Selma Kasap
January 09, 2020•Update: January 09, 2020
ANKARA
With about 178,000 foreign students receiving their higher education in its territories, Turkey has begun to be a center of attraction for those looking forward to studying abroad.
A total of 207 universities across the country offer some 60,000 different programs for foreign students coming to Turkey with their own means or through scholarships.
Turkish institutions offering scholarships to foreign students include the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), Council of Higher Education (YOK), Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate -- or Diyanet --Foundation, as well as other government institutions.
By 2023, Turkey aims to host over a quarter-million international students.
By offering scholarships before and after the establishment of the republic, Turkey has always contributed to academic development in higher education institutions.
In 1960, Turkey launched a great student project, turning its policies on international students into a more systematic structure with scholarships offered in line with bilateral agreements with other countries.
Since the establishment of YTB in 2010, and its launch of "Turkey Scholarships", the country has become appealing to a rising number of international students.
This policy of the YTB drew huge attraction among foreign students as 42,000 students applied to scholarships to receive higher education in Turkey. In 2019, this figure climbed to a whooping 146,000.
Turkey Scholarships is not just about the financial aid provided to foreign students for they are also settled in their desired university programs, making the scholarship more comprehensive and different than other scholarships.
The international students are able to benefit from the social, cultural and academic activities of Turkish higher education institutions, and receive professional education.
YTB's Turkey Scholarships will be available for online applications as of Friday, and it will remain so until Feb. 20. It is required that the applicants have a grade average of 70 or above out of 100.
The applications, free of charge, can be submitted via "www.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr".
Upon their graduation, the students do not lose their contact with Turkey and serve as voluntary envoys connecting Turkey and their home country. There are a total of 29 student associations from 28 countries, promoting the alumni ties with Turkey.
* Writing by Ali Murat Alhas
