowledge. Most students live off campus, so room and board would likely still be a pretty big expense.