Why Turkey Shows Up in More Scholarship Searches Now
Turkey runs one of the largest fully funded scholarship programs in the world by number of recipients: Türkiye Bursları, the Turkish government’s scholarship scheme for international students. If you’re comparing scholarship heavy destinations for a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD, it’s worth understanding on its own terms, because its rules, calendar and visa mechanics work differently from the European destinations covered elsewhere on this site.
Türkiye Bursları: What It Actually Covers, With Real Numbers
Türkiye Bursları’s own “Why Türkiye Scholarships?” page lists what it covers as a fixed set: university and department placement, tuition fees, a one year Turkish language course, accommodation, a once off flight ticket, general health insurance, and a monthly stipend. That combination, tuition, living costs and travel all covered, is what lets this guide call it fully funded, using the same standard applied across this site’s other funding guides. The same page also lists a Türkiye Alumni Network as part of the package, a benefit worth knowing about if long term professional connections in Turkey matter to your plans.
Unlike some fully funded programs that keep their stipend confidential, Türkiye Bursları publishes the actual monthly rate directly on its own site: 4,500 Turkish lira at associate’s and bachelor’s level, 6,500 lira at master’s level, and 9,000 lira at PhD level, paid into a bank account opened after arrival. Academically qualified students can receive double that rate under the programme’s separate Merit Scholarship track. Turkish lira exchange rates move quickly, so convert the current figure yourself before budgeting rather than relying on a fixed dollar or euro equivalent quoted anywhere, including here.
Who Actually Qualifies
Eligibility is broad on nationality and specific on academic performance and age. Citizens of any country other than Turkey can apply, provided you have graduated, or will graduate before August of the application year, and you are not already enrolled at a Turkish university at the same degree level you’re applying for.
The minimum academic average required is 70% for associate and bachelor’s degree applicants, 75% for graduate level (master’s and doctoral) applicants, and 90% for anyone applying to Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy specifically.
Age limits apply by degree level too: under 21 for associate and bachelor’s programs, under 30 for master’s, under 35 for PhD, and under 50 for the Research Scholarship track aimed at postdoctoral researchers and academics.
The Calendar: Three Programs, Three Clocks
Türkiye Bursları isn’t a single annual deadline. The main scholarship program, which covers most bachelor’s, master’s and PhD applicants, opens in mid January and closes in late February. Evaluation runs through March and April, interviews happen between April and June, results are announced in early August, and successful applicants complete placement paperwork and travel to Turkey that same month and into September.
A separate Success Scholarship track, aimed at applicants with stronger academic records who may already hold a university offer, opens later, in October and November, with results following that November. The Research Scholarship track, for postdoctoral and academic applicants, runs four separate cycles a year, each about three months long, with results announced roughly a month after each window closes.
Missing the general program’s February deadline doesn’t necessarily rule you out for that year. Check whether the Success Scholarship track fits your profile before waiting for the next general cycle to open.
The Visa Step, Then a Separate Residence Permit Step
Getting into Turkey to study is a two part process, and the two parts go through different offices.
The first part is the student visa, which you apply for at the Turkish consulate nearest you, through the government’s online portal at konsolosluk.gov.tr, once you have an admission letter in hand. Turkey’s official study portal advises applying as soon as that letter arrives, since processing takes time and the exact document list depends on your country of citizenship. Confirm your specific requirements on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ visa pages before booking a consulate appointment.
The second part is the residence permit (ikamet), which is separate from the entry visa and only becomes relevant after you arrive and formally register at your university. Under a protocol between the Council of Higher Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that took effect on 29 November 2023, students at every level, from associate through doctoral, are instructed to submit their residence permit paperwork to their university’s relevant office (Student Affairs Office or International Student Office) as soon as possible after registering, rather than waiting for an appointment date to come up on its own. The government’s own portal points applicants to e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr, Turkey’s national e-residence system, for the application itself.
Don’t assume your entry visa covers your whole stay. It gets you into the country; the residence permit is what lets you remain legally and handle everything else, from opening a bank account to renewing your enrollment each year. If you’re trying to work out how much money you’ll need to show at any stage of this process, this site’s guide to proof of funds explains how that requirement usually works in general, though Turkey’s own document list should always come from the consulate handling your case.
Beyond the Government Scholarship
Türkiye Bursları is the biggest funding route into Turkey, but it isn’t the only one. Individual Turkish universities, especially the larger state universities and a number of private ones, run their own tuition waivers and merit scholarships for international applicants, sitting outside the government program with separate deadlines set by each institution. If a private Turkish university is on your list, ask its international admissions office directly what it offers rather than assuming Türkiye Bursları is your only option.
Turkey is also listed as an eligible country under the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, according to the European Commission’s own country page for the scheme. In practice, that matters most if you’re already studying at a partner institution and want a mobility placement in Turkey, or if you’re applying to a broader Erasmus Mundus joint master’s that includes a Turkish university among its partner institutions, rather than as a direct route to a full degree scholarship inside Turkey on its own.
Before You Commit to an Application
Türkiye Bursları asks for a full application file up front: transcripts, a statement of purpose, references, and for many graduate applicants, a research proposal. If a Turkish master’s or PhD is what you’re aiming for, this site’s guide on what a funded postgraduate application actually wants from a research proposal is worth reading before you start drafting, since expectations here aren’t identical to what a UK or US program asks for.
Whatever figures and dates you take from this guide, verify them against turkiyeburslari.gov.tr directly before you build a timeline around them. Government scholarship calendars shift by a few weeks from year to year, and the program’s own criteria pages update more often than most third party scholarship databases keep up with.
Claims
CLAIM: Türkiye Bursları covers university and department placement, tuition fees, a Turkish language course, accommodation, a once off flight ticket, health insurance, a monthly stipend, and a Türkiye Alumni Network. EVIDENCE: The official “Why Türkiye Scholarships?” page lists, item by item: “Provides university and department placements,” “Covers tuition fees,” a “1-year Turkish language course,” “Provides accommodation,” “Covers your once-off flight ticket,” “general health insurance,” “monthly stipend,” and includes “Türkiye Alumni Network” among the highlighted benefit icons on the same page. SOURCE: https://turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/whyturkiyescholarships
CLAIM: The published monthly stipend is 4,500 Turkish lira at associate’s and bachelor’s level, 6,500 lira at master’s level, and 9,000 lira at PhD level, with academically qualified students eligible for double that rate under the Merit Scholarship track. EVIDENCE: The same official page states the monthly stipend is “4.500 TL at Associate’s and Bachelor’s levels, 6.500 TL at Master’s level and 9.000 TL at PhD level,” and that “Academically qualified students will be rewarded with monthly stipend 2 times higher than the regular payment as part of Merit Scholarship Program.” SOURCE: https://turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/whyturkiyescholarships
CLAIM: The minimum academic average required is 70% for associate/bachelor’s applicants, 75% for graduate (master’s and PhD) applicants, and 90% for Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy applicants. EVIDENCE: The official criteria page lists “For associate and bachelor’s degree candidates %70,” “For graduate candidates: 75%,” and “For candidates of Health Sciences (Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy): 90%.” SOURCE: https://www.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/scholarshipsprograms
CLAIM: Age limits are under 21 for associate/bachelor’s, under 30 for master’s, under 35 for PhD, and under 50 for the Research Scholarship. EVIDENCE: The official criteria page states “For associate and bachelor’s degree programmes: Under 21 years of age,” “For master’s programs: being under the age of 30,” “For PhD programs: being under the age of 35,” and “For Research Scholarship: being under the age of 50.” SOURCE: https://www.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/scholarshipsprograms
CLAIM: Türkiye Bursları is open to citizens of all countries except Turkish citizens and those who have lost Turkish citizenship, and excludes applicants already enrolled at a Turkish university at the same degree level. EVIDENCE: The official page lists eligible applicants as “Citizens of all countries” who have graduated or will graduate before August, plus researchers and academics, while stating “Turkish citizens and individuals who have lost Turkish citizenship” are ineligible, along with those already enrolled at the same education level in Turkey. SOURCE: https://www.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/scholarshipsprograms
CLAIM: The general Türkiye Bursları program’s application window runs 10 January to 20 February, with evaluation in March to April, interviews in April to June, results in early August, and transfer to Turkey in September; the Success Scholarship applies October to November with results in November; the Research Scholarship runs four cycles a year. EVIDENCE: The official calendar lists the general program’s “Application Period” as running from January 10 to February 20, evaluation as March to April, interviews as April to June, results as early August, and transfer to Türkiye in September, the Success Scholarship’s application period as running October to November with results that November, and four Research Scholarship cycles across the year. SOURCE: https://www.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/calendar
CLAIM: Students must obtain a student visa from the nearest Turkish consulate, applying as soon as they receive their admission letter, through the online portal at konsolosluk.gov.tr. EVIDENCE: Turkey’s official study portal states students “must obtain a student visa from nearest Turkish Republic Consulate” and advises applying “as soon as you receive your admission letter,” with applications made through konsolosluk.gov.tr. SOURCE: https://www.studyinturkiye.gov.tr/StudyinTurkey/ShowDetail?rID=Egqvn0o1tiU%3D&cId=PE4Nr0mMoY4%3D
CLAIM: Under a protocol between the Council of Higher Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that took effect on 29 November 2023, students at all degree levels must submit residence permit documents to their university’s Student Affairs Office or International Student Office as soon as possible after registering, without waiting for an appointment date. EVIDENCE: The official portal states that “based on the protocol signed between the Presidency of the Council of Higher Education and our Ministry, which entered into force on 29 November 2023,” students are required to submit the specified documents “to the relevant unit (Student Affairs Office or International Student Office) of the university that they are enrolled at as soon as possible, without waiting for the appointment date.” SOURCE: https://www.studyinturkiye.gov.tr/StudyinTurkey/ShowDetail?rID=Egqvn0o1tiU%3D&cId=PE4Nr0mMoY4%3D
CLAIM: Turkey (Türkiye) is listed as an eligible country under the EU’s Erasmus+ programme. EVIDENCE: The European Commission’s official Erasmus+ site maintains a dedicated “Applying for Erasmus+ in Türkiye” page under its possibilities by country listings, confirming Türkiye’s status as an eligible country for the scheme. SOURCE: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/opportunities/possibilities-by-country/en_turkiye