University scholarships will increase by at least 50 percent in the spring semester, with schools deciding on the increase themselves based on student excellence criteria. There will be a similar increase in the fall, the Minister responsible for Culture and Innovation announced on Tuesday.
Minister Balázs Hankó said that the average increase will be 84 percent, and universities will decide for themselves how to allocate the money after consulting with student councils, based on academic, research, or even athletic achievements,
but in any case, based on some kind of extra performance or excellence.”
He explained that this does not mean new budgetary resources, as the money is already available to universities, given that the overall funding of Hungarian universities has increased two and a half times in recent years.
Autonomous universities will use this budget to implement the scholarship increase based on their own criteria,
he added.
The increase also applies to state, church, and foundation-maintained universities, he said. There are 350,000 students studying at these institutions, but not everyone will be affected by the increase, only those who meet the aforementioned criteria of excellence.
He added that
another step of similar magnitude is expected in the fall, based on their calculations, given that a new six-year long-term financing agreement will be signed with the universities.
There are currently 46-47 thousand dormitory places, with a 50 percent expansion planned by 2030, the minister stated.
He explained that there are 17,000 dormitory places in Budapest, “where the Student City will provide an increase of 12-18,000 places,” with the first buildings to be handed over in three years’ time.
There will be an increase of 1,000 places in Győr, 300 in Mosonmagyaróvár, 800 in Szeged, and 1,600 in Debrecen by 2030, said the minister, noting that they had consulted with students and universities about their needs.
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Via MTI; Featured photo: Pixabay
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