Türkiye Bursları 2027: how to win a full scholarship in Türkiye

Türkiye Bursları is the government scholarship run by YTB

Türkiye Bursları (Türkiye Scholarships) is a government-funded, competitive scholarship for international students and researchers⁴. It is coordinated by YTB, the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities¹⁰.

It funds full degrees at associate, bachelor's, master's and PhD level⁴. Unlike most scholarships, it also places you: you choose up to 12 university and program preferences, and YTB assigns the place¹.

Citizens of every country can apply, including students who will graduate before August of the application year². Turkish citizens, people who gave up Turkish citizenship, and students already enrolled at a Turkish university at the level they apply for cannot apply².

What the scholarship covers, level by level

The full-time scholarship has the same seven parts at every level⁷. Only the stipend and the housing rules change between levels¹.

Source for every row: the Türkiye Scholarships coverage page¹. Dormitories are KYK state dormitories or private dormitories linked to KYK¹. Students in the Merit Scholarship Program receive twice the regular monthly stipend¹⁷.

Türkiye Bursları 2027 deadline: 10 January to 20 February

The main call opens once a year. The official program pages state that applications are received between 10 January and 20 February, "which is the application period every year"⁷.

On 31 October 2026 the 2027 call itself had not yet been announced. The latest call, for 2026, ran from 10 January to 20 February 2026 for students from all countries⁴. Expect the 2027 call on the same dates, and confirm it on the announcements page in late December.

1. 1

   10 January - 20 February

   Online application on TBBS³.

2. 2

   March - April

   Document review and expert evaluation³.

3. 3

   April - June

   Tests and interviews for shortlisted candidates³.

4. 4

   Early August

   Results announced³.

5. 5

   August

   Acceptance, visa and initial procedures³.

6. 6

   September

   Scholars travel to Türkiye and start the Turkish course³.

Who can apply: age limits and minimum grades by level

Applications are first screened for age, minimum grades and documents⁶. Missing one of these ends the application before anyone reads your letter.

Source: the criteria and programs page². At master's and PhD level, Türkiye Bursları does not award scholarships in health sciences⁷.

The Merit Scholarship Program sets a higher bar

A smaller Merit Scholarship Program pays double the stipend⁷. Every level needs a 90% grade average, plus test scores⁷:

• Bachelor's: 90% plus one of SAT 1400 (math 680) for engineering or 1350 for other fields, IB 33, a top-10 national exam rank, or an international science olympiad medal; TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.5 also counts as the language score⁷.
• Master's: 90% plus ALES or GRE (for example GRE quantitative 155 for engineering), and TOEFL iBT 90 or IELTS 7.0⁷.
• PhD: 90% plus ALES or GRE (GRE quantitative 160 for engineering, 157 for other fields), and TOEFL iBT 90 or IELTS 7.0⁷.

How to apply: documents and a month-by-month plan

Everything is uploaded to TBBS. You do not post paper documents during the application⁵.

• Valid passport or national ID card⁵.
• Photo taken within the last year⁵.
• Diploma or temporary graduation certificate, and your transcript⁵.
• National exam results, if your country has one⁵.
• International test results (SAT, GRE, GMAT) if a chosen program requires them⁵.
• Language certificate such as TOEFL or DELF if a chosen program requires it⁵.
• PhD only: a research proposal and a sample of your written research⁵.

1. 1

   October - November

   Choose up to 12 programs; check that the degree will be recognised at home. See degree recognition⁷.

2. 2

   December

   Collect transcripts, a recent photo and any test scores; book SAT, GRE or IELTS early if a program asks for them⁵.

3. 3

   10 January - 20 February

   Fill in the TBBS form, write the letter of intent and upload the documents⁴⁵.

4. 4

   March - June

   Watch your TBBS account and email for an interview invitation; bring originals of your latest diploma and certificates³⁶.

5. 5

   August - September

   If awarded, apply for the student visa with the invitation letter, then travel³⁹.

The letter of intent: what the reviewers look at

Expert reviewers score your academic record, previous qualifications, academic interests, career goals, the consistency of your 12 preferences, the content of your letter of intent and your social activities⁶. So the letter should explain why these programs, how they connect to your record, and what you plan to do with the degree. Preferences that point in one clear direction are part of the score⁶.

Selection: review, test, interview and final list

Applications are judged on academic success, social activities and motivation for the chosen field⁶. The process has five stages⁶.

1. 1

   Preliminary assessment

   Minimum grades, age limit and required documents are checked⁶.

2. 2

   Expert evaluation

   A committee reads eligible files and sets the interview list⁶.

3. 3

   Test (bachelor's)

   30 questions of mathematics, geometry and logic in 60 minutes, on the interview day; explanations come in Turkish and English⁶.

4. 4

   Interview

   Usually 15 to 30 minutes with academics and experts: document check, your purpose, academic knowledge and career goals⁶.

5. 5

   Final assessment

   A selection committee reviews interview results and draws up the scholar list⁶.

YTB says it holds face-to-face interviews in the candidates' own countries¹⁰. In countries with very many applicants, such as Afghanistan and Sudan, the test can grow to 80 to 100 questions⁶.

Your chances: about 4,000 scholarships for 125,000 to 200,000 applicants

Applications in 2025

125,668

Applications in 2026

~200,000

Scholars per year

~4,000

Applications in 2012

~10,000

YTB reported 125,668 applications from 171 countries in 2025¹¹ and nearly 200,000 in 2026, a record¹⁰. The program had about 10,000 applications in its first year, 2012¹⁰.

YTB does not publish an acceptance rate. Its president said in a YTB release that Türkiye brings "around 4,000" scholars a year¹². Dividing gives about 3 winners in 100 applicants in 2025, and about 2 in 100 in 2026. That is our estimate, not an official figure.

Because the odds are this low, the strongest strategy is two applications at once: Türkiye Bursları in January and February, and a self-funded or discounted place at a university that admits you directly. Compare costs in tuition fees in Türkiye.

Rules after you win: Turkish course, attendance, grades and work

Winning is the start of a contract. YTB's scholarship directive sets the rules, and breaking them cuts or cancels the scholarship⁹.

• Every scholar without a C1 Turkish certificate takes the one-year Turkish course, even if the degree is taught in English⁵⁸.
• The course is 960 hours of Turkish and 140 hours of academic Turkish, and ends with a C1 certificate⁸.
• More than 20 hours of absence in a month cuts the stipend by 25%; more than 100 unexcused hours in total cancels the scholarship⁸⁹.
• A student who fails the course has the scholarship frozen until C1 is obtained, and cancelled if it is still missing at the end of the second year⁸.
• A bachelor's student whose grade average falls below 1.00 out of 4.00 after the first year has the stipend cut by 50%, and later years below 1.00 cancel the scholarship⁹.
• The scholarship lasts the normal length of the program plus the Turkish year; master's is 2 years and PhD 4 years⁹.
• Only master's and PhD students who have finished the preparatory year may work, in their field, with YTB approval and a work permit; the stipend may then be cut or frozen⁹.
• Taking a scholarship from an international organisation or another Turkish public body cancels Türkiye Bursları⁹.

Scholars need a student visa from a Turkish consulate and then a residence permit in Türkiye⁹. Read the Turkish student visa guide and the student residence permit guide for both steps.

Other ways to fund your studies in Türkiye

Tuition waivers at foundation universities

Foundation (private, non-profit) universities set their own international scholarships. They are decided with the admission, so you apply to the university, not to YTB. Three examples, as published on 31 October 2026:

• Bilkent University: tuition waivers at five levels from 20% to 100%, and dormitory scholarships for some full-waiver students; you must keep an annual average of 2.00 out of 4.00¹⁶.
• Sabancı University: list tuition is 36,500 USD a year for 2026-2027, with waivers of 25%, 40%, 50%, 60% or 75%; every applicant is assessed automatically¹⁷¹⁸.
• Istanbul Medipol University: a 15% country discount for a published list of nationalities, and full, 50% and 25% waivers for the top three students of each class; Iran is not on the country list¹⁹.

Other programs, checked

• Success Scholarship: for international students already studying in Türkiye at their own expense with outstanding grades; it pays the monthly stipend only, for one year, with applications in October and November¹³.
• Türkiye Scholarships and IsDB joint program: for students from Islamic Development Bank member countries and Muslim communities; same coverage and same 10 January to 20 February window, chosen inside the TBBS form¹⁴.
• TÜBİTAK 2215: often still listed online, but TÜBİTAK has repealed this graduate scholarship for international students and points applicants to Türkiye Bursları¹⁵.

If you pay your own way, budget tuition with our tuition fee tables and living costs with the cost of living guide. You can then compare universities in the university finder.