Turkiye Burslari Requirements: Age, GPA and Eligibility

Contents

• What do Turkiye Burslari requirements cover?

• Who can apply, and what are the age limits?

• How does Türkiye Scholarships check eligibility?

• Which documents prove you meet the requirements?

• When do you need to meet the requirements?

• Do Merit and joint programs set different requirements?

• What do applicants most often misread?

• What should you do next?

• Real-World Examples

• Frequently Asked Questions

• References

• Legal Notice

Introduction

Turkiye Burslari requirements for graduate applicants are, as of October 2026, an age under 30 for master's study, an age under 35 for PhD study, a minimum academic achievement of 75%, and citizenship of any country other than Turkey. The Türkiye Scholarships program, run by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), checks these conditions first, before any expert review, test or interview takes place.

Türkiye Scholarships is the Turkish government scholarship for international students, often searched under its Turkish name, Turkiye Burslari. YTB reported on 15 January 2026 that the program received 125,668 applications from 171 countries in 2025, and on 26 February 2026 that the 2026 cycle closed with nearly 200,000 applications.

This guide answers four questions: who is eligible, how old you can be at each level, what grade average you need, and when each condition is checked. It draws on official Türkiye Scholarships pages, the Türkiye Scholarships Regulation and YTB news releases. Thresholds can be revised from one application cycle to the next.

What do Turkiye Burslari requirements cover?

Turkiye Burslari requirements cover four areas: age, minimum academic achievement, nationality and enrollment status. The Türkiye Scholarships criteria page, accessed in October 2026, lists these as the basic application conditions. The Evaluation and Selection Process page adds that the first review stage checks minimum academic achievement, the age limit for each level of education and the required documents.

These requirements are a filter, not a ranking. An application that meets them moves into a competitive evaluation of academic record, goals and interview performance.

The legal basis is the Türkiye Scholarships Regulation, published in the Official Gazette on 17 June 2014 (No. 29033) and amended on 30 July 2021 (No. 31553). Article 4 of the Türkiye Scholarships Regulation defines Türkiye Scholarships as the general name of the scholarship programs that the Republic of Turkey awards to international students. Article 12 states that only foreign nationals may apply to the scholarship programs.

The numeric thresholds do not appear in the regulation text reviewed for this guide. YTB publishes the age limits and grade percentages on the Türkiye Scholarships criteria page, which can be updated for each cycle without amending the Türkiye Scholarships Regulation.

An international student is a person who is not a citizen of the Republic of Turkey and who is admitted to a higher education institution under international student status. Under Article 13 of the Türkiye Scholarships Regulation, the approved list of successful candidates is sent to the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) for placement at Turkish universities.

Türkiye Scholarships is separate from scholarships that individual Turkish universities offer to international students. Each university program sets its own conditions, so the age and grade limits in this guide apply only to the government program run by YTB.

The scale shows why the filter exists. YTB reported around 10,000 applications in 2012 and nearly 200,000 in 2026, a roughly twentyfold rise (derived from the two YTB figures).

Who can apply, and what are the age limits?

Citizens of every country except Turkey can apply for Türkiye Scholarships. As of October 2026, the criteria page sets the age limit under 21 for associate and bachelor's programs, under 30 for master's programs, under 35 for PhD programs and under 50 for the Research Scholarship. Turkish citizens and people who have lost Turkish citizenship are listed as ineligible.

Table 1 pairs each age limit with the minimum academic achievement for that level.

Table 1. Türkiye Scholarships age limits and minimum academic achievement by level of study (criteria page, accessed 21 October 2026)

Two further conditions shape eligibility beyond age and grades.

The first is timing of graduation. The criteria page lists both graduates and candidates who will graduate at the end of the academic year, before August, as eligible. A final-year bachelor's student can therefore apply for a master's scholarship in the same cycle, provided graduation falls before August.

The second is enrollment in Turkey. The criteria page lists people enrolled in a program at a Turkish university, at the level they are applying for, as ineligible. A student in a Turkish master's program would therefore not qualify for a master's scholarship, while the page does not exclude that student from applying at PhD level.

The criteria page does not state the reference date for calculating age, such as the application deadline. Applicants close to a limit should confirm it with YTB before applying.

How does Türkiye Scholarships check eligibility?

Türkiye Scholarships checks eligibility at the preliminary assessment, the first of five selection stages. According to the Evaluation and Selection Process page, accessed in October 2026, the stages are preliminary assessment, expert evaluation, tests, interview and final assessment. Age limits, minimum academic achievement and required documents are reviewed before an application reaches the expert committee.

The Türkiye Scholarships homepage describes the character of the whole process in one sentence.

The scholarship program is competitive and merit-based, with a strong emphasis on candidates' academic excellence.
— Türkiye Scholarships, official website, accessed 21 October 2026

At the preliminary assessment, an applicant over the age limit, below the minimum academic achievement or missing a required document is not carried forward. The Türkiye Scholarships Regulation allows for this step: Article 13 states that selection may include a preliminary elimination based on application documents, a written examination and an oral examination, with the method set by the Presidency.

At the expert evaluation, an Expert Committee reviews eligible applications. Its criteria include academic status, career goals, consistency of program preferences and the letter of intent. The final interview list is set after the expert evaluation.

The test stage applies to undergraduate candidates, who sit a 30-question, 60-minute quantitative test; no separate graduate test is described.

At the interview stage, committees of academics and experts meet shortlisted candidates. Interviews usually last 15 to 30 minutes and include a document check, so candidates are asked to bring their latest education documents. The YTB news release of 26 February 2026 quotes YTB President Abdulhadi Turus saying that, after the desk-based reviews, YTB teams travel to candidates' countries to hold face-to-face interviews.

At the final assessment, a selection committee reviews the interview results and prepares the list of scholarship recipients. The committee evaluates general eligibility again at this stage.

The Evaluation and Selection Process page, as accessed in October 2026, does not publish how the expert review, test and interview results are weighted against one another.

Which documents prove you meet the requirements?

A valid passport or national identity card proves nationality and age, while a diploma or temporary graduation certificate and a transcript prove academic achievement. The Application in 5 Steps page on the Türkiye Scholarships website, accessed in October 2026, lists these documents for online applications through the Türkiye Scholarships Application System (TBBS), together with a recent photograph and any national exam results.

The Türkiye Scholarships Application System (TBBS) is the online platform through which Türkiye Scholarships applications are submitted and documents are uploaded. The Türkiye Scholarships homepage states that applying is free of charge.

Some documents depend on the program. The Application in 5 Steps page lists international exam results, such as GRE, GMAT or SAT, and language test results, such as TOEFL or DELF, only where the chosen program requires them. PhD applicants also upload a research proposal and a written research sample.

• Confirm that your passport or national identity card is valid and shows your date of birth

• Request a transcript that shows your cumulative grade average

• Obtain your diploma, or a temporary graduation certificate if you graduate before August

• Take a photograph that is less than one year old

• Collect your national exam results, if your country has a national exam

• Check whether each program you choose asks for GRE, GMAT or a language test score

• Draft a research proposal and select a written research sample if you apply at PhD level

The grade requirement deserves extra attention. The criteria page states the minimum academic achievement as a percentage: 75% for graduate candidates. Many universities report grades on a 4.0 or 10-point scale instead. The criteria page, as accessed in October 2026, gives the threshold as a percentage and does not publish a conversion table. Applicants with a non-percentage scale should check how TBBS asks for the grade to be entered.

The Full-Time Scholarship Programs page also advises candidates to check the equivalence and validity of their chosen fields in their own countries, a separate question from eligibility.

When do you need to meet the requirements?

You need to meet the requirements during the general application period, which runs from 10 January to 20 February each year according to the Türkiye Scholarships calendar accessed in October 2026. YTB confirmed the 2026 dates as 10 January to 20 February 2026 in its news release of 15 January 2026. Graduation, however, may follow the application, provided it happens before August.

The application window lasts 42 days (derived: 22 days in January plus 20 in February, inclusive). Table 2 shows where each eligibility check falls.

Table 2. Türkiye Scholarships selection calendar and the eligibility check at each stage (calendar and selection pages, accessed 21 October 2026)

Two programs follow different calendars. The calendar page lists the Success Scholarship, which appears as the Merit Scholarship Program on the Full-Time Scholarship Programs page, with applications in October and November and results in November. The Research Scholarship has four application periods a year: January to March, April to June, July to September and October to December.

In practice, a candidate finishing a bachelor's degree in June can apply for a master's scholarship from 10 January to 20 February of the same year, then provide the diploma or temporary graduation certificate later.

Calendar dates can shift between cycles; the announcement for each cycle on the Türkiye Scholarships website gives the exact dates.

Do Merit and joint programs set different requirements?

Yes. The Merit Scholarship Program sets a higher academic bar than the general Graduate Scholarship Program. According to the Full-Time Scholarship Programs page, accessed in October 2026, Merit Scholarship candidates at master's and PhD level need a General Weighted Average (GWA) of 90%, plus minimum scores in an academic qualification exam and an English proficiency test set by the Presidency.

The page describes the Merit Scholarship Program as designed for international students with outstanding academic achievement. Master's and PhD candidates in the general program need 75%, so the Merit route adds 15 percentage points to the grade threshold (derived).

The academic qualification exam can be ALES or the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). ALES is the centralised examination administered by the Student Selection and Placement Centre (ÖSYM) and used in applications to graduate programs and in academic staff recruitment in Turkey. Minimum scores for ALES, GRE, TOEFL iBT and IELTS are published per level on the Full-Time Scholarship Programs page.

The Joint Scholarship Programs page, accessed in October 2026, lists seven partnerships with their own target groups. The YTB–Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Joint Scholarship targets students with strong academic and co-curricular records from IsDB member states and Muslim communities. The Türkiye Scholarships–Baykar Technology Joint Scholarship focuses on students from developing countries in aviation, technology, space and administrative sciences. The Türkiye Scholarships–NAMA Foundation Joint Scholarship names Indonesia, Tanzania, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Yemen and Malaysia.

The Joint Scholarship Programs page publishes no separate age or grade thresholds, so read each joint program's call for its own conditions.

What do applicants most often misread?

The most common misreading is treating the minimum requirements as the selection standard. Meeting the age limit and the 75% graduate threshold only makes an application eligible for review. The Türkiye Scholarships homepage, accessed in October 2026, describes the program as competitive and merit-based, and selection depends on expert evaluation, interview and final assessment.

The numbers explain why. YTB reported nearly 200,000 applications for 2026 on 26 February 2026. On 12 April 2026, the DHA news agency, as carried by CNN Türk, reported YTB President Abdulhadi Turus as saying that 5,000 international students received Türkiye Scholarships in 2026. The report does not specify how that figure relates to new awards in the 2026 cycle, so it is not a basis for calculating an acceptance rate.

Several other points are often misunderstood:

• Health sciences at graduate level. The 90% threshold for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy applies to bachelor's candidates. The Graduate Scholarship Program page states that Türkiye Scholarships does not award scholarships in health sciences at master's and PhD level.

• Language certificates. The Application in 5 Steps page lists TOEFL or similar results only where the chosen program requires them. The Merit Scholarship Program is the route with a set English test requirement.

• Merit thresholds. The 90% grade average and exam scores belong to the Merit Scholarship Program, not the general Graduate Scholarship Program.

• Program choice. The Full-Time Scholarship Programs page states that candidates can choose only from the universities and departments the system offers them, which may vary with educational background.

• Age calculation. The criteria page does not state the reference date for age, so applicants near a limit should confirm it with YTB.

The Full-Time Scholarship Programs page lists a one-year Turkish language course within the scholarship, so Turkish is not described as an application requirement.

None of these points changes the basic Turkiye Burslari requirements; they show that field, program and calendar conditions vary by scholarship route.

What should you do next?

Start by checking your age and grade average against the criteria for your level, then confirm the dates and document list for the cycle you plan to enter. As of October 2026, the general application period runs from 10 January to 20 February, so preparation for the 2027 cycle would typically begin in late 2026.

A practical sequence for a graduate applicant looks like this:

1. Check your age against the limit for your level: under 30 for master's study or under 35 for PhD study. Confirm the reference date with YTB if you are close to the limit.

2. Calculate your cumulative grade average and check how it compares with the 75% graduate threshold, or 90% for the Merit Scholarship Program.

3. Confirm that you are not enrolled at a Turkish university at the level you plan to apply for.

4. Decide on your route: the general Graduate Scholarship Program in January and February, or the Merit Scholarship Program in October and November.

5. Read the call for any joint program, such as YTB–IsDB, before you apply through it.

6. Gather your passport, transcript, diploma or temporary graduation certificate and photograph, plus a research proposal and writing sample for PhD study.

7. Search the universities and departments offered in TBBS and check that your preferences are consistent with your academic background.

8. Submit through TBBS before the deadline, then prepare for an interview of about 15 to 30 minutes with your latest education documents.

YTB can update thresholds, dates and program lists for each cycle, so check the cycle announcement on the Türkiye Scholarships website before you begin.

Graduate applicants can also apply directly to Turkish universities, whose graduate schools set their own international admission conditions.

Real-World Examples

The examples in this section are illustrative scenarios created to explain situations applicants may encounter.

Amina, close to the master's age limit. Amina completed her bachelor's in economics with an average of 82% and plans to apply for a master's scholarship. She turns 30 a few weeks after the application deadline. The Türkiye Scholarships criteria page sets the master's limit as under 30 but does not state the date on which age is measured. Before preparing her documents, Amina contacts YTB through the official channels to confirm the reference date. She also lists university-funded master's programs in Turkey as a second route, so her plans do not depend on a single answer.

Daniel, a final-year student. Daniel is in the last year of a computer engineering degree and expects to graduate in June. The criteria page lists candidates who will graduate before August as eligible, so he applies during the January–February window with his transcript of grades to date. He notes that he will need his diploma or temporary graduation certificate later in the process. He also prepares a copy of his latest transcript for the interview stage, where committees check education documents in person.

Leyla, a master's student in Turkey. Leyla is enrolled in a master's program at a Turkish university without a scholarship. The criteria page lists people enrolled at a Turkish university at the level they apply for as ineligible, so a master's scholarship is not open to her. A PhD application is a different level. Leyla plans to apply for a PhD scholarship in the cycle after her expected graduation and starts drafting the research proposal and writing sample that PhD applications require.

Kofi, a nursing graduate. Kofi holds a bachelor's degree in nursing and wants to study a health field at master's level. The Graduate Scholarship Program page states that Türkiye Scholarships does not award graduate scholarships in health sciences. Kofi compares two paths: applying through Türkiye Scholarships to a related field outside health sciences that fits his background, or applying directly to a Turkish graduate school's health sciences master's program under its own international admission conditions. He checks each university's admission calendar so that both options stay open in the same academic year.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Mezun Kampüsü
Mezun Kampüsü is a platform that brings together the graduate programs, application calendars and academic announcements of universities in Turkey. International applicants weighing Türkiye Scholarships alongside direct university admission can explore and compare master's and PhD programs through Atlas, follow the application periods of Turkish graduate schools, track announcements from universities, and start a free application through the Universities section when they find a program that fits their academic background.

Legal Notice

This article provides general information about Türkiye Scholarships eligibility requirements and is not personal academic, legal or financial advice. The criteria described here are based on the Türkiye Scholarships Regulation, published in the Official Gazette on 17 June 2014 and amended on 30 July 2021, and on official Türkiye Scholarships and YTB pages last checked on 21 October 2026. Age limits, academic thresholds, calendars and program lists can change between application cycles, and university and program conditions vary by period. Before applying, confirm every requirement with the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and with the universities concerned.