The General Directorate of Credit and Dormitories provides financial support to students in need in the form of scholarships and tuition contribution loans. After applying, students can learn whether they are eligible for a loan or scholarship through the institution’s website or the e-Government (e-Devlet) service.
Applications are submitted through these online portals and required documents are uploaded there. There is no alternative application method. Documents must be submitted completely and accurately. If requested documents are incomplete or contain false information, the application will be considered invalid and the student will not receive scholarship or loan support.
What Is a Scholarship?
Scholarships are financial aids given to students to meet their needs during education; they can be either repayable or non-repayable. Scholarships provided by the General Directorate of Credit and Dormitories (formerly KYK) are granted without repayment.
Scholarship amounts are determined annually by the state, taking into account producer and consumer price indices. Those indices, together with estimates of students’ needs, guide the calculation of scholarship amounts to ensure students can cover basic expenses.
Who Can Benefit from Scholarships?
The General Directorate uses certain criteria to prioritize students who genuinely need scholarship support. These criteria help ensure that available funds reach eligible individuals.
Students eligible for scholarship support include:
- Associate degree and undergraduate (bachelor) students,
- Students who transferred to four-year universities via the Vertical Transfer Exam (DGS) after completing a two-year program,
- Graduate students (master’s and doctoral candidates),
- Students ranked in the top 100 for their score type in the ÖSYM exam,
- Students with a career as amateur national athletes.
Who Cannot Benefit from Scholarships?
The Directorate also defines groups that are not eligible for scholarship support according to established rules.
Students who cannot receive scholarships include:
- Students already receiving scholarships or loans from the institution,
- Students receiving scholarships from public institutions and organizations covered by relevant laws,
- Students who have lost an academic year,
- Students who previously received a scholarship from the institution,
- Police academy and military school students,
- Foreign nationals,
- Students who provided false information,
- Students who are academically unsuccessful,
- Students enrolled in distance education or open education programs,
- Students attending a preparatory year for postgraduate studies,
- Students in the adjustment period after transferring via DGS.
What Is a Tuition Contribution Loan?
A tuition contribution loan is a monthly financial support provided by the General Directorate of Credit and Dormitories to help students cover living and educational expenses during higher education.
Repayment begins two years after the standard duration of study ends, adjusted according to that year’s domestic producer price index. Repayments are made in monthly installments and can be structured according to the borrower’s budget. The minimum repayment limit is the monthly loan amount received during the study period.
Who Can Benefit from Tuition Contribution Loans?
To receive a tuition contribution loan, applicants generally must meet these conditions:
- Be an associate degree or undergraduate student,
- Be a Turkish citizen,
- Not be in the adjustment period after transferring via DGS,
- Graduate students (master’s or doctoral) may be eligible under specific conditions,
- Not already receiving a scholarship or loan from the institution.
Who Cannot Receive a Tuition Contribution Loan?
The following individuals are not eligible for the tuition contribution loan:
- Associate or undergraduate graduates who are not pursuing a master’s or doctoral program,
- Students whose normal study period has already expired,
- Students who have frozen or canceled their registration for more than one year,
- Students in the adjustment period after transferring,
- Academically unsuccessful students,
- Foreign nationals,
- Individuals found to have submitted false statements,
- Those with final criminal convictions,
- Students permanently expelled from the Directorate’s dormitories,
- Students already receiving institutional scholarships or loans,
- Students deemed ineligible for loans under Directorate regulations.
Students who meet these exclusion criteria are also ineligible for the Directorate’s scholarship program. The institution publishes detailed eligibility conditions and application instructions on its website and via the e-Government system.
When Are Scholarship Applications Decided?
Students apply for scholarships through the Directorate’s website or the e-Government portal. After submission, the institution evaluates applications and announces successful candidates through the same online channels.
Announcements of students who qualify for loans and scholarships are typically published during the academic year via the institution’s website and the e-Government system. Exact announcement dates vary depending on circumstances such as the academic calendar and administrative decisions, so there is no fixed universal date.
Because timing depends on institutional procedures and the academic term schedule, students should follow the institution’s online announcements for approximate publication periods rather than expecting a single fixed date.
What Should First-Time Scholarship/Loan Applicants Do?
Students applying for a scholarship or tuition loan for the first time must submit their application through the Directorate’s website and check application results there. Students who are awarded support must confirm the required pledge (taahhütname) through the e-Government system using the institution’s record information.
If the pledge is not confirmed, the application will be invalid and no scholarship or loan will be granted. The Directorate does not issue separate notifications for pledge uploads, so students are responsible for monitoring application results and completing the pledge confirmation online.
How to Cancel a Scholarship/Loan Application?
Applicants who change their minds do not need to take extra steps to cancel. Simply not approving the online pledge will render the application invalid and effectively cancel the request. No further action is required for cancellation.
Under What Conditions Is a Loan Terminated or Canceled?
Tuition contribution loans are suspended or canceled if certain conditions occur. Loans are terminated under these circumstances:
- Expulsion or voluntary departure from the educational institution,
- Suspension as a disciplinary sanction,
- The death of the loan recipient,
- The educational institution ceases operations,
- Permanent expulsion from Directorate dormitories as a disciplinary measure,
- A final criminal conviction for the student,
- The student is unable to continue education for health reasons,
- Academic failure.
Under these same conditions, scholarships provided by the Directorate may also be cut or terminated.
How Are KYK Scholarship and Loans Checked?
Results for scholarships and tuition contribution loans are checked via the e-Government system. Log in using your Turkish ID number and e-Government password, then use the institution’s service listing to view your application status.
Applicants must actively check their application status because the Directorate does not routinely send individual notifications when results are ready. Results are often announced roughly two months after the application period ends, but this timeline can vary based on institutional decisions.
How Much Were Scholarship and Loan Amounts in 2020?
A notice published in January 2020 increased the monthly scholarship and loan amount from 500 TL in 2019 to 550 TL in 2020. Changes in amounts reflect current producer and consumer price indices and assessments of student needs for the relevant year.