This is the package Sabancı University in Istanbul, Türkiye, puts on top of a national research scholarship from TÜBİTAK BİDEB, the scientist-support arm of Türkiye’s national research council. The university does not pick the scholars itself: TÜBİTAK does, through its 2210 programmes for master’s students and its 2211 programmes for doctoral students.
Sabancı encourages its graduate applicants and students to enter those national calls. A student who wins one keeps the TÜBİTAK monthly scholarship and receives from the university a full tuition exemption, a further monthly payment, free accommodation, health insurance and a computer.
The university sets its benefits separately for three stages: master’s study, doctoral study before the qualifying exam, and doctoral study after it. Study is full time and on campus in Istanbul.
Benefits & funding
- Full exemption from annual tuition at master’s level and at both doctoral stages. For 2026–2027 the university lists annual tuition as 1,595,000 TL for Turkish citizens and 36,500 USD for international students.
- University stipend of 5,000 TL a month: 10 months at master’s level, 12 months at doctoral level before the qualifying exam, and 12 months after it.
- Free dormitory place: a two-person room for master’s students and a single room for doctoral students, with a double room possible depending on availability.
- Transportation support of 10,000 TL a month for students who do not live in a dormitory, on the same 10-month and 12-month schedules.
- Private health insurance and a laptop computer at every stage.
- Limited conference support once a year.
- On top of this, TÜBİTAK pays its own monthly scholarship: 16,500 TL full or 4,750 TL partial under 2210/A and 2210/E, 19,000 TL full or 6,000 TL partial under 2210/C and 2210/D, and 32,500 TL full or 8,500 TL partial under the 2211 doctoral programmes.
Eligibility
- Two things must line up: admission to or enrolment in a Sabancı University graduate programme, and a TÜBİTAK BİDEB scholarship from the 2210 or 2211 family. The university support exists only alongside the national award.
- The 2210 programmes support master’s students studying in Türkiye and run in four variants: 2210/A general, 2210/C priority fields in science and technology, 2210/D industrial, and 2210/E for former undergraduate scholars. The 2211 programmes support doctoral students in Türkiye as 2211/A general, 2211/C priority fields, and 2211/E for former scholars. The 2026/1 calls require applicants to be already registered in the relevant degree programme in Türkiye; 2210/A also requires applicants to be no later than the third semester, excluding frozen terms and including scientific preparation.
- Both families cover natural sciences, engineering and technological sciences, medical sciences, agricultural sciences, social sciences and humanities.
- Sabancı entry rules: master’s applicants hold a bachelor’s degree or are in the final term of one; doctoral entry accepts either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree, and applicants entering with a bachelor’s degree need a GPA of at least 3.00 out of 4.00.
- Graduate entrance exam floors vary by school. Engineering and Natural Sciences: thesis master’s ALES 65, GRE quantitative 153 or GAT 65; doctorate with a bachelor’s degree 80, 160 or 80; doctorate with a master’s degree 65, 153 or 65. Social Sciences: master’s ALES 55, GRE 149 or GAT 55, except Political Science at 70, 155 or 70; doctorate with a bachelor’s degree 80, 160 or 80; doctorate with a master’s degree 55, 149 or 55, except Political Science at 70, 155 or 70. The Business School doctorate requires ALES 82, GRE quantitative 157, GAT 82, GMAT 600 on the 10th Edition or 555 on the Focus Edition.
- English floors also vary by school. Engineering and Natural Sciences requires TOEFL iBT 80, PTE 69, YDS / e-YDS / YÖKDİL / e-YÖKDİL 67 or e-TEP 54; Social Sciences requires TOEFL iBT 87, PTE 73, the YDS family 73 or e-TEP 64; Business School non-thesis master’s programmes require 83, 56, 69 or 58, and the Business School doctorate requires 88, 74, 73 or 64, in that test order. CAE grade B and CPE grade C apply throughout. Candidates without a valid score sit the university’s ELAE exam.
- Applicants who studied abroad need their last institution and course of study recognised by the Turkish Higher Education Council; Turkish citizens who graduated abroad submit a YÖK equivalence certificate at enrolment.
- Nationality is a hard gate here, and TÜBİTAK sets it: the 2210 and 2211 scholarships go to Turkish citizens and to holders of the Blue Card issued under Law No. 5901. Applicants of other nationalities cannot use this route.
- Sabancı attaches no gender or work-experience condition to its own package. TÜBİTAK states an age limit and the remaining conditions in each call text, so the current announcement should be read before applying.
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Eligible nationalities
Türkiye
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Choose a thesis master’s or doctorate programme at Sabancı University and read the requirements published by its graduate school.
- 2Create an account in the graduate admission portal at https://admission.sabanciuniv.edu/?ts=new.
- 3Complete the online application and upload the official transcript, statement of purpose, CV, two recommendation letters, a photograph, the graduate entrance exam result and the English proficiency result or an ELAE participation agreement.
- 4Submit before the deadline for that programme. Files are screened, and shortlisted candidates may be invited to a written exam, an interview, or both.
- 5Apply separately to TÜBİTAK through the BİDEB Application and Monitoring System while the 2210 or 2211 call is open; the 2026/1 calls ran from 2 March to 24 March 2026.
- 6Students who are granted a BİDEB scholarship receive the university package; scholarship recommendations are made by the Admission Jury and finalized by the Board of the relevant Graduate School.
Program timeline
TÜBİTAK 2210 and 2211 national scholarship calls open for the 2026/1 term
Mar 2, 2026
TÜBİTAK 2210 and 2211 application deadline, 17:30 UTC+3
Mar 24, 2026
Sabancı early deadline for Economics master’s and doctorate programmes and the Management doctorate
Mar 27, 2026
Sabancı early deadline for thesis master’s and doctorate programmes in Engineering and Natural Sciences
Apr 6, 2026
Final deadline for master’s and doctorate programmes in Arts and Social Sciences
Jun 8, 2026
Final deadline for the Management doctorate programme
Jun 12, 2026
Final deadline for thesis master’s and doctorate programmes in Engineering and Natural Sciences
Jun 15, 2026
2026-09
The published 2026–2027 scholarship terms take effect