A press conference was held in Ankara on Tuesday to announce a new European Union scholarship supporting university students in Türkiye. The event was attended by EU envoy Mustafa Balci, Turkish university representative Professor Celal Taşdoğan, and Inas Najjar of the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s (SOC) Refugee and IDP Working Group.
The scholarship program is open to students across all disciplines at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels in 23 Turkish provinces, with 60% of the scholarships reserved for Syrian students.
Funding is available for both public and private universities in provinces including Adana, Ankara, Bursa, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Mersin, Istanbul, Izmir, Aksaray, Konya, Malatya, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Samsun, Trabzon, Şanlıurfa, Van, Karabuk, and Kilis, with potential expansion to additional provinces based on applicant numbers.
The scholarship covers tuition fees, provides training programs, and assists with job placement to help integrate students into the workforce. Syrian students holding temporary protection ID cards have a high acceptance rate, with scholarships currently available for 3,000 students, potentially expanding if demand increases.
In addition to tuition support, the program provides a stipend of 360 euros per semester for undergraduate students and 540 euros for master’s and doctoral students. Alternatively, it can cover up to 500 euros per semester toward tuition for all levels. Graduates receive employment support with a stipend for eight months post-graduation.
This scholarship is part of the EU’s ESPS program, offering up to three years of support for students who maintain an annual GPA of at least 2.5 out of 4. It aims to alleviate financial burdens for Syrian students in Türkiye, encouraging them to pursue their academic goals.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
