Hungary 2016/17 - grants and loans

Student grants

Need-based grants are paid for 10 months/year. Only full-time state-funded students are eligible. For students with one living parent and those under legal guardianship until the age of 18, the grant is for HUF 119 000/academic year. For multiple disadvantaged students, orphans, students supporting dependents or those from a large family, it is HUF 238 000/academic year. Disadvantaged students can also apply for the Bursa Hungarica scholarship jointly financed by municipalities and higher education institutions with an average value of HUF 25 427. Both fee paying and state subsidised students are eligible. In the autumn semester of the 2015/16 academic year, 6.4 % of all 1st and 2nd cycle students received this scholarship. One-off initial and emergency grants are also available.

Merit-based grants are available to full-time state-funded students, and a maximum of 50 % can receive this support. The minimum amount is HUF 59 500/academic year. Another merit based 'Scholarship of the Hungarian Republic' is granted to a maximum 0.8 % of state-funded students with a value of HUF 340 000/academic year.

Loans

Two government-subsidised loans are available. The first, with a maximum duration of five years (longer for subjects such as medicine), is for both state-funded and fee-paying students, and has a maximum amount of HUF 50 000/month (HUF 60 000 for certain categories of disadvantaged student) for a period of 10 months/year. 9 % of students took this loan in 2015/16. The second loan (Loan 2) can only be spent on fees. 18 % of eligible students took this loan in 2015/16. Fee-paying students can take out both loans simultaneously. Loan repayment must start four months after the end of student status, and by the age of 40, with repayment linked to personal income.