Stipendium Hungaricum

What it is

Stipendium Hungaricum is the Hungarian Government's scholarship for international students, coordinated by the Tempus Public Foundation. It runs through bilateral agreements: each partner country has a "sending partner" (usually a ministry, a higher education body or the Hungarian embassy) that nominates applicants. It covers bachelor's, master's, one-tier master's, doctoral and some non-degree programmes, many of them taught in English.

What it covers

From the official programme page:

• Tuition: full exemption from tuition fees.
• Monthly stipend: HUF 43,700 (about EUR 110) for bachelor's and master's students; HUF 140,000 (about EUR 355) for the first four semesters of a PhD and HUF 180,000 (about EUR 460) for the second four.
• Accommodation: a free dormitory place or HUF 40,000 (about EUR 100) a month towards rent.
• Medical insurance: Hungarian state health care plus supplementary insurance of up to HUF 65,000 a year.

Be honest with yourself about the money. The programme says plainly that these provisions are a contribution to living costs, not the full cost, and that students need their own funds too, especially in Budapest. Budget for that before you apply.

Can you apply from Pakistan or India?

Yes, both are sending partners, with different rules:

• Pakistan: the sending partner is the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Computer Science and Information Technology is listed for bachelor's and master's, and doctoral study is open in any field. You must apply on both the Stipendium Hungaricum portal and HEC's scholarship portal, and register for HEC's written test, because HEC nominates on the basis of that test.
• India: the sending partner is the University Grants Commission (UGC). Bachelor's, master's and doctoral study is offered "primarily" in natural and life sciences, information technology, economics, business and management, and engineering. One-tier master's is not available.

The partner list is updated each year, so confirm your country's entry before you start.

How selection works

1. Apply online to up to two study programmes on the Tempus application system, and separately to your sending partner.
2. Nomination: sending partners nominate their best applicants, in the last cycle by the end of February. Only nominated applicants go further.
3. University entrance exams or interviews, held between mid-March and the end of May. You need at least 56 out of 100 to stay in the running.
4. Final results from Tempus Public Foundation, last time by the end of June or start of July.

Typical timeline

For the 2026/27 intake, the call opened in late 2025 and the application deadline was 15 January 2026, 2 pm CET. There is only one deadline a year and late applications are not accepted. The exact dates change every year, and HEC or UGC may add their own steps, so check the official call and your sending partner's page.

What makes a strong CS application

• Pick two programmes that genuinely match your degree. The official guidance stresses that your choices should be relevant to your field.
• Prepare for the university entrance exam. Each university sets its own, so ask the programme what it covers. For computer science, revising discrete maths, data structures and the basics of your intended specialism is a sensible start.
• Write a focused motivation letter that ties a project you built to the programme's modules and to what you want to do afterwards.
• For Pakistanis, treat the HEC test as the real first gate. A strong portfolio does not help if you do not get nominated.

Common mistakes

• Applying only on the Hungarian portal and forgetting the HEC or UGC application.
• Assuming the stipend covers rent and food in Budapest.
• Leaving documents to the last day; the portal deadline is strict.
• Choosing a programme for the city rather than the content, then struggling in the entrance interview.

Where to go next on Sefism

• Build your application calendar with the Masters and scholarships abroad roadmap and the cheat sheet.
• Compare with other European options in the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Catalogue and the DAAD Scholarship Database.
• If your programme asks for English proof, see IELTS or the Duolingo English Test, and check which one the university accepts.
• Not sure going abroad is right for you yet? Read Everyone is going abroad. Should I?