Türkiye Scholarships 2027 and Other Scholarships in Turkey

The main scholarship for international students in Turkey is Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları), a government-funded program for bachelor's, master's and PhD students. You apply once a year, from 10 January to 20 February, on the TBBS online system. It covers tuition, accommodation, health insurance, a flight, a one-year Turkish course and a monthly stipend.

If you do not get it, you can still lower your costs with tuition waivers from universities, many of which evaluate international applicants automatically. This guide explains both, using official pages only.

What Türkiye Scholarships covers

According to Türkiye Scholarships, full-time scholarships include:

• University and department placement
• Full tuition
• A one-year Turkish language course
• Accommodation: a dorm for bachelor's students throughout their studies; for graduate students a dorm in the first year, then a housing allowance (6,000 TL in Istanbul or Ankara, 5,000 TL elsewhere; year not stated)
• Health insurance
• A once-off flight ticket at the beginning of your studies and when you graduate
• A monthly stipend, paid into a Turkish bank account you open on arrival

Who can apply

Citizens of all countries can apply, including students who graduate by the end of the current academic year (before August). Turkish citizens, former Turkish citizens, and people already enrolled at a Turkish university at the level they are applying for are not eligible.

How to apply on TBBS, step by step

1. 1

   Prepare documents before January

   ID card or passport, a photo taken within the last year, national exam results (if any), diploma or temporary graduation certificate, transcript, international exam results (GRE, GMAT, SAT etc.) and language results such as TOEFL if your program requires them. PhD applicants add a research proposal and writing sample.

2. 2

   Create your TBBS application

   Apply on tbbs.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr between 10 January and 20 February.

3. 3

   Choose up to 12 programs

   Pick university and program combinations carefully; make sure each program exists and matches your background. Use the Study in Türkiye program search.

4. 4

   Document evaluation (March–April)

   Applications are reviewed against the criteria.

5. 5

   Interviews (April–June)

   Shortlisted candidates are invited to interviews.

6. 6

   Results (early August)

   Results are announced in early August, initial procedures follow in August, and grantees travel to Turkey in September.

The calendar above is from the official application calendar, which does not label a year; the program states the 10 January – 20 February window applies every year. For the 2027/28 intake, that means applying in January–February 2027.

Other government programs

• Success Scholarship: the official calendar lists applications in October–November with results in November. According to Study in Türkiye, it covers only monthly pocket money, not insurance or tuition.
• Research Scholarship: for researchers and academics under 50, with four application periods a year.
• Erasmus+ exchange: students coming for Erasmus+ mobility are exempt from tuition fees, according to Study in Türkiye. This applies to exchange, not full degrees.

University scholarships and tuition waivers

Many private universities reduce their list price for international students. In most cases there is no separate application: your offer letter states the discount. Several public universities in our data do not offer their own scholarships for international degree students: Boğaziçi states it does not offer scholarships or financial aid to international students, and Izmir Institute of Technology points to Türkiye Scholarships instead.

Funding for master's and PhD students

Graduate funding is often more generous than bachelor's funding at research universities, but it is decided program by program:

• Bilkent says about 90% of its graduate students receive a tuition waiver and/or a stipend.
• Sabancı says most graduate students receive tuition waivers, many with monthly stipends and housing or transport support.
• Kadir Has offers up to 70% for non-thesis master's; thesis master's and PhD scholarships depend on the application evaluation.
• Ibn Haldun University lists graduate teaching and research assistantship scholarships.
• At METU, graduate students can get 50% or 100% tuition discounts depending on their CGPA.

Ask the graduate school about funding when you apply, and mention in your statement of purpose if you are applying for an assistantship.

Scholarships and discounts for Afghan students

Türkiye Scholarships is open to citizens of all countries, including Afghanistan. Some private universities also give country discounts that include Afghan nationals:

• Istanbul Okan University: a 20% country discount for Afghan students on English-taught bachelor's programs with USD 5,000 tuition.
• Istanbul Medipol University: a 15% special-country scholarship for Afghan nationals for 2026/27.
• Check each university's fee page: some nationality discounts (for example an extra USD 250 at Istanbul Gelişim) do not list Afghanistan.

Türkiye Scholarships or a university waiver?

The best plan for most students is to do both: apply to Türkiye Scholarships in January–February and, at the same time, apply directly to several universities whose waivers and fees you can afford. If you win the government scholarship, you can then decide which offer to accept.

After you win Türkiye Scholarships

• You travel to Turkey in September, with your flight ticket covered.
• You open a Turkish bank account on arrival so the stipend can be paid.
• Bachelor's students are placed in a dorm for their whole studies; graduate students get a dorm in the first year and a housing allowance after that.
• Unless you hold a C1 Turkish certificate, you spend the first year on the Turkish language course before starting your program.
• You still need your student residence permit; see our Turkey student visa guide.

Tips for a stronger application

• Start gathering documents in November and December so you can apply early in the window.
• Choose programs that match your previous studies; the 12 choices should make sense together.
• Check age limits on the date the program uses; being one year too old disqualifies you.
• Take an accepted English test if your programs require one, and know that the scholarship still includes a year of Turkish.
• Apply directly to universities as well, as a backup: Türkiye Scholarships results only arrive in early August.

Mistakes that make you ineligible

• Applying after 20 February: the system closes and there is no second general round in the year.
• Being over the age limit for your level (21 for bachelor's, 30 for master's, 35 for PhD).
• Having a grade below the minimum (70%, 75%, or 90% for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy).
• Choosing graduate programs in health sciences, where no graduate scholarships are offered.
• Applying while already enrolled at a Turkish university at the same level.
• Leaving out test results that your chosen programs require, such as TOEFL, GRE or SAT.

Read the criteria page carefully before you start, and keep copies of everything you upload.