Turkey has become among the most preferred study destinations for foreign students around the world. The quality of education, the affordable cost of living, and Turkey’s cultural diversity have made it a suitable educational destination. Moreover, the abundance of scholarships in Turkey for international students whether from the government or private Turkish universities attracts thousands of applicants every year.
Various educational institutions provide full scholarships in Turkey to attract foreign students and to provide scientific research opportunities in Turkish universities.
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Scholarships in Turkey for International students
There are two types of scholarships offered for international students in Turkey. The first is fully-funded scholarships that cover the costs of study and living. The other type offers an exemption from tuition fees, which is usually provided by private universities. The percentage of tuition fee exemption varies and could go up to 100%.
Usually, students can apply for scholarships in Turkey online, and the documents required during the online applications differ from one scholarship to another, however, in general, the following documents are required by the majority of scholarships.
- An identification document (such as a passport).
- Academic record for the last educational level.
- Resume.
- Academic recommendation letter.
- Motivation letter.
Some universities may also require proof of English language proficiency, or a research outline/proposal for Masters and PhD applicants. Students are usually interviewed by the university.
In this article,  OPPGATE platform highlights the best scholarships in Turkey that International students can apply for. This guide will include the top 3 scholarships including government and private scholarships.
Turkish government scholarship
The Turkish government scholarship is the most popular among international students, as the number of applicants reaches 150,000 annually. The scholarship is fully funded and covers tuition fees, living costs, and travel expenses throughout the study period, and students are also provided the opportunity to learn Turkish during the first preparatory year. The Turkish Government Scholarship is one of the most competitive scholarships worldwide due to the large number of applicants. The application process is relatively easier and it does not require a certificate of English language proficiency such as TOEFL or IELTS which can be an obstacle for many. Its flexible eligibility criteria allow a wide range of students to apply.
Students around the world can apply for the Turkish Scholarships to study a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate. It also offers several scholarships for scientific research (post-doctoral level).
The scholarship application period opens in January of each year and ends in mid-February. Applicants get interviewed at the Turkish embassy of the country of residence
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Koç University Turkish scholarships
Koc University, which was founded in 1993, ranks among the world’s top 500 universities, based on the TOPUNIVERSITIES ranking .
Koç University is a private, non-profit university located in Istanbul, Turkey, and is known for its scientific research contributions. It embraces creative education as a fundamental principle for managing its educational programs.
Koç University Scholarships offers fully-funded scholarships for international students around the world for postgraduate studies in Turkey. Students can apply for a scholarship in one of the programs offered in one of their four faculty’s  (Master/ PhD  with Thesis):
- Graduate School of Business.
- Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering.
- Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities.
- Graduate School of Health Sciences
The scholarship provided by Koç University covers all costs throughout the study period, including housing and tuition fees. Awarded applicants receive a monthly stipend to cover personal expenses. The university requires the student to obtain one of the international academic tests, such as the GRE and a certificate of proficiency in English such as TOEFL or IELTS. Furthermore, Koç University offers a limited number of scholarships to undergraduate students that include tuition fee waivers ranging from 25% to 100%.
Ibn Haldun University scholarship
Although Ibn Haldun University is a newly established educational institution (founded in 2015), it ranked first in terms of the ratio of international students to the total number of students in Turkey. Ibn Haldun University is a private university that focuses on science and social studies and offers different programs in English, Turkish, and Arabic.
The university offers partial undergraduate scholarships and several fully-funded scholarships for international students to study in Turkey for postgraduate degrees. The scholarships for postgraduate studies at Ibn Haldun University are classified as follows.
- Ibn Haldun Merit Scholarship (UBB)Â
This scholarship is considered the most competitive and is awarded to applicants with an outstanding academic and research record. The student receives a monthly stipend (about 2,500 liras), student housing, and an exemption from tuition fees.
- Full Scholarship (TAB)
A scholarship awarded based on academic merit, candidates’ scholarship applications are evaluated by the university committee and personal interviews are conducted during the selection process. Awarded applications receive a monthly stipend (about 1,500 liras), student housing, and an exemption from tuition fees.
- Tuition Waiver Scholarship – Tuition Waiver (OGB)
Recipients of this scholarship enjoy a full tuition waiver for the duration of the study.
What are the best scholarships in Turkey?
It may be difficult to give one answer to this question as the scholarships offered for international students in Turkey differ in terms of difficulty of applying on the one hand and competitiveness on the other hand. Turkish government scholarships might be the easiest to apply for but the larger number of applicants reduces applicants’ chances.
Either way, applying to more than one scholarship does no harm if the applicant is eligible for the institution he/she is applying to.
You can browse our website to view all the scholarship details mentioned above. And remember that pre-preparing documents save you a lot of time and effort.
Find out about scholarships and study opportunities in Turkey.
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