Academic Merit Scholarship
for Graduate Programs at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University

For the 2026-2027 academic year, an Academic Merit Scholarship will be awarded to 25 PhD and 25 master’s (with thesis) students enrolling for the first time in one of the programs for which the 100% Tuition Scholarship is awarded, qualifying for the 100% Tuition Scholarship, and meeting the selection criteria set for this scholarship.

SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS and DURATION

• 100% Tuition Scholarship: Exemption from annual tuition fee throughout the normal study period.

  *Normal study period: 4 semesters (Master’s) / 8 semesters (PhD)

  *If Scientific Preparation is applied within the relevant graduate program, the fees for the scientific preparation period are also included in the 100% Tuition Scholarship.

• Monthly Cash Stipend:

*TRY 25,000 (Master’s) / TRY 35,000 (PhD Programs) per month throughout the normal study period.

*Normal study period: 4 semesters (Master’s) / 8 semesters (PhD Programs)

*The Monthly Cash Stipend is paid for 9 months each year during which classes are in session.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Applying to one of the master’s (with thesis) or PhD programs for which a quota is defined for the 100% Tuition Scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year, and meeting the application requirements of the relevant program.
• Not having previously been dismissed due to failure in the type of education accepted into (master’s with thesis or Phd).
• Not having received a disciplinary penalty during their studies at a higher education institution in Türkiye.
• Not having applied to the relevant program through internal or inter-institutional horizontal transfer.
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HOW TO APPLY?

• No separate application is required for the Academic Merit Scholarship.
• The academic success of students who apply to the relevant graduate program will be evaluated based on the Selection Criteria specified below, and those who qualify for the Academic Merit Scholarship will be determined accordingly.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• The selection criteria to be used in determining which students who are accepted into their applied program qualify for the Academic Merit Scholarship are as follows:

• When determining the successful students who will fill the scholarship quota set for the relevant graduate program, among students with an equal overall score, priority ranking is made according to the following order:

a) ALES score,

b) Undergraduate GPA for master’s programs; undergraduate and master’s GPA average for PhD programs,

c) Language proficiency score,

d) Subject examination,

e) The end-of-term average GPA of the program the student is enrolled in,

f) The student's date of birth (younger age is preferred).

• The YÖK Conversion Table is used as the basis when determining students' undergraduate and/or master’s GPAs.
• For international students, when calculating the Overall Score, applicants without an ALES exam certificate will have their ALES score taken as 70, and international students who do not take, or are unable to take, the subject examination will have their subject examination score also taken as 70 for the calculation.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS and IMPLEMENTATION PRINCIPLES

• The requirements and principles applicable to the 100% Tuition Scholarship also apply to the Academic Merit Scholarship.
• The following requirements must be met for the Academic Merit Scholarship to continue:

*Courses must be taken in their designated semester and passed with a grade of at least CC.

*The CGPA must be at least 2.75 for master’s students and at least 3.25 for PhD students.

*The PhD qualifying exam must be taken and passed no later than the fifth semester.

*During the PhD thesis stage, the Thesis Proposal and PhD Thesis Monitoring Committee (TMC) processes must be carried out regularly and successfully.

• Students on a leave of absence are not paid the Academic Merit Scholarship for the semesters covered by their leave.
• Students who have previously been dismissed due to failure in the same type of education, who have a disciplinary penalty on record, or who have transferred to the program through internal or inter-institutional horizontal transfer are not eligible for the Academic Merit Scholarship.
• Scholarships are terminated for students who fail to successfully complete their program within the normal study period.