4.4 Inclusive programmes for young people
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Programmes specific for vulnerable young people
In Hungary, several scholarships and other type of programmes are available for disadvantaged young people.
'Útravaló' Scholarship Programme
'Útravaló' Scholarship Programme (Útravaló Ösztöndíjprogram) started in 2005; its aim is to help create opportunities for disadvantaged students by providing personalised support and bursaries and prevent school drop-out and support further learning. Its main provisions are to:
- increase young people's opportunities for continuing their studies and learning a profession, gaining a school-leaving certificate or a degree, and
- support talents among students who are interested in science.
There are currently four sub-programmes associated with these scholarships:
- 'Road to Secondary School' ('Út a középiskolába'),
- 'Road to the Secondary School Leaving Exam' ('Út az érettségihez'),
- 'Road to Degree’ ('Út a diplomához') and
- 'Road to Profession' ('Út a szakmához').
Each of them supports different target groups based on age and career choices. The programme provides mentoring and financial support. These programmes are financed from the domestic budget from the 2019/2020 school year. Currently, the Directorate-General for Creating Social Opportunities (Társadalmi Esélyteremtési Főigazgatóság) under the Ministry of the Interior (Belügyminisztérium) is responsible for implementing the application.
The number of participants in the programmes was between 9 000 - 10 000 in the last 3 academic year. According to the information from the Ministry of Interior from 2024, the available budget in the 2024/2025 school year for all programmes was HUF 2.3 billion (about EUR 5.7 million).
Arany János Programmes
The Arany János Talent Programme (Arany János Tehetséggondozó Program, AJTP) started in 2000. The Ministry of Interior (Belügyminisztérium) is responsible for the calls for applications.
The aim of AJTP is to support disadvantaged students in entering secondary education. The awarded students - during a preparatory year - receive support to gain all the missing knowledge in different fields necessary to catch up with and continue their studies in one of the highest standard secondary schools or boarding schools. The target group of the programme are youngsters who
- hold a student status,
- have a disadvantaged background and
- are about to start grade 9 of secondary school during the year of the application.
The aim of the Arany János College Program (Arany János Kollégiumi Program, AJCP) is to improve the qualification level of vulnerable groups of students, prevent them from drop-out, to receive higher educational qualifications, pass the final examination at secondary schools and learn a profession by providing complex support (pedagogical, social, health-related and cultural).
Residential schools, secondary schools and vocational schools involved in the programmes should recruit disadvantaged students, and organise support programmes for them. Students have individual development plans signed by them and their parents. Students are assessed regularly; the results of the assessments are included in the individual development plans. Around 2 000 students participate in the programme each year. The programme is implemented in 22 locations across the country, in pairs of high schools and secondary school colleges.
From the 2022/2023 academic year, students can receive a scholarship of HUF 15 000 per month (around EUR 37) in the preparatory year and a higher amount (between HUF 20 000 - 40 000, around EUR 50 - 100 per month) in the 9th - 12th grades depending on their academic results.
National Talent Programme
The National Talent Programme (Nemzeti Tehetség Program) is not specifically aimed at the integration of youth or vulnerable groups of young people. Still, it reaches disadvantaged students successfully. Its goal is to provide talent support in Hungary and in regions abroad with Hungarian minority population. The former Ministry of Human Capacities has assigned the responsibility for the implementation of the application and grant management process to the National Cultural Grant Management Office (Nemzeti Kulturális Támogatáskezelő) which is supervised and monitored by the National Talent Coordination Forum.
In the new government, formed in 2022, the Department of Talents, under the Deputy State Secretariat for Young People is responsible for the implementation of this programme. The action programme 2023-2024 for the implementation of the National Talent Programme is regulated by a Government Decree.
The Deputy State Secretariat for Young People started to renew the programme in 2023. The aim was to adopt to the challenges of the 21st century. Some changes were:
- the operation of the programme is based on data,
- their website and image was renewed,
- a 'Talent Map' (Tehetségtérkép) was created to find easily the available talent programmes.
Preventing Roma girls from early school leaving
The Action Plan 2021-2024 for the Implementation of the NSIS 2030 states that it is especially important
- to reduce the number of Roma girls who live in poor families and leave school without qualifications,
- to establish their employability,
- to support their further education opportunities, and
- to continue and expand the programmes that serve these purposes.
The planned EFOP programmes for the 2021-2027 budget cycle include an application for 'Preventing Roma girls from leaving school without a qualification'. The monitoring report from 2023 of the NSIS 2030 also emphasizes this aim.
The Tanoda Programme
The Tanoda Programme (Tanoda program) aims to prevent early school leaving providing community space for children and youngsters in need (up to 18 years old). The Tanodas provide complex services to students, such as learning support, catching-up, personal development. There are students who need parental assistance to do their homework, but their parents are not able to help them, such as due to the low levels of education of their parents or not providing technical means. These students receive professional assistance in Tanodas.
The schools are usually established by foundations, public benefit organisations and other non-governmental organisations, and they are mainly run by volunteer staff. The practical activities of the schools are diverse, for example, the Csepp Tanoda School of Csobánka (Csobánkai Csepp Tanoda) helps Roma children in learning, acquiring the curriculum by common learning. The Kompánia Tanoda (Kompánia Tanoda) also organises afternoon training where they provide individual development, rehearsal, computer use and English language training.
The Toldi Tanoda, created by the Real Pearl Foundation (Igazgyöngy Alapítvány), aims to develop reading motivation, reading comprehension, mathematics, foreign language and social competencies, prepares children in kindergarten for school, and organises recreational development programs. They held 1 045 individual activities for 72 children with 33 voluntary teachers, and they organized four camps in the 2021/2022 academic year.
According to Ministry information from 2023, Tanoda services have a demonstrable effect on improving students' academic results. An achievement survey was conducted in 2022. According to the data, more girls attended Tanoda than boys. Of the girls who remain in the school system, they prefer to continue their education in high school than the boys. Boys prefer to learn a trade because they can find a job more quickly in the labour market. In the 2021-2022 school year, 76% of eighth-graders who attended Tanoda stated that they would continue their education in high school and later choose higher education in Hungary.
The Tanodas also organise leisure activities during the summer holidays. In summer 2022, daycare and boarding camps were also organised for around 4 300 children.
Funding
'Útravaló' Scholarship Programme
These programmes are funded from the state budget and the scholarship and mentoring fees increased compared to previous years. In recent years, the amount of financial support in the state budget was around HUF 2.5 billion (EUR 6.2 million) each year.
Arany János Programmes
The Government Decree 204/2020. determines the funds available and the regulations for the use of the funds for the Arany János Talent Programme. The responsible Minister evaluates the previous year's programme with the involvement of other ministers (the minister responsible for vocational education, the minister responsible for adult education and the minister responsible for agricultural policies) until the 30th of October and makes proposals for the following year.
Currently, the schools can receive a HUF 315 000/student/year (around EUR 807) support for running the Arany János Talent Programme and a HUF 420 000/student/year (around 1 077 EUR) support for running the Arany János College Programme.
National Talent Programme
In the framework of the National Talent Programme (Nemzeti Tehetség Program) altogether HUF 40.8 billion (about EUR 102 million) was spent for 20 000 supported projects during the 16 years of their operation (2009-2024).
Its allocation is regulated by the Government Decree 104/2015 on funding of the National Talent Programme. The programme is implemented from the National Talent Fund and the Finance Act determines the amount to be allocated and the regulations for the use of the funds in each year.
In the 2025 Finance Act HUF 7.8 billion (about EUR 19.5 million) is dedicated to the programme which is a much higher amount then it was in the previous years.
Preventing Roma girls from early school leaving
The new EFOP programme provides a tender opportunity for this in the amount of HUF 5.6 billion (around EUR 14.3 million).
The Tanoda Programme
As mentioned above, starting from the year 2019, the Tanoda Programme got a place in the central budget of Hungary. The amount of support in the budget was HUF 2.5 billion (about EUR 6.4 million), which was allocated first in 2019. In the last two years this amount was around HUF 3 billion (about EUR 7.5 million).
Quality assurance
'Útravaló' Scholarship Programme
The monitoring of the programme is implemented within the framework of EU projects. Monitoring results from 2023 show that the programme is successful. Based on data from 4 sub-programmes, 9 920 disadvantaged pupils have been supported in the 2022-2023 academic year. According to the data of the Ministry of Interior, in the 2024/2025 academic year, nearly 9 200 students received the support.
Arany János Talent Programme
The results of the Arany János Talent Programme (Arany János Tehetséggondozó Program) shows that the programme reaches its specific target group and provides good chances for mobility. According to the data of the Educational Authority, 70-75% of the students in the AJTP programme continued their studies in higher education. The Government Decree 204/2020. sets the quality assurance of the programme. The schools who run the programmes have to prepare a professional report on the implementation of the programme to the relevant ministries each year.
National Talent Programme
The implementation of the National Talent Programme and the monitoring of programmes for supporting talents are carried out by the National Talent Coordination Forum (Nemzeti Tehetségügyi Koordinációs Fórum). This also contributes to increasing the efficiency of the programme. The Forum members are the leaders of state and non-governmental organisations, including the head of the National Youth Council.
The Tanoda Programme
From the 1st of January 2019, according to a ministerial decree, the Tanodas must prepare a detailed report on their activities and on their operation.