Can You Study in Turkey for Free? Government Scholarship, State Universities and Plan B (2026)

Türkiye Bursları applications in 2026 (programme record)

Nearly 200,000

Scholarships awarded in 2025 (incl. joint scholarships)

6,527

Share of 2025 applicants who were awarded

About 5%

Monthly bachelor's stipend per the official site

6,500 TL

Checked on 2026-11-03. Every figure on this page comes from official Turkish government or university websites, and each source is linked next to its figure.

Can you study in Turkey for free?

Short answer: yes, but only a small share of applicants do. The only official route to completely free study for an international student is the government scholarship Türkiye Bursları, run by YTB. Turkish state universities are not free for international students, and private (foundation) universities charge tuition too, although many of them offer their own discounts and scholarships.

What are the real odds of getting the Turkish government scholarship?

• According to YTB's official news release of 26 February 2026, the 2026 cycle received nearly 200,000 applications, a record for the programme.
• In 2025, according to YTB's official announcement, 125,668 applications came in from 171 countries.
• YTB's 2025 activity report puts the total number of scholarships awarded that year at 6,527, including joint scholarships.

That means about 5% of applicants, roughly one in 19, received the scholarship in 2025. The number of 2026 awards had not been published in the official sources we checked as of today. With applications jumping this much, it makes sense to prepare a second option alongside the scholarship from the start.

What does the Türkiye scholarship cover?

According to the official programmes page, the scholarship includes: university and programme placement, full tuition, a one-year Turkish language course, accommodation, health insurance, a flight ticket once at the start and once at the end of studies, and a monthly stipend.

Success Scholarship recipients receive double this amount. Per the official site, applying is free and is done only through the TBBS system. For medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, the official eligibility rules require a minimum academic score of 90% and an age under 21.

What are the downsides of the Turkish government scholarship?

These limits come from the official documents themselves, not from our own opinion:

1. You do not get a completely free choice of university and programme. Placement is part of the scholarship. At graduate level, per the official site, candidates can only choose from the universities and programmes the system offers them, and the evaluation committee also assesses the "consistency of preferences". According to the Scholarship Procedures Guide, students are expected to complete their studies in the programme where they were placed, and changing programme or university requires the approval of Türkiye Bursları and YÖK.
2. A one-year Turkish preparatory year is mandatory. According to the official FAQ, scholarship holders spend their first year in Turkish preparatory courses regardless of the language of their programme (960 hours of Turkish and 140 hours of academic Turkish), unless they hold a C1 Turkish certificate. In English-, Arabic- or French-taught programmes, starting the programme directly is possible only with the scholarship directorate's approval.
3. Keeping the scholarship has conditions. According to the same two official sources:
   • If you do not obtain C1 by the end of the first year, the scholarship is frozen, and if you still do not obtain it by the end of the second year, it is cancelled.
   • More than 20 hours of absence in a month from Turkish classes reduces the scholarship by 25%, and more than 100 hours of unexcused absence in total leads to cancellation.
   • A low GPA leads to a reduction or cancellation according to the table in the Scholarship Procedures Guide.
   • Acquiring Turkish citizenship or receiving a scholarship from another public institution in Türkiye are also grounds for cancellation.
4. The stipend is a fixed amount in Turkish lira. The official site does not state which year these amounts apply to and offers no comparison with living costs. Accommodation is covered separately; whether the stipend covers your other expenses depends on the city and your lifestyle. To estimate costs, see our study cost guide for Turkey.
5. The process is long. Per the official calendar, applications run from 10 January to 20 February, interviews from April to June, and results are announced in early August.
6. Current students at Turkish universities are not eligible at the same level (official eligibility rules).

We cover the full application details in our Türkiye Bursları 2027 guide.

Are Turkish state universities free for international students?

No. According to YÖK's principles on admitting students from abroad, state universities charge international students an annual tuition fee "without exception", with the minimum and maximum set by Presidential Decree; each university announces its own amount. One official example is Ankara University's 2026–2027 fee table. Amounts are stated in US dollars and, for students enrolling under the international admission quotas, are converted to Turkish lira at the Central Bank of Türkiye rate of 3 August 2026:

So for international students in Turkey, "state" does not mean "free"; it means a fee set each year within the limits of a Presidential Decree.

What are my options if I don't get the government scholarship?

Most private universities in Turkey and Northern Cyprus offer tuition discounts or university scholarships; these discounts are a percentage off tuition and do not cover living costs. We list the percentages, conditions and final tuition after discount on our scholarships and discounts page, and the lower-cost options in Istanbul in our guide to the cheapest private universities in Istanbul; the figures there are the universities' official 2026–2027 fees.

One timing point: the official Türkiye Bursları rule concerns people who are "currently enrolled" at a Turkish university at the same level when they apply. If you are pursuing both routes at once, keep this rule in mind before your final enrolment.

Comparison: government scholarship, state university and private university with a discount

Frequently asked questions

Does paying an intermediary improve my chances of the scholarship? Applying is free and done only through the official system, and selection is made by the scholarship's own committees. Taktik has no role in this process either.

Do private university scholarships also cover living costs? Usually not; these scholarships take a percentage off tuition. Each university's conditions are on our scholarships page.

What Taktik can and cannot do

• Cannot: Taktik has no role in Türkiye Bursları, is not affiliated with YTB, YÖK or any government body, and cannot improve your chances of this scholarship.
• Can: Taktik handles your applications to private universities in Turkey and Northern Cyprus free of charge, compares universities' discounts side by side, and helps you prepare your documents.
• Admission and the size of any discount are decided by the university itself; admission or a scholarship is not guaranteed.