Chairman of the Hungarian Conference of Rectors Károly Molnár and other school heads expressed their support for the measure at a meeting with Minister of Education and Culture István Hiller on Monday.
"The Conference of Rectors backs the (tuition-like) scheme, considering it a step towards development of better quality and fairer higher education in Hungary," Hiller said after the meeting. He added that the amendment to the Public and Higher Education Act establishing the payment would be submitted to Parliament on Tuesday, and it would probably be passed by the end of July.
An important element of the scheme exempts some students from the scheme and even awards them scholarships, Hiller said. He also assured those at the meeting that the measure would not affect schools? central budget funding.
Molnár, who is also head of the Budapest University of Engineering and Economics, said the Conference of Rectors sees the scheme as the first step in a reform process, rather than just an isolated measure. He added that the scheme would not apply to theology courses at seminaries, however it would to other courses there.
The meeting also discussed some new ways students from low-income households could finance their studies, Molnár said. These include offering some recipients of Erasmus scholarships money for living expenses when studying abroad.
Molnár noted that, in addition to introducing the tuition-like payment, the amendment to the act would also take away universities? right to manage their own assets.
The possibility of a pay rise for the rectors was not brought up at the meeting, Hiller said.
