Debrecen4U
March 4, 2026
The Government Is Planning to Add 1,600 New University Dormitory Places in Debrecen
University academic scholarships will rise by a minimum of 50 per cent in the spring semester, the Minister of Culture and Innovation said on Monday in the morning programme of the M1 news channel.
Balázs Hankó explained that the increase is made possible by the fact that, in recent years, funding for the renewed universities has expanded to an average of two and a half times its previous level. He added that “the Government’s conviction is that universities are autonomous,” and that from the increased funding they are implementing scholarship rises of at least 50 per cent, but on average 84 per cent.
The Minister emphasised that this year scholarships will increase by HUF 8.2 billion; however, any rise above the minimum, and the criteria on which it is based, will be decided by the management and students of the respective institutions. He noted that there is a university where a 160 per cent scholarship increase is being implemented.
He also pointed out that 12 Hungarian universities rank among the top 5 per cent in the world; thus, today in Hungary two out of three university students attend an institution that is among the world’s best. He highlighted that institutions have advanced in international rankings since the renewal of Hungarian higher education.
In his view, all this has taken place despite “strong headwinds”, as universities have had to progress while the European Commission has unlawfully restricted the Erasmus and Horizon programmes. He stressed that, alongside the Pannonia Scholarship Programme, the HU-rizont research programme has also been established, and he also mentioned the Élvonal Foundation led by Nobel Prize-winning Professor Ferenc Krausz.
He added that Hungarian universities continue to be renewed, with infrastructure developments worth nearly HUF 1,000 billion having been implemented in recent years. He noted that the University of Veterinary Medicine ranks 59th in the world, while Semmelweis University is among the world’s top 200 medical universities.
He stated that, in the Government’s view, progress is needed not only in the area of scholarships but also in expanding student accommodation capacity. He explained that there are currently approximately 46,000 to 47,000 student accommodation places in the country, and that this figure is to be increased by 50 per cent by 2030. This includes the student city project and developments at provincial universities.
The Minister pointed out that the expansion of capacity is necessary because the number of university students is also rising. Every second young person now attends a university outside the capital, making provincial developments necessary. For example, in Győr a 1,000-place expansion of student accommodation will take place, while in Mosonmagyaróvár 300 new places will be created; in Debrecen, a 1,600-place expansion will be implemented by 2030, and there will also be progress in Pécs and Szeged, while in Kecskemét the second phase of a 600-place student accommodation development will begin, he said.
Balázs Hankó highlighted that the largest expansion is required in Budapest, where the student city project will launch an increase of 12,000 to 18,000 student accommodation places. Preparatory work has already been completed, and all properties are held by the Tudástér Foundation. He added that consultations have taken place with universities and students regarding the services required in the student city, and the first move-ins must take place within three years.
On the Kossuth Radio programme Good Morning, Hungary!, the Minister also stated that the European Commission had no right to block the scholarship programmes, as higher education is a national competence. He added that, contrary to the claim of Kinga Kollár, MEP for the Tisza Party, the National Assembly had already adopted legislation in 2024 regulating conflicts of interest, limiting the participation of board members to two six-year terms and introducing all supervisory criteria requested by the Commission.
As he said, the only condition set for the entry into force of the legislation was that the European Commission should end what he described as “politically motivated blocking”.
According to the Minister, Kinga Kollár and the Tisza Party do not speak about the fact that, in cooperation with the Commission and Brussels, they would like Hungarian professors to be excluded from serving as board members, and for NGOs to be able to nominate members to the boards of university foundations in their place.
Source: dehir.hu
