Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship 2027: Nigeria & India

By the Zejimo team. Updated 14 Oct 2026. Last verified against the official site on 14 Oct 2026.

Stipendium Hungaricum offers tuition-free study at Hungarian universities, but there are two steps applicants in Nigeria and India cannot overlook: choosing a programme permitted for their country and securing nomination from the official sending partner. The award also offers a stipend and either dormitory accommodation or a housing contribution, but these may not cover every living expense.

Status: Not open yet. The 2027/2028 call has not been published (checked October 14, 2026). Last year’s call opened on November 17, 2025, so the new one may open soon.

Who runs it

The programme is run by Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and coordinated by the Tempus Public Foundation. Each partner country has a “sending partner”, a home-country body that nominates applicants. Your application only counts if your sending partner nominates you.

Nigeria and India

Nigeria: the sending partner sits in the Federal Ministry of Education. The programme’s partner page names the Department of Scholarship Awards, and the Hungarian Embassy in Abuja names the Federal Scholarship Board. The board may set an earlier local deadline than the online deadline. PhD study is open in any field. Bachelor’s and master’s study is limited to the fields on the partner list.

The Hungarian Embassy in Abuja also says Nigeria’s own extra funding under the education agreement stopped from the 2025/2026 year. Plan to live on the Stipendium Hungaricum amounts alone.

India: the sending partner is the University Grants Commission (UGC). The main fields are natural and life sciences, information technology, economics, business and management, and engineering. One-tier master’s programmes are not available to Indian applicants.

For 2026/2027 the UGC offered 200 places. Applicants needed at least 60% in their last exam, and had to post a printout of their online application to UGC.

Levels you can apply for

Bachelor’s degree
Master’s degree
One-tier master’s degree (not for Indian applicants)
PhD, through a separate call
Non-degree and postgraduate specialist courses

You cannot apply if you hold Hungarian citizenship, or if your citizenship is different from the country that nominates you. Some programmes taught in Hungarian need a one-year preparatory language course.

What it covers

These are the 2026/2027 amounts. The 2027/2028 amounts are not published yet.

Tuition: fully covered.
Monthly stipend: HUF 43,700 a month, for 12 months a year, for bachelor’s and master’s students.
PhD stipend: HUF 140,000 a month for the first four semesters, then HUF 180,000 a month for the last four.
Housing: a free dormitory place where available, or HUF 40,000 a month as a contribution to rent, not a guarantee of fully paid private accommodation.
Health: Hungarian national healthcare, plus extra medical insurance of up to HUF 65,000 a year.

What will you still have to pay yourself?

The official programme warns that its support is a contribution to living costs, not a guarantee that every expense will be covered. For the 2026/27 cycle, a bachelor’s or master’s student received HUF 43,700 monthly, plus a dormitory place or HUF 40,000 toward rent. This housing contribution may not cover private rental costs, particularly in Budapest. International travel and other personal expenses also need to be budgeted separately.

Expense	Published scholarship provision
Tuition	Waived at the host university
Monthly basic stipend	HUF 43,700 for non-degree, bachelor’s and master’s study
Doctoral stipend	HUF 140,000 then HUF 180,000 per month in the specified phases
Housing	Dormitory place or HUF 40,000 per month contribution
Other living costs	May require personal funds

These are prior-cycle figures from the official scholarship benefits page. Do not assume an identical stipend or study-field list for an unpublished 2027/28 call.

Do Nigerian and Indian applicants follow the same procedure?

Not necessarily. The Hungarian online system is shared, but sending partners can set additional document rules, permitted fields and local deadlines. Check the official sending-partner and study-field list for your nationality and study level. Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education and India’s University Grants Commission have played sending-partner roles, but use each authority’s current notice to confirm the required submission route.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply without a sending-partner nomination?

You can submit the online form, but the programme states that only applicants nominated by an official sending partner proceed to the university stage.

Are all courses available to Nigerian and Indian students?

No. Eligible study levels and fields depend on the bilateral arrangements and the sending-partner list for each country.

Does the scholarship fully pay my rent and living costs?

Not necessarily. The stipend and accommodation contribution are designed to help with costs, not always cover them in full.

Must I already have a university admission letter?

No. Under the published process, universities assess nominated candidates later in the cycle.

Has the 2027/28 scholarship call been announced?

As checked on October 14, 2026, the official application page displays the 2026/27 materials. The new call’s deadline and country arrangements have not yet been confirmed.

When to apply

The 2026/2027 cycle provides a historical timeline, not confirmed dates for 2027/28:

Applications opened on November 17, 2025.
The deadline was January 15, 2026, at 2 p.m. Central European Time.
Sending partners nominated applicants by the end of February 2026.
Universities held entrance exams and interviews from March to May 2026.
Results came around late June 2026.

Check your sending partner’s notice too. Its local deadline can be earlier than January.

How to apply

Choose up to two study programmes on the Stipendium Hungaricum website, in order of preference. You cannot change them after the deadline.
Fill in the form in the online application system, in English.
Upload your documents. Each file can be 4 MB at most.
Follow your sending partner’s own steps, such as posting a printed copy or meeting a local deadline.
If you are nominated, take the entrance exam or interview set by your chosen university.

Documents you need:

A photo.
A motivation letter.
Proof of your language skills.
School certificates and transcripts.
Your passport data page, or national ID if you have no passport.
The signed online statement for application.
A portfolio, for arts programmes only.
For some PhD schools: a statement from your supervisor.

If you receive an award, follow the current instructions on medical certification and other enrolment requirements. Application document rules and permitted late submissions are detailed in the official call and may change between cycles.

Tips before you apply

Watch the official call and your sending partner. The previous application cycle opened in November; the next dates must be confirmed from the new announcement.
Write your motivation letter now. Explain why each programme fits your plans. Keep it specific.
Choose two programmes you really want. You cannot change them after the deadline.
Do not miss the local step. Without a nomination from your sending partner, your application is not considered.

Status checked October 14, 2026, from the official Stipendium Hungaricum calls and the Hungarian Embassy in Abuja. Amounts shown are for 2026/2027, so check the new call before you apply.

Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship 2027/2028: Guide for Nigerian and Indian Students