Abstract
The existence of persistent and entrenched inequalities within the Hungarian education system is revealed in international comparison, thereby highlighting the strong link between students’ socio-economic background and educational outcomes. University entry and progression are patterned on student background, with a lack of systematic and robust support for disadvantaged students. Drawing on two rounds of the Active Youth survey of full-time university students (in 2015 and in 2019), this paper explores the diverse educational and career strategies of young people. After giving an overview of tertiary participation in relation to socio-economic background, it explores the financial experiences of university students, pointing to the related difficulties and mitigation strategies. The paper also looks at future migration plans, including their aim, planned duration, and key push and pull factors. The results point to social closure, along with large differences in student experiences throughout university, with international student mobility remaining the privilege of more advantaged students. The lack of equitable student pathways into, through, and beyond Hungarian higher education correspond to several policy areas. One conclusion is that the financial support system needs to be made more effective through better targeting and the provision of sufficient funding for students in need.
Highlights
The current generation of university students in Central Eastern Europe (CEE), including in Hungary, were born a decade after the transition from a planned economy to a market system
The majority of the members of the quota-based sample of Active Youth were studying for their BA/BSc degrees (71 per cent), with 15.5 per cent enrolled on integrated MA programs, 10.3 per cent studying for an MA/MSc, and 3.3 per cent enrolled on a PhD program
Drawing on the EuroStudent data (2017), which covers a wider subset of students, it is notable that a smaller proportion of Hungarian BA students are included in the youngest age group than in other CEE countries, while Hungarian BA students aged 25 years and above are found in the highest proportions (30.2 per cent)
Summary
The current generation of university students in Central Eastern Europe (CEE), including in Hungary, were born a decade after the transition from a planned economy to a market system They were around nine to ten years old when the global economic crash of 2008 happened, potentially impacting them and their families to a serious extent (Medgyesi, 2019). This paper extends the literature on the diverse educational and career strategies of young Hungarian people from different socio-economic backgrounds, pointing to inequalities in university experience and international mobility. It explores the financial experiences of being a university student, pointing to the difficulties some face in budgeting for accommodation costs and general living expenses This often results in the need to take on a substantial amount of part-time work, hindering studying. Beyond the economic argument for a highly educated workforce that contributes more in tax, as well as broader societal benefits through better health and higher levels of democratic participation, the moral argument of fairness is a key component of the struggle for equity in university access, participation, and progression
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