Hungary has been of late become a happening destination for international students to pursue higher studies and do research in the field of their interest. The Hungarian government and a few other organizations have come up to support international students in their studies in Hungary or other countries through exchange programs.

Through this article, I will make you aware of the scholarships Hungary offers to international students, and you will also learn some crucial facts about each of them.

Let us first know what scholarships/ awards on offer for the international students are;

  1. Hungarian scholarship
  2. Hungarian Diaspora scholarship
  3. Bilateral state scholarship
  4. Erasmus+
  5. CEEPUS

Now let me write about each of them, and you will find it easy on your part to compare the aspects of different scholarships before you start preparing for application.

  1. Stipendium Hungaricum/Hungarian Scholarship

Introduction: The Hungarian government established this fully funded scholarship, and it has been operating since 2013. The program invites scholars from more than 85 countries worldwide to study and conduct research in Hungarian universities.

More in numbers:

  • 28 participating Hungarian institutions of higher education
  • More than 600 numbers of degree level programs are offered
  • More than 12,000 students are currently studying in Hungary under this scholarship

Assistance offered through Hungarian Scholarship:

  • Tuition fee waived.
  • The assistance of HUF 43,700 is provided for the living expenses of scholars in Bachelor’s and Master’s programs.
  • The assistance of HUF 140,000 and HUF 180,000 is provided towards the living expenses of scholars in Ph.D. programs for the first four and second four semesters, respectively.
  • HUF 40,000 is given towards the accommodation expenses.
  • Health care benefit is extended as per Hungarian legislation.

Eligibility:

  • Must be 18 years old by the cut-off date for the application

A high school diploma (10 +2 years of study) to get admission into a Bachelor’s degree and 

  • a Bachelor’s degree for a Master’s degree program.
  • Nomination by the sending partner (which usually is the ministry or the embassy sending the students).
  • Maximum age limit of 22 years for the Bachelor’s degree program and 35 years for the Master’s degree program. However, you may check the official guidelines on this.

Online application is invited from students for the scholarship, and here is the list of required documents given below;

Compulsory Documents:

· School certificates: Scanned copy of your original high school/bachelor/master’s degree certificate or equivalent. 

· Proof of Language Proficiency: Scanned copy of your original proof of language proficiency with minimum acceptance.

· Identification Document: Scanned copy of your valid National Identification Document or passport.

· Transcript of records: Scanned copy of your original Transcript of Records regarding all academic semesters or school years completed during previous 

· Mandatory Medical Certificate: Mandatory Medical Certificate in case your sending partner nominates you for the scholarship.

Additional Documents (for Doctoral scholars):

· Letter of Recommendation 

· Statement of the Supervisor 

· Research Proposal 

How does the selection work? 

Selection is based on evaluating your academic credentials and the supporting documents you have submitted with your application. Therefore, your performance in the interviews during the selection process plays an important part.

Official Website.

2.Hungarian Diaspora scholarship

The Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship allows you to develop personally and academically and familiarize yourself with the Hungarian history and culture, experience Hungarian traditions, and enhance your language skills.

More in numbers:

  • 28 participating Hungarian institutions of higher education
  • More than 1400 full-degree and non-degree programs are offered
  • More than 40,000 students are currently studying in Hungary under this scholarship

Assistance offered through Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship is almost the same as that provided by the Hungarian Scholarship.

Eligibility:

  • Must be 18 years old by the cut-off date for the application
  • No upper age limit to applying for this scholarship
  • The applicant is a citizen of one of the eligible countries.
  • A high school diploma (10 +2 years of study) to get admission into a Bachelor’s degree and a Bachelor degree for the Master’s degree program.

Online application is invited from students for the scholarship, and here is the list of required documents given below;

Basic Documents:

· Online application letter

· Motivation letter

· Letter of Recommendation from a diaspora organization

· School certificates 

· Proof of Language Proficiency

· Identification Document        

· Transcript of records 

· Mandatory Medical Certificate

· Acceptance statement for the online application system

 In addition to the above list, the other documents required will be more or less the same as the Hungarian scholarship. The time from the application’s opening to the merit list declaration is usually around seven months. Usually, you can expect the process to begin from January of a calendar year, and results get declared by July of the same year. If you are selected, it may take another month and a half for you to land in Hungary for the program.

Official Website

3.Bilateral state scholarship

Bilateral state scholarships are based on scientific and educational cooperation agreements between the two countries governments. It offers students to study for Bachelor’s degrees, Master’s degrees, and doctoral programs in Hungary. The scholarship includes a tuition fee waiver and a stipend to meet the scholars’ accommodation expenses and incidental expenses. In addition, health care services are offered as per the Hungarian government rules.

A scholar has two ways to apply for this scholarship;

  • Through partner (Home) country and,
  • Can submit an individual application

The deadline for application to the bilateral state scholarship usually ends in February/ March of a calendar year. Please keep a watch.

Official Website

4.Erasmus+

One of the most prominent scholarships offered by the European Union also lets you study in Hungary, as Hungary is a participating country in the program. Let us know more about the Erasmus+ program;

It is a fully funded scholarship covering the students’ academic, insurance, and travel expenses.

  • All paid tuition fees
  • Cost of insurance for the student
  • Contribution towards the travel expenses
  • Monthly incidental expenses
  • Global Exposure
  • Student exchange among universities

Who can apply for the scholarships?

  • A student with a bachelor’s degree can apply for the Master’s degree program.
  • Students with alternative degrees may also apply for the joint Master’s program.
  • Age and GPA is no barrier to using this program.

The total scholarship is 49,000 Euros for a two-year master’s degree program. Remember the application deadline for the 2023-24 Session is 31st December 2022.

What makes the Erasmus+ a difficult scholarship?

  • A large number of applicants with academic superiority
  • Diverse academic and cultural background
  • Quality of papers published or some notable work done.
  • Relevant work experience

Documents required:

The followings are the documents required to complete the application process;

How does the selection work?

The ranking is done for up to 100 points, subdivided into three parts. 

  • Academic competence carrying up to 40 points
  • Motivation letter up to 20 points
  • Relevant work experience & recommendation letter combined account for up to 40 points.

The final ranking is prepared by taking the total scores into account.

5.CEEPUS

The Central European Exchange Program for University Studies, started in 1995, is a student and teacher exchange program between 15 European countries.

Eligibility:

  • Must be a student of a university in a CEEPUS country
  • to be a citizen of a CEEPUS member state (Some exceptions are there)
  • Completed two semesters of a regular course.

Application Procedure:

Application is submitted online either through a CEEPUS network; or as a free mover.

Application deadline

  • 30 November of each year for Winter and Spring terms (second semester) only

Duration of mobility to host countries:

Undergraduate Students can be on exchange for a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 5 months.

Short Term Students can be on exchange for a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 2 months (Bachelor, Master, or Ph.D. level).

How much is the scholarship amount in Hungary?

  • CEEPUS scholarship holders get a tuition fee waiver from the host countries.
  • The students (Bachelor, Master, Ph.D.) are offered an assistance amount of HUF 170,000 per month
  • This total amount does not necessarily cover all living costs, traveling, and studying.

Official Website.

 

You can find full list of scholarships for international students here.