Turkiye Burslari Scholarship: How the Program Works

The Turkiye Burslari scholarship is the Turkish government scholarship program that funds international students for the whole length of their studies in Turkey, from a bachelor's degree to a doctorate. It is run by the Yurtdisi Turkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Baskanligi (YTB). The award covers tuition fees, a monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, flights at the start and the end of your studies, and a year of Turkish classes beforehand. Applying is free, entirely online, and the session opens once a year, usually early in the calendar year.

Many French-speaking students ask us how to get a scholarship in Turkey, and many of them assume the scholarship has to be requested from each university separately. It does not. You submit one application to one institution, the YTB, and that single file counts as both the scholarship request and the admission request. What follows is how the program works, who can apply, and how to build an application that holds up.

What Is the Turkiye Burslari Scholarship?

Turkiye Burslari is a full scholarship, funded by the Turkish state and administered by the YTB, that pays the university costs and most of the living costs of an international student. It is not a discount on tuition fees. It is a package: placement at a university, a monthly stipend, accommodation and travel. Understanding that the award comes from the Turkish government, and not from an individual faculty, changes the way you prepare the file.

The program exists to bring international students to Turkish universities, public and private alike, and it draws far more applicants than there are places. It is open at three levels: bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Each level has its own calendar, age limits and academic thresholds, but the logic is the same. You apply to the program, rank universities and fields of study in order of preference on the form, and a committee assesses your profile before inviting you, where applicable, to an interview.

What Does the Turkish Government Scholarship Cover?

The Turkish government scholarship covers the full cost of study and a large part of the cost of living, which is what sets it apart from the partial grants students usually find. A student on the program normally pays neither tuition nor rent, and receives a monthly payment for everyday expenses. The YTB sets the package for each session, and this is what it includes as of the time this article is written:

• Tuition fees, paid directly to the university by the YTB.
• A monthly stipend paid to the student, which rises with the level of study and is reviewed every year.
• Accommodation in a state student dormitory, arranged by the YTB.
• General health insurance for the duration of the scholarship.
• One flight to Turkey at the start of the program and one flight home at the end of your studies.
• A year of Turkish classes at TOMER before the degree begins, for students who will study in Turkish.

Stipend amounts and dormitory arrangements are decided by the YTB session by session and change from year to year, sometimes with little notice. Students who would rather rent privately should ask the YTB what, if anything, is covered before they sign a lease. Confirm the current figures on the Turkiye Burslari portal, which publishes the terms of the year in progress, before you build a budget around them.

Who Is Eligible for the Turkiye Burslari Scholarship?

Applicants of foreign nationality who meet the age limit and the grade threshold for their level of study can apply for the Turkiye Burslari scholarship. The program is closed to Turkish citizens and to students already enrolled at a Turkish university at the level they are applying for. Past that point, the assessment turns on the academic record and on how coherent the study plan looks.

The Turkiye Burslari eligibility requirements published by the YTB, as of the time this article is written, run broadly as follows:

• Be under 21 for a bachelor's degree, under 30 for a master's and under 35 for a doctorate.
• Reach a minimum average of roughly 70 percent for bachelor's and master's study, 75 percent for a doctorate, and 90 percent for medicine and health programs.
• Hold, or be about to obtain, the diploma required for the level you are applying for.
• Not already hold a Turkish government scholarship for the same level.

Those thresholds are indicative. The YTB restates them in each annual call, and they can move, so read the call for the session you are applying to. Treat the required average as a floor rather than a target: selection is competitive and the files that get through often sit well above it. In our experience with French-speaking students, it is the quality of the motivation letter and the coherence of the academic path that separate candidates with similar grades.

What Documents Do You Need for Turkiye Burslari?

The Turkiye Burslari application asks for a short list of digital documents, uploaded straight into the online form, with nothing sent by post at this stage. Everything happens on the YTB platform, and no original or certified copy is requested until you are admitted. Get these together before the session opens, rather than during it:

• A valid national ID card or passport.
• The transcript from your most recent diploma, with a translation where one is needed.
• The diploma itself, or a certificate of enrollment if you are still studying.
• A recent passport photograph.
• Any exam result your field requires, such as a language test or an entrance exam.
• A motivation letter, plus a research proposal for master's and doctoral applicants.

The motivation letter carries the most weight and gets the least attention. It has to say why Turkey, why this field and why you, in concrete terms and without stock phrases. Our guide to writing a motivation letter for a Turkish university works through the structure. For a doctorate, a recommendation from a professor who knows your work strengthens the file considerably.

How Does the Application Process Work, Step by Step?

The Turkiye Burslari scholarship application follows a fixed path, from the online form to final enrollment, and every stage has its own deadline. An incomplete file is set aside without being read. The usual sequence looks like this:

1. Step 1: open an account on the YTB platform as soon as the session opens, and complete the online form.
2. Step 2: rank your preferences, up to twelve programs within the limits the YTB sets for your level, mixing fields and cities realistically.
3. Step 3: upload every document requested, then submit the file before the closing date.
4. Step 4: wait for the file-based pre-selection, which filters applications on results and on the study project.
5. Step 5: attend the interview, online or at a center, if you are shortlisted.
6. Step 6: receive the decision and, if you are accepted, confirm your placement before you apply for a student visa.

Once the scholarship is awarded, the YTB assigns you a university and a program from the choices you listed, and you cannot swap freely afterwards. That is why the order of your preferences counts for so much. Our guidance toward Turkish universities is built around that wish list, so that no choice is spent on a program that does not fit your profile.

Acceptance is not the end of the paperwork. You still apply for a student visa at the Turkish consulate or embassy in your own country, on the strength of your acceptance letter. Once you have arrived, you apply for a student residence permit with the Goc Idaresi Baskanligi. Requirements differ by nationality, so confirm yours with the consulate that covers you.

The Scholarship by Level of Study

The Turkish government scholarship adapts to the level you apply for, with different funding durations and different stipends for bachelor's, master's and doctoral students. The table below sets out the main lines, on the understanding that durations are indicative and depend on the program.

The year of Turkish at TOMER does not eat into the normal length of the degree: it sits in front of it and stays funded. Programs taught entirely in English may exempt a student from that year, although a working level of Turkish makes daily life in Istanbul or Ankara far easier. Students who arrive with no Turkish at all often start with our Turkish language courses in Istanbul before the degree year begins.

Timeline, Deadlines and Results

The Turkiye Burslari session opens once a year, usually between January and February, and stays open for a few weeks only. The main program runs no second session, so missing the window means waiting for the following year. The exact dates are announced on the official portal each year, and we tell students to start checking in December.

After the session closes, the file-based pre-selection takes several weeks, interviews are held in spring, and final results usually arrive before the summer, in time for the September intake. Plan for several months between submitting the form and getting an answer. Collecting transcripts and translations takes longer than most families expect, and our note on diploma equivalence in Turkey covers the denklik step that comes after admission.

Common Mistakes and Tips

Most rejected Turkiye Burslari applications fail on avoidable mistakes rather than on merit. A generic motivation letter, an unrealistic wish list or an illegible scan weighs more than a single grade point. These are the errors we see most often:

• Leaving the form until the last week, then discovering a document is missing.
• Ranking twelve elite programs with no realistic choice, and ending up with no placement.
• Copying a motivation letter found online, which the committee spots at once.
• Ignoring the match between the diploma you hold and the field you apply for.
• Forgetting that the diploma equivalence, the denklik, still has to be handled with the Yuksekogretim Kurulu (YOK) after admission.

One piece of advice counts above the rest: treat the wish list as a real career decision, not a lottery ticket. Mix ambitious programs with more accessible ones, across several cities. And have the letter read by someone who knows the country and the Turkish university system before you submit it.

In short, Turkiye Burslari is a full Turkish government scholarship, free to apply for, that funds tuition and student life from bachelor's to doctoral level. One annual application to the YTB carries the whole thing. Meeting the Turkiye Burslari eligibility requirements is only the entry ticket: the outcome turns on a careful Turkiye Burslari scholarship application, a realistic wish list and a letter that sounds like you.

If you are working out how to get a scholarship in Turkey for the next session, start gathering your documents now. The Turkiye Burslari scholarship favours applicants who begin months before the window opens, so come and see us in Istanbul if you want a second pair of eyes on the file.

Talk to Campus Turquie about your studies

Campus Turquie is an educational and cultural institution based in Istanbul. Since 2020 we have guided international students through admission to Turkish universities and taught Turkish at every level. To talk about your own plans, call or message us on WhatsApp at +90 532 431 80 50, write to contact@campusturquie.org, or visit us at Sisli Merkez Mahallesi, Hasat Sokak No:12A, 34384 Sisli, Istanbul. Our offices are open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00. You can also see our Turkish language courses and our university admission support, or reach us through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Turkiye Burslari Scholarship Really Free?

Yes, applying for the Turkiye Burslari scholarship is free and entirely online. The YTB charges no application fee, and no agency is required to submit a file. Treat any website that asks for payment to lodge your application as a warning sign.

How Do You Get a Scholarship in Turkey?

The main way to get a scholarship in Turkey is to apply to the Turkiye Burslari program during its annual session early in the year. Some universities also run their own tuition waivers and merit discounts, but Turkiye Burslari remains the most complete public scholarship. You fill in the YTB form, rank your choices and, if you are shortlisted, attend the interview.

Do You Need to Speak Turkish to Apply?

No, Turkish is not required to apply, because a year of language classes at TOMER is included before the degree begins. Many programs are taught in English in any case. A language test is only needed when the program you choose asks for one.

Can You Keep the Scholarship If You Repeat a Year?

Usually yes, a single repeated year does not automatically cost you the scholarship. The YTB can suspend or withdraw it after repeated failure or after a student stops attending, because the program expects normal progress through the degree. Tell the YTB what has happened and follow the rules it sets for your case.

Does the Scholarship Cover Family Members?

No, the Turkiye Burslari scholarship funds the student only, not family members. Dormitory accommodation and the monthly stipend are calculated for one person. A spouse or a child would need their own means of support and their own residence permit.

When Are the Turkiye Burslari Results Announced?

Final results are usually published before the summer, after the spring interviews. The file-based pre-selection is announced a few weeks after the session closes. The exact dates appear on the program's official portal each year, so check there rather than relying on forums.

Can You Apply to Several Universities at Once?

Yes, a single application lets you rank up to twelve university programs in order of preference. You do not file twelve separate applications: it is one file in which you list your choices. The YTB then places you in one of them, based on your profile and the places available.

Can You Work While on the Scholarship?

Paid work is possible only within strict limits, because the scholarship is awarded for full-time study. Undeclared work can put the scholarship itself at risk. Check the rules with the YTB and the conditions of your student residence permit before you take on any paid work.

About Campus Turquie

Campus Turquie is an educational and cultural institution based in Istanbul, founded in 2020. We provide Turkish language courses at every level and end-to-end support for admission to Turkish universities: choosing the university and the programme, preparing the application file, diploma equivalence, entrance examinations, enrolment and the residence formalities that follow. The institution is led by Burak Unal, its founder, who holds an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics and a BSc in Business Management from Bogazici University, is a Chevening alumnus and a Congress Member of Galatasaray Sports Club. He has worked in education consulting since 2020. Campus Turquie is an education services provider: we are not a law firm and we do not represent any government authority.

Disclaimer

This article is published as general information. It is not legal advice, not immigration advice, and not advice tailored to your circumstances. Campus Turquie is an education services provider: we are not a law firm and we do not represent any government authority.

Visa, residence permit and admission requirements in Turkey change, sometimes without notice. An article that was accurate when written can go out of date. Before you file an application, spend money or book travel, confirm the details with the official source that applies to you: the migration authority for residence permits, the Turkish consulate or embassy in your country for visas, and the university itself for admission. What the authority tells you always overrides what you read here.

Campus Turquie accepts no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of this content, or for the consequences of those decisions, including a refused application, fees you cannot recover, or delays. Our full editorial policy is on the Disclaimer and editorial policy page.