The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship is a Hungarian government-based scholarship hosted by the Tempus Public Foundation. The government offers this scholarship in order to promote Hungarian culture and the education system globally.

I interviewed Md Sakib Khan, a Stipendium Hungaricum scholar who is currently pursuing his undergraduate studies at the University of Pécs. With dreams of studying in Canada but a lack of scholarship opportunities there, Sakib’s fate landed him in Hungary.

The first stop

According to Sakib, many European countries provide scholarships to students for undergraduate studies, and they should not just lock their dreams to the US or the UK. The Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship of Hungary covers full tuition fees and health insurance for a student. Besides, it provides 120 euros as living costs and an additional 100 euros as a contribution to accommodation.

However, before considering Hungary as a study destination, a student needs to keep in mind that Hungary, as a study destination, should only be for study purposes. You can’t settle here in the future as per its immigration law. You can work here, but job opportunities are not plentiful unless you know the language.

The application process

Sakib suggests, “Students should start preparing at least from September for Stipendium Hungaricum because IELTS and other document attestations take time.” He further states, “The application process is not that complex.

The application process usually requires candidates to submit their documents online through the official portal (apply.stipendiumhungaricum.hu) and in hard copy to the designated secretariat. After one and a half months, the Ministry of Education publishes the primary nomination, which is mandatory for this scholarship. After this, the Tempus Public Foundation reaches out to you online and arranges your entrance exam. In some universities, there is only an oral entrance exam, and in some universities there are both written and oral entrance exams. This also varies across different programmes.”

For Sakib, the most challenging part was writing the motivational letter. He states, “In 3,000–3,500 characters, I have to state the reason for my interest in the programme, my background and my future plan after completing the programme.”

Sakib suggests, “If you have an average academic profile in SSC and HSC and want to apply for a bachelor’s, I would recommend thinking twice before investing money here because it would be a waste of money if you are studying a programme here which you do not want to, or you do not have a further plan for in the future after completing that programme. One thing is true: compared to other European countries, the cost is cheaper here, but if you have plans to settle down, I do not think Hungary would be a good idea.”

A note to be taken here: academic results are very important to get the primary nomination from the Ministry. Additionally, when the Tempus Public Foundation evaluates the candidate for the scholarship, it also takes academic results into consideration.

Life in Hungary

“The teaching and learning environment is quite different from back home. You can reach out to the professor with any problem regarding your study. Although sometimes there is a bit of a language barrier, they are very dedicated and try to help you as much as possible.

Besides, the academic class schedule is really student-friendly,” says Sakib. He studied at North South University for three semesters prior to moving to Hungary, and he feels that he found the academic structure quite similar.

Culturally and socially, Hungary is a bittersweet experience for him. Sakib says, “Hungary is enriched, but coming from a South Asian country, there were definitely a lot of cultural shocks.

It’s tough to be more social unless you know the language, but there are a lot of English speakers among the younger generation. Specifically, at the University of Pécs, there are more than 10,000 international students and the city itself is very student-friendly.”

Final advice and reflections

When asked about the misconceptions students usually have about studying abroad, Sakib said, “You can cover your tuition fees and living costs by working part-time. This is a common misconception that most students have about studying in Hungary. Honestly, students cannot be blamed for this. Different agencies feed them this misconception, for which they fall into despair after coming here.”

Finally, Sakib ends the interview with a sweet piece of advice. “If you are considering Stipendium Hungaricum, don’t be unsure about taking the leap. Take it, grab it. You never know what kind of experience is waiting for you. It’s free of cost to apply, so what’s the loss? Best wishes to those who want to apply. If you need any assistance, you can reach out to me on LinkedIn.”

This article is written in partnership with Abroadmates, the all-in-one mentorship platform for study abroad.

To know more about the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship, book a session at https://www.abroadmates.com/md-sakib-khan