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Stipendium Hungaricum motivation letter: format, content and the two stages

Checked against official sources

The Stipendium Hungaricum master's application asks for a motivation letter addressed to the Hungarian university you hope to join. The documents set a few format rules and ask you to explain your motivation for the programmes you chose. This guide covers the format, what the letter should explain, how it fits into the two-stage selection, and what the programme says about agencies and paid help.

What the documents list asks for

The 2026/27 documents list for bachelor's, master's and one-tier master's applicants sets the length, font and language; the 2025/26 Application Guide added the addressee and letter format. Check the new documents when the 2027/28 call opens.

Rule Requirement
Addressee The host institution (2025/26 guide)
Form Letter format with introduction, content, closing, date and signature (2025/26 guide)
Length At least one page in Times New Roman 12 pt; respect any limit the online form shows
Language The language of the programme or Hungarian (English accepted)
Purpose Your motivation for the programmes you chose
Where Uploaded in the online application, completed in English

You may choose up to two master's programmes, in order of preference, and neither the programme nor the study mode can be changed after the deadline. The letter should therefore make sense for both choices, or at least never contradict either of them.

The two stages and where the letter fits

Stage one is the online application. You complete it in English and submit it by the deadline; in the 2026/27 cycle that was 15 January at 14:00 CET. A saved application that is never submitted is not considered. Separately, you apply to your country's Sending Partner under its own rules and deadline. Each Sending Partner ranks and nominates its candidates, and only nominated applicants go forward.

Stage two is the host university entrance examination. Each institution examines nominated applicants for each chosen programme; the exact date and method vary by institution, and each informs applicants individually. The result is scored out of 100, and at least 56 points are needed to be eligible for an offer; passing does not by itself mean an award. Final allocation also depends on your country's bilateral quota, places available, your order of preference and your nomination ranking, and STEM+ fields get priority.

If your host examines you by interview, be ready to expand on anything your letter says.

Fields open to your country

You may only choose fields and levels open to your country under its bilateral agreement; other choices lead to automatic rejection. From the Sending Partners page:

  • India (University Grants Commission): master's mainly in natural and life sciences, IT, economics, business and management, and engineering.
  • Pakistan (Higher Education Commission): a named list of fields. You must also apply on HEC's site and register for an HEC written test.
  • Nigeria (Department of Scholarship Awards): the same named list of fields as Pakistan.
  • Ghana (Ghana Scholarships Secretariat): a named list of fields; forms go to the Secretariat, due three days after the portal closes.
  • Bangladesh (Ministry of Education, Secondary and Higher Education Division): any field at all levels.
  • Kenya (Ministry of Education): any field at all levels; the national deadline is usually a day or two after the Tempus deadline.

Open the partners page and the eligible programmes spreadsheet for the exact list before you choose.

Planning the content

The documents list sets no questions beyond your motivation for the programmes you chose; if the online system shows prompts for this section, follow them. A practical plan covers why this field, why these two programmes, what in your bachelor's and experience prepares you, and what you intend to do with the degree. Name courses, specialisations or research areas from each programme's page rather than praising Hungary in general terms.

Keep the order of preference consistent. If your first choice is in one field and your second in an unrelated one, the letter will have to explain why both make sense. Respect any character limit the online form shows, and keep the letter structure the 2025/26 guide described: a dated, signed letter, not an essay.

The Application Kit for Stipendium Hungaricum includes Motivation Letter Worksheets with a section for choosing your two programmes inside the fields open to your country and a letter planner with recall questions and self-checks. Its STAR Evidence Bank holds your own stories, and its Interview Question Bank offers practice questions for a host entrance interview, if your host examines you by interview; they are not questions from any real panel.

Agencies, outside help and accuracy

Tempus Public Foundation strongly advises applicants not to use agencies and not to pay for application services, because it works directly with the Sending Partners. Applying and taking the entrance examinations are free. Submitting an application on someone else's behalf, or giving false information, leads to rejection. Only one application per year is allowed, and multiple accounts, applications or Sending Partners also lead to rejection.

We found no published rule on AI tools. Write the letter yourself, make sure every fact in it is true, and do every step in your own account. Our kit is a self-study workbook: Scholar Dossier is not an agency and never applies, registers or submits anything for anyone.

General information: this article is general information, not admissions advice. Calls, fields and dates change between cycles, and the 2027/28 call had not been published when we checked, so always read the programme's own pages before you apply.

Sources