How a Turkish Scholar Secured the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship to Study International Business Economics at Corvinus University of Budapest

I am Hasan Çağan Güler from Çorum / Türkiye. As of 2025, I am 19 years old. I was awarded “Stipendium Hungaricum” scholarship by Hungarian government to study “International Business Economics” in “Corvinus University of Budapest” in Hungary. Since I was a child, I was always curious about economy and business, I studied and did researches about economy when I was a high school student and all this researches led me to this path of studying business economics.

Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Details

In 2024, I was awarded the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship, also known as the Hungarian Government Scholarship. It is the most prestigious scholarship in Hungary and the hardest one to get. It is fully funded, so the students don’t pay any tuition fee, plus a monthly stipend of about 100€ and free dormitory space. If the student doesn’t want to stay in a dormitory, the monthly stipend amount increases to approximately 200€.

As a scholarship awardee, you must get at least 36 credits in two continuous semesters, also all master’s and bachelor’s degree scholarship awardees are learning compulsory Hungarian for two semesters and expected to pass an end year exam which is an A1 Hungarian written + oral exam. If you can’t pass this exam your stipend is being reduced, but I passed it so I am safe right now. 😊

Educational Background

I graduated from Çorum Atatürk Anatolian Highschool. A above average high school in Türkiye. Even though my city was small and lack opportunities, I always tried to be active socially and academically, looking for summer schools and projects. In the summer of 2023, I participated in a summer school organized by Kadir Has University in Istanbul about “Economics and AI”. Also in 2022, I’ve selected as one of the three students from my high school to participate in a one-week Erasmus+ project that took place in Budapest, Hungary. My GPA when I graduated from high school was 92 / 100.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Corvinus University of Budapest?

The Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program varies according to your citizenship. As a Turkish citizen, before applying to get admitted to Hungarian universities, Firstly I had to pass an interview that is organized by Ministry of National Education of Turkish Republic. After passing that interview, I had to pass the admission process of the universities I applied for. My IELTS score was 7.0 / 9.0, and I scored 1320 on SAT. Both scores were satisfactory for Corvinus University of Budapest. I studied myself only for both SAT and IELTS. I found sources online and got them printed and studied for them at my own pace.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship?

In my case, since I only applied to Hungarian scholarship, I tried to learn more about Hungary and, I think this is the most important part, I have always tried to make connections between my dreams and my one-week in Hungary.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English or Hungarian?

This part was quite important for me since I didn’t speak any Hungarian before. I chose an English major, so all my classes were conducted in English except my compulsory Hungarian classes, they were mixed Hungarian and English. But you can also choose to study in Hungarian, if you choose this path, you are learning Hungarian for a year then continuing your studies in Hungarian.

Would Potential Students Have Any Problems Academically, Not Knowing Hungarian?

If you are not speaking Hungarian, you can have social problems or some other problems with your daily life, but academically, no. Everyone in my university speaks English, even security guys are trying, so the basic answer is academically, you won’t have problems if you don’t speak Hungarian.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out

I think the main reason they choose me is the fact that I have been to Hungary once and I had a good story to tell. As I said before, my city didn’t have that many social and academical opportunities for high school students, so I was one of the few people who made it abroad even though it was for a short time. Hungary was the first country I have ever been to. And I liked it so much that I wanted to spend my university life there, I think this story may have inspired the selection committee.

What Would You Have Done Differently If You Were Going Through Process Again?

I remember that I was really stressed through all steps of the process, taking the IELTS and SAT, participating in the interview travelling between cities, always waiting for an e-mail was stressful. But now when I look back, I should have been way more chill and relaxed with my application and this way I would be way more comfortable and efficient with my time waiting for the result of my application.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Getting a scholarship may seem overwhelming and I must admit that it is indeed a hard process. But if you know what you want to do, there is no reason that you don’t get a scholarship. The main thing a scholarship applicant should do is try to be organized as possible and try to do everything at its best without giving yourself a bad time. Yes, you should have high test scores, high GPA and everything but you should also be able to express yourself, you should be socially active, and this needs time and effort. Just make sure that you have a profile that is suitable for the scholarship you want to apply for and everything will be fine. Best wishes 😊