Scholarship Application Guide: Step by Step and Common Mistakes

Each year about 1,800 young people apply for a scholarship, while our intake is 40-60 new scholars. Preparing the application properly is vital for a fair assessment. In this guide we explain the process step by step.

1. Start with the pre-check

The Scholarship Pre-check Quiz on our site shows your starting score in five questions. The quiz is not binding, but it is a good way to understand the criteria applications are assessed against.

2. Gather your documents

• A student certificate and last term's transcript (an e-Okul or e-Devlet printout)
• A household income document: payslips, a social security service record or an income statement from the village headman
• A civil registry extract (number of family members)
• A short motivation letter (no more than 300 words)
• A parent or guardian consent form for applicants under 18

3. Complete the form

The Scholarship Application Form lets you upload your documents. Files can be PDFs or photographs. Your application data is used only for the scholarship assessment and is protected under the KVKK.

4. Scoring and interview

Applications are scored on income (40%), achievement (30%), family circumstances (20%) and the motivation letter (10%). The highest-scoring candidates are invited to a 20-minute online or face-to-face interview with a volunteer panel. Not knowing something in the interview is not a reason for rejection; the aim is to understand need and stability.

Common mistakes

• Missing or outdated income documents
• A motivation letter that reads like a template
• Leaving the application to the last day and running into problems uploading documents

Results are notified by email and SMS no later than six weeks after the application period closes. Winning students are matched with a volunteer mentor and scholarship payments begin at the end of the first month. For questions write to burs@isikevivakfi.org.tr.

After the application

When a scholarship is awarded, a short commitment letter is signed between the student, the family and the foundation: the student promises to attend lessons regularly and the foundation promises to make payments on the fifth of every month. A report card is submitted at the end of each term; if grades fall in one term the scholarship is not cut, and a support plan is first prepared with the mentor and a counsellor teacher. In exceptional cases such as a sudden loss of family income or illness, you can contact us for additional emergency support.