The study investigates the distance learning as the setting for academic development and innovation in higher education. Analyzes the process of creating, implementing and institutionalizing the Open University of Brazil in Brazilian public universities. The UAB is a Brazilian political expansion of higher education: objectives, goals, training activities and scope. The methodology involved a case study of the impact of public policy on distance learning at the Federal University of Alagoas, offering institution of undergraduate, postgraduate and perfecting the distance of UAB. Bibliographic documentary also involved in the creation of the UAB documents, reports, courses and scholarships UFAL and data collection through interviews and questionnaires with electronic engineers, teachers and tutors to analyze indicators of educational, socio-economic and educational: courses offered and supply, number of students entering / enrolled; evolution of supply in undergraduate, graduate and improvement; economic impacts of the scholarship system, number of courses offered, number of courses / academic units involved; impacts of shares of EAD in classroom learning. The results show indicators of distance learning in the context of UAB in Alagoas, offering subsidies for analysis of indicators of impacts academic, educational and socioeconomic.