Turkey Burslari Scholarship 2026: Who Qualifies and How to Apply

What is the Turkey Burslari Scholarship?

Türkiye Scholarships is a competitive, government-funded programme for international students. It supports full-time or short-term study at top universities in Turkey, and awards are open at associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. The Türkiye Scholarships for International Students listing is the main entry point for most applicants.

The scholarship is unusual because it combines funding with university placement. You list your preferred universities and programmes in the application form, and successful candidates are placed among those preferences. That means you do not need a separate admission offer before you apply.

Applications can only be made individually through the official portal. No institution or person is authorised to apply on your behalf, so any agent promising to submit for you is not part of the process.

What the scholarship covers and what each level pays

The award is a full package rather than a single payment. Every successful candidate receives university and programme placement, tuition fee coverage, a monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, a once-off return flight ticket and a one-year Turkish language course. Academic, social and cultural facilities are also part of the offer.

Stipend amounts and durations are the figures published in our current listing. The official page carries the current figure for the round you are applying in, so check it before you budget.

Who qualifies: academic scores, age limits and eligible groups

Eligibility rests on three things: your citizenship, your academic record and your age at the time you apply. Citizens of all countries can apply, as can graduates or applicants who will graduate at the end of the current academic year, before August. Researchers and academicians are also eligible.

Minimum academic achievement

• Associate and bachelor's degree applicants: 70%
• Master's and doctorate applicants: 75%
• Health sciences (medicine, dentistry and pharmacy) applicants: 90%

Age criteria

• Under 21 for associate and undergraduate programmes
• Under 30 for master's programmes
• Under 35 for doctorate programmes
• Under 50 for research scholarships

Who cannot apply

• Turkish citizens, and individuals who have lost Turkish citizenship
• Individuals currently enrolled in a Turkish university at the level of education they are applying for

Check your age against the first day of the application period, not against the day you start your course. Students who are one year over the limit are turned away regardless of their grades.

Deadlines and the application timeline

The main round for bachelor's, master's and PhD applicants opens in January and closes in February each year. Our listing records the most recent round as opening on 10 January and closing on 20 February, and describes the deadline as annual. Treat that as the shape of the calendar rather than a fixed date: the official page confirms the exact opening and closing dates for 2026.

Research applicants follow a different schedule and can apply throughout the year. Other programmes, including Research Scholarships, Success Scholarships and KATİP, have their own application periods and are announced regularly on the official website and social media channels.

A practical timeline looks like this: gather transcripts and test scores in the months before January, draft your programme preferences, submit well before the closing date, then wait for the assessment stage. Late submissions are not accepted once the portal closes.

How to apply for the Turkey Burslari Scholarship, step by step

1. Read the official guidelines for the level you want before you open the form.
2. Confirm you meet the age limit and the minimum academic score for your level and field.
3. Prepare your documents early, including transcripts and test scores.
4. Check the language requirements and make sure you meet them.
5. Create your application on the official portal at turkiyeburslari.gov.tr. Applications are free of charge.
6. List your university and programme preferences in the form. Placement happens among the preferences you give.
7. Upload every required document and review the form before submitting.
8. Submit well before the deadline to avoid last-minute problems with the portal.

For the current openings, use our filtered list of Turkish Government scholarships.

Documents to prepare before the portal opens

The application asks for evidence of identity, academic history and language ability. Exact requirements vary by level, so confirm the list on the official site. In practice you should have the following ready:

• Passport or national identity document showing your citizenship
• Secondary school diploma or graduation statement, for undergraduate applicants
• Bachelor's or master's diploma and transcripts, for graduate applicants
• National or international exam scores where your country uses them
• Language test results if the programme you want is taught in English, French or German
• A statement of purpose or motivation letter where the form asks for one
• Letters of recommendation if the level requires them

Most programmes at Turkish universities are taught in Turkish, and the scholarship includes a one-year Turkish language course. Some departments and universities offer programmes in English, French or German, so check the language of instruction for each preference you list.

How selection works

The programme is competitive and merit-based, with a strong emphasis on academic excellence. Selection looks at your grades and exam scores first, then at whether your chosen field and level match your background. Because placement is part of the award, the preferences you list and how well they fit your record matter.

There is no published number of awards in our listing, so treat any figure you see elsewhere with caution and check the official page. Shortlisted candidates are typically invited to an interview or assessment stage; the official site explains the format for the current round.

Who it suits and who should look elsewhere

This scholarship suits high-achieving international students who want a fully funded degree in Turkey and are happy to be placed in a university from their preference list. It also suits researchers and academicians who want a short research stay and can use the year-round research route.

It is a weaker fit if you are set on one specific university and will not accept placement elsewhere, or if you are already enrolled in a Turkish university at the level you want to study. Students who want a scholarship tied to a single named institution should look at university-specific awards instead. If you are comparing destinations, our guides to scholarships in Germany and scholarships in Italy show what European funding looks like alongside this one.

Common mistakes that cost applicants the award

• Applying through an agent. Only individual applications through the official portal are accepted.
• Missing the age limit by a few months because you checked the course start date instead of the application period.
• Applying below the minimum score, for example 70% for a health sciences programme that requires 90%.
• Listing preferences you would not actually accept, then being placed in one of them.
• Leaving documents until the final week and hitting portal problems.
• Ignoring the language of instruction for the programmes you choose.
• Assuming the research route has the same deadline as the bachelor's and master's round. It runs throughout the year.

Other Turkish government scholarships and alternatives

Türkiye Scholarships is the main government route, but it is not the only one. The Turkiye Scholarships for International Undergraduate Students listing describes the undergraduate programmes, which include the Regional Undergraduate Scholarship Programmes, the Ibn-i Sina Medical Sciences Scholarship Programme, the Yunus Emre Turkish Language Scholarship Programme and the Islamic Theology Scholarship Programme. You may apply to only one scholarship programme, chosen to match your background and goals.

For scientific fields, the TUBITAK Graduate Scholarships for International Students are funded by TÜBİTAK, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, for master's and PhD study in natural sciences, engineering, medical sciences, agricultural sciences, social sciences and humanities. Clinical sciences fall outside that programme. The official site has the current round, deadline and amounts.

If you are still choosing a country, browse scholarships by country or the full scholarship finder. Field-specific lists such as engineering scholarships and medicine scholarships help you widen the search.