University Scholarships or Turkiye Burslari: How to Choose

University scholarships or Turkiye Burslari: that is the first funding decision most applicants have to make. A university scholarship is aid decided and paid by the institution itself, almost always as a reduction in tuition fees and sometimes as a full waiver. Turkiye Burslari is the state program, run by the Yurtdisi Turkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Baskanligi (YTB), and it also covers housing, insurance and a monthly stipend. You apply for the two in different places, on different calendars.

Many international students hear about the state program and never go looking for the other one. At Campus Turquie, in Istanbul, we work every year with families who find out at enrollment that a large discount had been on the table and that nobody had applied for it. This article compares the two routes, sets out who can apply for each, and shows how to build a file that earns the better rate.

University Scholarships or Turkiye Burslari: What Differs?

The difference is who pays and what is covered: a university scholarship comes from one institution and pays tuition, while Turkiye Burslari comes from the state and funds the whole stay. A Turkish university scholarship applies to one program at one institution, and its rules are set by that institution alone.

The Turkiye Burslari program, managed nationally by YTB, works the other way round. It opens once a year for a limited number of recipients, and it pays for accommodation, health insurance and a monthly stipend. The coverage, the amounts and the application window are set again each year, so confirm the current terms with YTB rather than relying on last year's figures.

University scholarships in Turkey are far more common, because almost every private university offers them to attract strong international applicants. A public university charges modest fees and grants few discounts; a private university lists higher fees but hands out financial aid from Turkish universities widely to bring the real cost down. The incentive is plain: a strong international intake raises an institution's standing abroad. Our university admission support usually starts by clarifying this point with the family.

Types of Turkish University Scholarships

Turkish university scholarships fall into a few broad families: merit-based reductions, aid tied to family income, fee waivers reserved for certain profiles, and research funding at master's and doctoral level. One university often runs several of them at once, each on its own scale. Read the scale attached to the exact program you want, not the headline figure on the home page.

• The merit scholarship rewards high school results, a YOS score or the SAT. YOS is the entrance examination for international applicants, and each university sets, runs and marks its own version, so a score that earns a discount at one institution means nothing at another. This is the most common merit-based university scholarship, and it is expressed as a percentage of fees.
• The partial or full fee waiver cuts tuition to a fraction of the list price, and to zero for the strongest applications.
• Need-based aid, rarer, takes the family's financial situation into account and asks for supporting documents.
• The research assistantship, at master's and doctoral level, funds part of the studies in exchange for teaching or laboratory work.
• Specific discounts: a sibling already enrolled, payment of the year in advance, or an agreement between the university and a home country.

The table below sums up what separates these forms of financial aid from Turkish universities. The shares are the ones universities most often publish as of the time this article is written, and every institution sets its own.

Who Can Get a Turkish University Scholarship?

Any international student applying to a program, or already admitted to one, can be considered, provided they meet the criteria that university has published. No nationality is excluded as a rule, and most university scholarships in Turkey are open to applicants from Africa, the Maghreb and Europe on the same footing as anyone else. Eligibility is decided university by university and never nationally, so the only list that counts is the one on the institution's own admissions page.

The criteria differ between institutions, but they come back to the same few things: the final high school GPA, a YOS or SAT score, language level, and sometimes a motivation letter. In our work with international students, the YOS score matters more than families expect: a good result often triggers an automatic discount, with no extra step to take. The merit-based university scholarship is still by far the most widespread at private universities.

Language level counts too. A program taught in English asks for a TOEFL or IELTS score. A program taught in Turkish asks for proof of Turkish, usually a TOMER certificate at a level on the CEFR scale, A1 to C2. The university fixes that level itself, and it sometimes decides whether the aid is renewed the following year, so check the language of instruction before you aim at a scholarship.

How to Get a Scholarship in Turkey, Step by Step?

To get a scholarship in Turkey, you apply to the university itself rather than to a separate scholarship office. The aid is decided at the point of admission, on the file you have already submitted. The sequence is almost always the same.

1. Choose universities and programs, then read, on each site, the scholarship scale tied to the program you want.
2. Check the scale: which YOS or SAT score, and which GPA, give which discount.
3. Prepare the application file and submit it before the admission deadline.
4. Take or submit the required exams, YOS, SAT or a language test, if the program asks for them.
5. Read the admission letter, which states the scholarship awarded and its percentage.
6. Confirm your place within the deadline given, or you lose the aid you were offered.

The route is the same as for an ordinary application. If the process is new to you, our guide on how to apply to a Turkish university, step by step breaks down every piece of the file.

Documents to Prepare for the Application

The documents for a scholarship are the documents for the admission application, because one file decides both. Have them translated and, where the university asks for it, notarized before you upload anything.

• The transcript and the high school diploma, or a provisional certificate if the diploma has not been issued yet.
• The YOS, SAT or equivalent score accepted by that university.
• Proof of language level, in English (TOEFL, IELTS) or Turkish (TOMER certificate), depending on the language of instruction.
• A valid passport.
• A motivation letter and, for master's or doctoral programs, letters of recommendation.

In our experience the file stalls on two things: diploma equivalence, known as "denklik" and issued by the Yuksekogretim Kurulu (YOK), and the translation of documents. Both depend on bodies outside the university, and the time they take varies by file and by season, so start them several weeks before the deadline rather than after the offer arrives.

The Scholarship Application Timeline

The scholarship application is filed at the same time as the admission application, during the university's admission period, which generally opens in spring for an autumn intake. There is no single national calendar: each university publishes its own dates, and some assess applications in rounds until the places are gone.

The practical advice is short: apply early. Merit scales are sometimes filled in order of arrival, and the full-rate places can go before the official deadline. Applying to several institutions raises the chance of a good offer, because it puts the offers in competition with one another.

Build the slow steps into that calendar. Equivalence, sworn translations and a language certificate are the parts you do not control, and they are the usual reason a finished file is sent a week late.

How Much Do Turkish University Scholarships Cover?

These scholarships most often cover between 25 and 100% of tuition fees, with the full waiver kept for the strongest applications. As of the time this article is written, in October 2026, many private universities in Istanbul publish annual fees of roughly 3,000 to 20,000 dollars depending on the program, which a 50% scholarship halves. Those amounts are reset every year, so confirm the figure on the university's own fee page before you commit.

Public universities work on a different logic. Their fees are much lower, often a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a year for international students as of the time this article is written, and they grant fewer discounts. Compare the already modest public rate against the private rate once the scholarship is deducted: the two often end up close together.

One point gets misread often. Most of this aid applies to tuition, not to the cost of living, so housing, meals and insurance stay your responsibility, apart from the rare scholarship that includes a stipend. This is where Turkiye Burslari keeps its advantage, since it pays its recipients' daily costs as well. In Istanbul, where rents are the highest in the country, that gap is worth budgeting for before you accept an offer.

University Scholarships or Turkiye Burslari: How to Choose

University scholarships or Turkiye Burslari comes down to one trade-off: control over where you study, or breadth of coverage. A university scholarship lets you pick the institution and the program, but it mainly pays tuition. Turkiye Burslari funds the whole stay and places the recipient at a university chosen for them, under the conditions of the program.

Turkiye Burslari is highly selective, and the number of places is fixed each year by YTB. A university scholarship is settled program by program and is often the more realistic route for a student aiming at one particular private university in Istanbul. You can prepare both in the same year, since they go to different bodies on different deadlines, but you will take up only one of them in the end.

Mistakes to Avoid in Your Application

The most expensive mistake is applying to one university only, which narrows your chance of a good discount to a single decision. Applying to several, within reason, puts the offers in competition and leaves you a real choice when the letters arrive.

• Reading the headline percentage without checking whether it runs for one year or for the whole program.
• Treating a university scholarship and Turkiye Burslari as the same thing, then missing one while aiming at the other.
• Filing the application after the deadline, once the highest rates have been awarded.
• Neglecting the YOS or the SAT, when a good score often moves the scale up a band.
• Assuming an offer carries over if you defer a year: deferral and renewal rules belong to the university, and they differ.

To compare offers calmly it helps to know how to apply to multiple Turkish universities at once without losing track of the files and the dates.

University scholarships or Turkiye Burslari: both are accessible, often underestimated ways to cut the cost of your studies. The method is the same either way. Apply early, work on your YOS score, and compare the offers before you confirm a place, because neither route rewards a thin file. Knowing how to get a scholarship in Turkey is first of all a matter of method, and of confirming every figure with the university before you pay.

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

Are These Scholarships Only for Top Students?

No, Turkish university scholarships are not all reserved for the best students. Full waivers do require an excellent file, but many private universities grant partial discounts to most of the international students they admit. The percentage then depends on your GPA and your entrance score.

Do I Need to Take the YOS to Get a Scholarship?

The YOS is not always required, but a good score noticeably improves the scholarship offered. Some universities accept the SAT or the high school GPA alone, while others keep their best scales for applicants with a high YOS result. Each university runs its own YOS, so check the rule at every institution you are targeting.

How Can I Get a Scholarship Without Turkiye Burslari?

You apply directly to the university, which awards the aid on the basis of your admission file. No state program is involved: the discount is decided by the institution itself, and it is announced in the admission letter. Compare the scales of several universities before you choose.

Do These Scholarships Also Cover Housing?

Most financial aid from Turkish universities covers tuition fees, not housing or daily living costs. A few scholarships include a stipend or a room in a dormitory, but that stays the exception. Budget for accommodation separately, especially in Istanbul.

Can I Combine a Scholarship With Turkiye Burslari?

As a general rule you cannot hold a university scholarship and Turkiye Burslari at the same time, because the state scholarship assigns the university you attend. If you are a Turkiye Burslari recipient, you study at the assigned institution, under that program's conditions. Treat the two routes as separate decisions.

Are These Scholarships Renewed Every Year?

Many university scholarships in Turkey are awarded for the normal length of the program, but not all of them are. Some require a minimum GPA or pass rate to be maintained from one year to the next. Read the renewal clause before you commit.

Does a Scholarship Offer Make Admission Certain?

No, a scholarship offer does not make admission or final enrollment certain. The aid is attached to the admission: it takes effect only if you are admitted and confirm your place within the deadline. The offer also stays conditional on a complete file, diploma equivalence included.

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.