Türkiye Bursları Challenge: How the Turkish Government Scholarship Works
Synopsis
Türkiye Bursları is the Turkish government's scholarship for international students. Applications run 10 January to 20 February; undergraduates must be under 21 with at least 70%. It covers tuition, housing and a stipend. Last checked 15 October 2026.
The Challenge
Türkiye Bursları Challenge: A Fully Funded Degree in Türkiye
Last checked: 15 October 2026, against the official Türkiye Scholarships website (turkiyeburslari.gov.tr): the application calendar, the criteria page, the page on what the scholarship covers, the application steps and the evaluation process. The calendar lists one general application window each year. The official site still showed the 2026 announcement when we checked and had not yet published the 2027 one, so confirm the exact dates on the official site before you plan around them.
Türkiye Bursları (Türkiye Scholarships) is the Turkish government’s scholarship for international students. It gives you a university and department place and a scholarship together, rather than making you find a university first. Students from more than 100 countries reach the interview stage, so you compete with a worldwide pool.
Türkiye Bursları at a glance
- Application window every year: 10 January to 20 February
- After you apply: evaluation in March and April, interviews from April to June, results in early August, initial procedures in August and travel to Türkiye in September
- How to apply: online through the official application system (TBBS), free of charge, in one of 8 languages including English
- Programme choices: up to 12 universities and programmes in one application
- Age for bachelor’s degrees: under 21
- Minimum marks for bachelor’s degrees: 70%, and 90% for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy
- Who can apply: citizens of any country except Türkiye, who are graduates or will graduate before August of the current academic year
What the scholarship covers
The official page lists university and department placement, tuition fees, a one-year Turkish language course, accommodation, health insurance, a once-off flight ticket and a monthly stipend. Undergraduates can stay in a dormitory for the whole degree, and the dormitory fee is covered. The stipend is 6,500 Turkish lira a month at bachelor’s level, and academically qualified students under the Merit Scholarship Program receive double. Awardees who do not already hold a C1 Turkish certificate, including those placed in English-taught programmes, attend the one-year language course and must reach C1 by the end of that year.
How applications are judged
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Preliminary check | Your application is checked against the basics: minimum marks, age limit and required documents. |
| Expert evaluation | A committee looks at your academic record, interests, career goals, whether your programme choices are consistent, your letter of intent and your social activities. |
| Test | Undergraduate candidates sit a 30-question test of mathematics, geometry and logic in 60 minutes, before the interview. |
| Interview | A 15 to 30 minute interview covering your documents, why you applied, your academic knowledge and your career goals. It takes place on the same day as the test. |
| Final assessment | A selection committee draws up the list of scholarship winners. |
The official site publishes a mock test of sample questions with an answer key. The test follows each country’s curriculum and also takes the Turkish curriculum into account, and candidates for health, science and engineering fields need enough English to understand the English questions.
Documents you upload
Per the official application steps: a valid ID card or passport, a photograph taken within the last year, national exam results if you have any, your diploma or temporary graduation certificate, and your transcript. If the university or programme you choose asks for them, you also upload international exam results such as the SAT and a language test such as TOEFL. Many Turkish university programmes are taught in Turkish, but some are taught in English or other languages, and for those you need an accepted language certificate.
Why Türkiye Bursları is hard
- The window is about six weeks. It runs from 10 January to 20 February, so everything must be ready beforehand.
- The age limit is tight. Undergraduates must be under 21, so most students get only one or two chances.
- You compete worldwide. Interview candidates come from more than 100 countries.
- The test comes first. A 30-question, 60-minute maths, geometry and logic test is on the same day as your interview.
- Your choices are part of the judging. The committee looks at how consistent your 12 programme choices are with your goals.
- A new language. Even English-taught programmes begin with a year of Turkish.
Your Türkiye Bursları challenge
Be ready before the window opens: documents, a clear reason for your field and country, and 12 programme choices that make sense together. Then prepare for the test and the interview, which come later than the application. The matching Türkiye Bursları solution lays out the steps month by month.
Common Türkiye Bursları preparation mistakes
Waiting for the window to open before collecting documents. Choosing 12 programmes at random. Ignoring the language of instruction. Missing that graduation must be completed before August of the application year. Paying an agent to apply, when the official application is free. Skipping practice for the test. Giving vague answers about why you chose your field and Türkiye.
Related guides and free reading
- Türkiye Bursları solution: a plan for your application, test and interview
- IELTS challenge: the English test for study abroad
- SAT challenge: the digital SAT
- HEC Need-Based Scholarship challenge
- LUMS admission challenge
- Free chapter: Career Planning
- Free chapter: Effective Communication Skills and Confidence in Communication
Official sources
- Türkiye Scholarships application calendar
- Criteria and scholarship programmes
- What the scholarship covers
- Application in 5 steps
- Evaluation and selection process, with the sample test
- Application portal: tbbs.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
FAQ: Türkiye Bursları
Q: Do I need to know Turkish?
A: No. If you do not hold a C1 Turkish certificate you attend a one-year Turkish language course after you arrive, and you must reach C1 by the end of that year.
Q: Do I need IELTS or the SAT?
A: Only if the programme or university you choose asks for them. The scholarship application itself lists them as required only when the programme requires them.
Q: Does it cost anything to apply?
A: No. Applications are free of charge through the official online system, so you never need to pay an agent.
Q: I am in FSc Part 1. Can I apply?
A: The criteria say candidates are graduates or will graduate before August of the current academic year. Students finishing FSc Part 2 in 2027 would apply in the January 2027 window, while Part 1 students would apply the following year. Check the age rule for your year on the official site.
Q: Can I apply if I am already studying in Türkiye?
A: Not at the same level. People currently enrolled at a Turkish university at the level they are applying for are not eligible.
Türkiye Bursları Challenge: A Fully Funded Degree in Türkiye
Last checked: 15 October 2026, against the official Türkiye Scholarships website (turkiyeburslari.gov.tr): the application calendar, the criteria page, the page on what the scholarship covers, the application steps and the evaluation process. The calendar lists one general application window each year. The official site still showed the 2026 announcement when we checked and had not yet published the 2027 one, so confirm the exact dates on the official site before you plan around them.
Türkiye Bursları (Türkiye Scholarships) is the Turkish government’s scholarship for international students. It gives you a university and department place and a scholarship together, rather than making you find a university first. Students from more than 100 countries reach the interview stage, so you compete with a worldwide pool.
Türkiye Bursları at a glance
- Application window every year: 10 January to 20 February
- After you apply: evaluation in March and April, interviews from April to June, results in early August, initial procedures in August and travel to Türkiye in September
- How to apply: online through the official application system (TBBS), free of charge, in one of 8 languages including English
- Programme choices: up to 12 universities and programmes in one application
- Age for bachelor’s degrees: under 21
- Minimum marks for bachelor’s degrees: 70%, and 90% for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy
- Who can apply: citizens of any country except Türkiye, who are graduates or will graduate before August of the current academic year
What the scholarship covers
The official page lists university and department placement, tuition fees, a one-year Turkish language course, accommodation, health insurance, a once-off flight ticket and a monthly stipend. Undergraduates can stay in a dormitory for the whole degree, and the dormitory fee is covered. The stipend is 6,500 Turkish lira a month at bachelor’s level, and academically qualified students under the Merit Scholarship Program receive double. Awardees who do not already hold a C1 Turkish certificate, including those placed in English-taught programmes, attend the one-year language course and must reach C1 by the end of that year.
How applications are judged
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Preliminary check | Your application is checked against the basics: minimum marks, age limit and required documents. |
| Expert evaluation | A committee looks at your academic record, interests, career goals, whether your programme choices are consistent, your letter of intent and your social activities. |
| Test | Undergraduate candidates sit a 30-question test of mathematics, geometry and logic in 60 minutes, before the interview. |
| Interview | A 15 to 30 minute interview covering your documents, why you applied, your academic knowledge and your career goals. It takes place on the same day as the test. |
| Final assessment | A selection committee draws up the list of scholarship winners. |
The official site publishes a mock test of sample questions with an answer key. The test follows each country’s curriculum and also takes the Turkish curriculum into account, and candidates for health, science and engineering fields need enough English to understand the English questions.
Documents you upload
Per the official application steps: a valid ID card or passport, a photograph taken within the last year, national exam results if you have any, your diploma or temporary graduation certificate, and your transcript. If the university or programme you choose asks for them, you also upload international exam results such as the SAT and a language test such as TOEFL. Many Turkish university programmes are taught in Turkish, but some are taught in English or other languages, and for those you need an accepted language certificate.
Why Türkiye Bursları is hard
- The window is about six weeks. It runs from 10 January to 20 February, so everything must be ready beforehand.
- The age limit is tight. Undergraduates must be under 21, so most students get only one or two chances.
- You compete worldwide. Interview candidates come from more than 100 countries.
- The test comes first. A 30-question, 60-minute maths, geometry and logic test is on the same day as your interview.
- Your choices are part of the judging. The committee looks at how consistent your 12 programme choices are with your goals.
- A new language. Even English-taught programmes begin with a year of Turkish.
Your Türkiye Bursları challenge
Be ready before the window opens: documents, a clear reason for your field and country, and 12 programme choices that make sense together. Then prepare for the test and the interview, which come later than the application. The matching Türkiye Bursları solution lays out the steps month by month.
Common Türkiye Bursları preparation mistakes
Waiting for the window to open before collecting documents. Choosing 12 programmes at random. Ignoring the language of instruction. Missing that graduation must be completed before August of the application year. Paying an agent to apply, when the official application is free. Skipping practice for the test. Giving vague answers about why you chose your field and Türkiye.
Related guides and free reading
- Türkiye Bursları solution: a plan for your application, test and interview
- IELTS challenge: the English test for study abroad
- SAT challenge: the digital SAT
- HEC Need-Based Scholarship challenge
- LUMS admission challenge
- Free chapter: Career Planning
- Free chapter: Effective Communication Skills and Confidence in Communication
Official sources
- Türkiye Scholarships application calendar
- Criteria and scholarship programmes
- What the scholarship covers
- Application in 5 steps
- Evaluation and selection process, with the sample test
- Application portal: tbbs.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
FAQ: Türkiye Bursları
Q: Do I need to know Turkish?
A: No. If you do not hold a C1 Turkish certificate you attend a one-year Turkish language course after you arrive, and you must reach C1 by the end of that year.
Q: Do I need IELTS or the SAT?
A: Only if the programme or university you choose asks for them. The scholarship application itself lists them as required only when the programme requires them.
Q: Does it cost anything to apply?
A: No. Applications are free of charge through the official online system, so you never need to pay an agent.
Q: I am in FSc Part 1. Can I apply?
A: The criteria say candidates are graduates or will graduate before August of the current academic year. Students finishing FSc Part 2 in 2027 would apply in the January 2027 window, while Part 1 students would apply the following year. Check the age rule for your year on the official site.
Q: Can I apply if I am already studying in Türkiye?
A: Not at the same level. People currently enrolled at a Turkish university at the level they are applying for are not eligible.