Hungary's minister of human resources signed an agreement with the organization representing college students on Monday, ending weeks of protest demonstrations over controversial government cuts in college, university and student funding.

HOOK, the national student organization, won many aspects of the dispute, when Minister Zoltan Balog agreed to offer government scholarships to all faculties including law schools and schools of economics, where initial government plans would have had all attendees pay tuition fees.

They also agreed on the minimum admission exam scores that would entitle students to scholarships and that colleges and universities would not have to admit people with low scores even if there were spaces.

The agreement also focused on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, noting that they had to be given a chance to go to college and calling for special study programs to help get their grades up. However, the agreement contained no concrete measures.

The two sides agreed to set up a roundtable to focus on financing higher education, on student rights and responsibilities, and on comprehensive issues including admissions and university funding.

Xinhua