Updated: October 10, 2026 | Reading time: 9 min | Written by: StudyTribune Team
The Stipendium Hungaricum selection process has three stages, and most applicants are removed in the first two. A positive entrance exam result is not a scholarship decision, and the final allocation depends on a points system most guides never explain. This guide to the Stipendium Hungaricum selection process uses the official 2026/27 Call for Applications to show who decides at each stage, what the minimum exam score is, what the odds look like, and how to prepare for the 2027/28 round.
This page is part of our complete guide to the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship.
Quick answer: after you submit, the Tempus Public Foundation does a technical check, your country’s sending partner nominates you, a Hungarian university examines you (minimum 56 out of 100), and the foundation then allocates places. In 2025 the programme received about 80,000 applications and awarded more than 4,500 scholarships, roughly 5.6 percent.
Table of Contents
The Stipendium Hungaricum Selection Process in Three Stages
| Stage | Who decides | When (2026/27 cycle) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Technical check and nomination | Tempus Public Foundation, then your sending partner | Second half of January to end of February | Basic eligibility is checked; eligible applications go to the sending partner, which sends a nomination list and a reserve list |
| 2. Institutional evaluation | Hungarian host universities | Mid-March to end of May | Nominated applicants are checked, then take entrance examinations (up to two) |
| 3. Allocation and decision | Tempus Public Foundation and its Board of Trustees | End of May to June | Admitted applicants are allocated to places; results sent from the end of June |
Only nominated applicants reach stage 2 of the Stipendium Hungaricum selection process. The Call also says the programme’s maximum number of scholarships is set each year by the budget, and applications above that number are rejected.
What Are the Odds in the Stipendium Hungaricum Selection Process?
The Call for Applications reports that in 2025 the programme received 80,000 applications and awarded more than 4,500 scholarships. That is about 5.6 percent, or roughly one in 18, across all countries and levels. Treat it as an overall figure rather than your personal chance, because places are divided by country under bilateral agreements. For example, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan had 400 seats for 2026-27, and the Call says the number of eligible applicants from one country may be limited for some programmes, such as medicine.
Stage 1 of the Stipendium Hungaricum Selection Process: Technical Check and Nomination
The Tempus Public Foundation first checks basic criteria such as age, citizenship and previous scholarships, whether the programme is available for your country, whether the documents are uploaded and whether you accepted the Statement for Application. Applications that are saved but not submitted are automatically rejected. The technical check also rejects applicants who:
- do not submit by the deadline;
- are Hungarian citizens (including dual citizens) or hold certain protection statuses;
- apply through a sending partner that does not match their citizenship;
- were born after 31 August 2008 (except for Dance programmes, in 2026/27);
- submit multiple applications, use more than one account or apply through more than one sending partner;
- are former scholarship holders or self-financed students in the cases the Call excludes;
- provide any false information.
Eligible applications then go to your sending partner, which decides its own selection method. The nomination list and reserve list reach the foundation by the end of February. Only nominated applicants are considered further. For country-specific steps, see our guides to Stipendium Hungaricum Nigeria and Stipendium Hungaricum Pakistan.
Stage 2 of the Stipendium Hungaricum Selection Process: The Entrance Examination
Host universities first do a formal check of your documents and the programme’s minimum entry requirements. If you pass, you can take up to two institutional entrance examinations, one for each programme you chose. The exact date and method vary by institution, and each university contacts you directly.
- First-choice programmes are considered first, with exams expected between 18 March and 30 April in the 2026 cycle.
- Second-choice programmes follow, with exams expected between 18 March and 20 May. If you are already accepted for your first choice, there may be no exam for the second.
- Scoring: applicants are marked on a 100-point scale. The required minimum is 56 points, and nobody receives a scholarship offer below it.
- A pass is not an award. A positive result only means you met the minimum entry requirements of the programme.
- Medical programmes: most hosts expect to fill their medical places from first-choice applicants, so a medical programme chosen only as second choice is unlikely to be considered.
- Hungarian-language programmes: your Hungarian level is tested in the exam, and if you apply only to Hungarian programmes and fail the language test, you cannot be admitted anywhere.
Stage 3 of the Stipendium Hungaricum Selection Process: Allocation and the Final Decision
The Tempus Public Foundation allocates places using the Operational Regulations. In general, four things decide the outcome:
- the content of the bilateral agreement between Hungary and your sending partner;
- the capacity (minimum and maximum places) of the university programme;
- the order of preference you gave your two programmes;
- your exam result (up to 100 points) and the points based on your position on the sending partner’s nomination list.
Two further rules matter. Applicants in STEM+ fields (natural sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics, agricultural sciences and health sciences) are given priority during allocation. And the number of eligible applicants from the same country may be limited in some programmes to support student diversity. You can end up as an approved scholarship holder, a conditionally approved scholarship holder (missing documents), pending, or rejected. The foundation sends only one result email, anytime in June or July, and cannot answer individual requests about results. Results are given through the online system.
After the Stipendium Hungaricum Selection Process: Accepting the Scholarship
Approved applicants must accept the scholarship and agree to the Operational Regulations in the online system, usually within one week of the notification email and no later than 1 August. Conditionally approved applicants must also upload their missing documents by 1 August. If you miss the acceptance deadline, you are treated as withdrawn. Scholarship holders are expected to arrive and register at the host institution by 30 September for an autumn start.
How to Improve Your Chances in the Stipendium Hungaricum Selection Process
- Choose two programmes and rank them with care. First choices are examined and allocated first, and the order cannot be changed after the deadline.
- Read each programme’s entry requirements in the application system before you choose. A formal check against these requirements comes before any exam.
- Put medicine first if you want it. It is unlikely to be considered as a second choice.
- Contact your sending partner early. Your position on its nomination list earns allocation points.
- Submit a complete, true application. Missing or false information leads to automatic rejection.
- Prepare for a subject exam. Format varies by university, so read the invitation email carefully and ask the host institution’s coordinator if anything is unclear.
Common Mistakes in the Stipendium Hungaricum Selection Process
- Treating nomination as the finish line. It only lets you take the university stage.
- Submitting both choices in the same crowded field. Allocation depends on your preference order and capacity.
- Ignoring the 56-point floor. Strong grades do not replace a pass in the exam.
- Using an unreliable email address. The foundation sends one result email, and it recommends against Hotmail and Yahoo because messages often land in spam.
- Chasing the foundation for results. It cannot respond to individual requests, so check your online account.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Stipendium Hungaricum Selection Process
What is the minimum score in the Stipendium Hungaricum selection process?
The required minimum is 56 points on a 100-point scale. No applicant receives a scholarship offer with an exam result below 56 points.
What are the odds in the Stipendium Hungaricum selection process?
In 2025 the programme received about 80,000 applications and awarded more than 4,500 scholarships, which is roughly 5.6 percent overall. Your own odds depend on your country’s quota, your field and your ranking.
How many entrance exams can I take?
You can take up to two institutional entrance examinations, one for each of the two programmes you selected. If you are accepted for your first choice, there may be no exam for your second.
When are the Stipendium Hungaricum entrance exams held?
In the 2026 cycle the Call expected first-choice exams between 18 March and 30 April and second-choice exams between 18 March and 20 May, with indicative dates. Each university informs you of its own date and method.
When will I get my Stipendium Hungaricum results?
Final results are sent by the Tempus Public Foundation from the end of June, and you can expect one email at any point in June or July. You must accept the scholarship by 1 August.
Does my sending partner ranking matter?
Yes. The allocation takes into account points based on your position in the sending partner’s nomination list, along with your exam result, programme preference and the bilateral agreement.
Do STEM applicants have an advantage?
Applicants for STEM+ fields (natural sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics, agricultural sciences and health sciences) are given priority during allocation.
Can I get into medicine as a second choice?
It is unlikely. Most host institutions expect to fill their medical scholarship places from applicants who chose the programme first.
Can I change my programme choices after the deadline?
No. The programmes, their order, the study language and the study mode cannot be changed after the application deadline.
What happens if my chosen programme does not start?
The foundation cannot guarantee enrolment in another programme if your chosen programme is not launched by the university.
What causes automatic rejection in the technical check?
Not submitting by the deadline, holding Hungarian citizenship, applying through a sending partner that does not match your citizenship, being born after 31 August 2008, submitting multiple applications, not accepting the Statement for Application and providing false information.
Related Reading
- Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship: the complete guide
- Stipendium Hungaricum documents checklist
- Stipendium Hungaricum Nigeria
- Stipendium Hungaricum Pakistan
- Writing a recommendation letter for a scholarship
- Scholarship deadlines: apply now
Official sources: the 2026/27 Call for Applications, the Stipendium Hungaricum website and the Hungarian Embassy in Amman’s 2026/27 nomination and timeline notice.
Conclusion
The Stipendium Hungaricum selection process rewards applicants who understand it: nomination first, a 56-point exam floor, and an allocation that depends on preference order, exam score and sending partner ranking. Dates for 2027/28 will follow the official Call, so confirm each stage there before you plan.