6 Well-Known International Scholarships in Hungary

Hungary provides high quality education in the heart of Europe. Today, there is a growing demand of international students to study in Hungary. Besides the quality of education and degrees recognized throughout Europe and beyond, students are attracted by the affordable living costs with an extremely favorable cost-to-value ratio, a safe and friendly living environment with convenient public transportation, the central location of the country in Europe and the unspoiled natural beauties combined with a 2000 year-old, rich Hungarian history and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Any of you who are interested to study in this amazing country can do it with the help of international scholarships in Hungary. These scholarships can help you cover tuition fees, living costs, travel expenses, and/or other needs during your study in Hungary. Below is a list of overviews of international scholarships in Hungary that you may be eligible to apply for.

1. Stipendium Hungaricum: A scholarship program based on bilateral educational cooperation agreements signed between the Ministries responsible for education in the sending countries / territories and Hungary or between institutions. Currently around 70 Sending Partners are engaged in the program throughout five different continents. Stipendium Hungaricum scholarships are available for bachelor, master, one-tier master, doctoral and non-degree (preparatory and specialization courses) programs. The scholarships are available for the following study mode:

• • Degree programs:
    • Bachelor programs: 2-4 years for a full-time study mode, and 1 or 2 semesters for a partial (exchange) study mode
    • Master programs: 1,5-2 years for a full-time study mode, and 1 or 2 semesters for a partial (exchange) study mode
    • One-tier master programs: 5-6 years for a full-time study mode, and 1 or 2 semesters for a partial (exchange) study mode
    • Doctoral programs: 2+2 years for a full-time study mode, and 1 or 2 semesters for a partial (exchange) study mode
  • Non-degree programs:
    • Preparatory course in Hungarian language: 1 year in full-time study mode
    • Specialization courses: Up to 1 year in full-time study mode

The provisions covered by the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship are:

• • Tuition-free education: Exemption from the payment of tuition fee
  • Monthly stipend:
    • Non-degree, bachelor, master and one-tier master level: Monthly amount of HUF 40,460 (cca EUR 130) contribution to the living expenses in Hungary, for 12 months a year, until the completion of studies.
    • Doctoral level: According to the current Hungarian legislation, the monthly amount of scholarship is HUF 140,000 (cca EUR 450) for the first phase of education (4 semesters) and HUF 180,000 (cca EUR 580) for the second phase (4 semesters) – for 12 months a year, until completion of studies.
  • Accommodation contribution
    • Free dormitory place or a contribution of HUF 40,000 per month to accommodation costs for the whole duration of the scholarship period.
    • Please note that if the student does not live in the dormitory, then the HUF 40,000 per month is a contribution to that rental costs, and in bigger cities – especially in the capital city – this contribution would not cover the full amount of rental costs.
  • Medical insurance: Health care services according to the relevant Hungarian legislation (Act No. 80 of 1997, national health insurance card) and supplementary medical insurance for up to HUF 65,000 (cca EUR 205) a year per person.

2. Bilateral State Scholarships: A scholarship program based on scientific and educational cooperation agreements signed by the governments of two countries. Similarly to the foreign partner, the Hungarian side offers scholarships for foreign students, researchers and lecturers in higher education institutions or in scientific or art institutions. Each foreign partner has a national scholarship office which is responsible for nominating potential outgoing scholars to foreign partner(s), as well as arranging their and the potential incoming foreign applicants’ application process. In Hungary, the national scholarship office is Tempus Public Foundation, a background organization of the Hungarian Ministry of National Resources (EMMI). Bilateral State Scholarships can be applied for in two ways:

• • Being nominated by the home country: Applicants first submit their applications to their national scholarship office, as required by the office. The scholars also need to submit an application into Tempus Public Foundation’s online system. Tempus Public Foundation receives its foreign partner office’s list of nominated scholars.
  • Submitting an individual application: If not being nominated by the home country, applicants simply need to submit their applications into Tempus Public Foundation’s online system.

The available Bilateral State Scholarship types are:

• • Bachelor or master or doctoral: semester / partial studies (3-10 months)
  • Full degree bachelor or master or doctoral studies (36/24/36 months respectively)
  • Short or long-term research (3 days-10 months)
  • Summer courses (2-4 weeks)

Accepted applicants are entitled to participate in courses free of charge, as well as to receive a stipend. The stipend may be completed by a supplement, an accommodation contribution, etc. all depending on the type of scholarship. The stipend is paid either by the receiving institution, by Tempus Public Foundation, or by the sending country, also depending on the type of scholarship.

3. Scholarship for Christian Young People: Offered to provide the possibility of studying in Hungary for young Christian students living in the crisis regions of the world and/or being threatened in their country because of their faith. After completing their studies, the scholarship holders will return to help their home community with their gained knowledge, and they will participate in the reconstruction of war-destroyed countries and contribute to improvement of social situation and preservation of culture of Christian communities. The Program is managed by the State Secretariat for the Aid of Persecuted Christians and Hungary Helps Program and organized by the Tempus Public Foundation. Scholarships are available for bachelor, master, one-tier master and doctoral programs – all in full-time study mode only. The scholarship for a full-time program covers the full calendar year and is provided until the completion of the studies in the last year. The monthly amount of the scholarship is HUF 128,520 per person for scholarship holders in bachelor and master programs. In doctoral programs it is HUF 140,000 per person in the first two years / cycle / the research-dissertation period. The scholarship holders are entitled to have HUF 200,000 as reimbursement of their travel costs once a year, which is transferred by the higher education institution shortly after their arrival. The visa administration and the extension of the residence permit is free of charge for scholarship holders (individuals who have the right to free movement and residence, as well as citizens of third countries who study in Hungary with a Hungarian government scholarship or with a regular study allowance from the minister responsible for education are exempt from paying administration service charges).

For the 2019/20 academic year, the scholarship is announced for the citizens of the following countries: Egypt, Lebanese Republic, Republic of Iraq, State of Israel, Palestine, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Republic of Kenya, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Nigeria. The applicants may not have Hungarian citizenship.

4. SZTE Start Scholarship at the University of Szeged: Awards for outstanding students who have been admitted to the University of Szeged. The scholarship is a 500 EUR contribution to the start of the students’ studies at the University in one installment. The extra documents required to support the SZTE Start Scholarship application are: page long letter explain why you applied for the scholarship, a CV, and a reference letter.
5. Corvinus University of Budapest – Campus Mundi Program: A program that provides financial support for partial studies and internships in Hungary. In case of partial studies, a student can apply for a partial study mobility during the main and second call for application launched by the faculties. In case of internships, from March 2019, Campus Mundi scholarship is available only for internships realies in a non-Erasmus+ country. Its precondition is submitting an internship application at Corvinus University of Budapest (CUB). The following are the documents needed for the application:

• • Application form
  • Letter of acceptance
  • Teacher’s reference and institutional approval
  • Motivation letter and study plan
  • Confirmation of professional and public voluntary activities
  • Confirmation of prominent study related scientific, artistic or sport activities
  • Confirmation of your studies at CUB
  • Confirmation of being entitled to receive supplementary social support

6. Visegrad Fund Grants: Provided funding to a diverse range of activities in all areas of life. From small cross-border projects that strive to improve mutual understanding in the border areas to multilateral initiatives with potential to benefit people across the whole region. The Program supports:

• • culture and common identity
  • education and capacity building
  • innovation, R&D, entrepreneurship
  • democratic values and media
  • public policy and institutional partnership
  • regional development, environment, tourism
  • social development

There are five basic criteria used to assess the quality of project proposals:

• • Project relevance
  • Visegrad substance
  • Quality and impact
  • Transparency and accuracy
  • Experience and mission

Visegrad Fund awards grants three times a year via three different grant programs:

• • Visegrad Grants: Supports regional partnerships among NGOs and civil society organizations, public institutions and municipalities, private companies and nonprofit organizations as well as education and research centers that contribute to cooperation in the Visegrad region.
  • Visegrad+ Grants: Supports projects which contribute to the democratization and transformation processes in selected countries and regions, especially non-EU member states in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries.
  • Strategic Grants: Supports project addressing annual strategic priorities of the Visegrad Group. Strategic priorities are announced annually by the V4 country holding the rotating presidency over the group.

Specific conditions apply for each of the three grant programs. There are three regular calls for applications open 30 days before the deadlines of submission on February 1, June 1, and October 1.