Study in Türkiye: YTB–IsDB Joint Scholarship 2026 for Associate to PhD Degrees
Historical notice for the YTB–IsDB Joint Scholarship 2026 cycle, which accepted applications from 10 January through 20 February 2026 for eligible students from IsDB member countries and Muslim communities.
Historical notice: the 2026 application window is closed
The YTB–IsDB Joint Scholarship Program 2026 was a Türkiye Scholarships opportunity co-funded by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). The official announcement opened the application period on 10 January 2026 and closed it on 20 February 2026. That deadline has passed, so this page is an archive entry for the 2026 cycle, not an invitation to submit a late application.
The official announcement currently linked here is specifically about the 2026 application period. It does not announce a later cycle or provide a new deadline. Readers looking for a future round should check the Türkiye Scholarships website and the IsDB-related announcements again rather than treating the date below as a recurring or rolling deadline.
Key details
| Detail | 2026 cycle information |
|---|---|
| Program | Türkiye Scholarships–IsDB Joint Scholarship Program |
| Funders | Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) |
| Host country | Türkiye |
| Study levels | Associate, Bachelor, Master’s, and PhD |
| Intended applicants | Successful international students from IsDB member countries and Muslim communities around the world |
| Application period | 10 January 2026 to 20 February 2026 |
| Deadline | 20 February 2026 |
| Application route | Türkiye Scholarships official website only |
| Official announcement | YTB–IsDB Joint Scholarship Program 2026 |
The program description also points applicants to a separate official list of eligible fields of study and countries. Eligibility was therefore not simply a matter of having an international student profile: a candidate needed to check the relevant country and field information for the joint program before preparing an application.
What the official announcement confirms
The announcement says that YTB and IsDB co-fund the program to support high-achieving students from IsDB member countries and Muslim communities living in other countries. It connects the program with education at internationally recognized standards and with study at prestigious universities in Türkiye. It also says that the supported fields are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and that the broader purpose is to contribute to academic, cultural, social, political, and economic development in developing countries.
Those statements describe the program’s purpose, but they should not be stretched into promises about admission, employment, or a particular university. The announcement does not guarantee that every applicant will receive their first-choice institution, field, or level. It identifies the joint scholarship as the funding program and directs candidates to the official Türkiye Scholarships process for the actual application.
The announcement lists four study levels:
- Associate degree
- Bachelor’s degree
- Master’s degree
- PhD
This range made the 2026 call relevant to applicants at very different points in their education. It did not, however, make every level available to every applicant. A prospective associate or bachelor’s applicant needed to review the academic requirements for that level, while a master’s or PhD applicant needed to be prepared to provide the academic record and other materials required by the Türkiye Scholarships system. The official announcement is the reliable starting point, and the application portal remains the place to confirm the requirements attached to a particular level and field.
Funding package and the question of “amount”
The official announcement states that the scholarship covers:
- A monthly stipend
- Accommodation support
- Tuition fees
- Health insurance
- A one-year Turkish language course
- One-time round-trip airfare
This is a substantial support package. Tuition coverage addresses the direct cost of the academic program. Accommodation support is a separate benefit and should not automatically be read as a promise of a particular room, city, or cash payment. Health insurance provides another part of the support structure, while the Turkish language course is intended to help scholarship recipients prepare for life and study in Türkiye. The airfare benefit is described as a one-time round-trip ticket, not as an unlimited travel allowance.
The page does not state a numeric monthly stipend amount. That figure can vary by level, policy, or the terms shown in the application system, so this archive does not invent a currency value. Anyone reviewing a future call should use the amount stated in that future official announcement or in the current Türkiye Scholarships instructions. The same caution applies to the details of accommodation support, the timing of payments, and the administration of the language year: the benefits are confirmed, but this announcement is not a complete financial contract.
The phrase “fully funded” is useful shorthand for the breadth of the listed package, but applicants should still read the official conditions carefully. A scholarship that covers tuition and lists several living supports does not mean every personal expense is covered. Costs such as document preparation, local travel, deposits, personal equipment, and expenses outside the scholarship terms may remain the student’s responsibility. Those practical questions should be addressed using the current official rules, not assumptions taken from an old cycle.
Eligibility for the 2026 call
The official eligibility description identifies successful international students from IsDB member countries as well as Muslim communities around the world. The announcement also describes the target group as high-achieving students. Applicants needed to use the linked list of eligible fields and countries, because the joint program’s scope is defined by that program information rather than by a general claim that every subject and nationality was included.
The original page did not publish a complete set of age thresholds in the announcement text. For that reason, this page does not repeat age limits as if they were confirmed for the 2026 joint program. A candidate who was near an age or academic boundary needed to rely on the requirements shown in the official application portal and program instructions. The same principle applies to citizenship, residence, prior qualifications, language, and any field-specific conditions.
A good eligibility check for the 2026 cycle would have asked five practical questions:
- Was the applicant applying as an international student from an eligible IsDB member country, or through the program’s provision for Muslim communities living in other countries?
- Was the intended field included in the official joint-program list?
- Did the applicant’s current education match the selected associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD level?
- Could the applicant document the academic history and identity information requested by the portal?
- Could the applicant complete the Türkiye Scholarships form within the published application window?
The announcement’s wording about high achievement also matters. Applicants should have been ready to present a clear academic record and a coherent reason for choosing the proposed field. Strong grades can help, but they are only one part of a credible application. The documents, study choice, and personal statement needed to support the same story.
How the 2026 application worked
The official announcement is explicit that applications were accepted only through the Türkiye Scholarships official website. It also gives a program-specific instruction: candidates eligible for the Türkiye Scholarships–IsDB Joint Scholarship Program needed to select “Yes” under the “Joint Scholarship Programs” section of the application screen in order to apply for the joint program.
For a future call, or for anyone reviewing how the 2026 process was structured, the safe sequence is:
- Start at the official Türkiye Scholarships website and open the announcement for the relevant cycle.
- Confirm the eligible country and field information for the IsDB joint program before choosing a study level or subject.
- Create or update the official Türkiye Scholarships application profile.
- Enter the academic, identity, and contact information requested by the portal.
- Select “Yes” in the Joint Scholarship Programs section when the applicant qualifies for the IsDB joint program.
- Upload the documents and statements required by the current portal for the chosen level and field.
- Review every answer and attachment, then submit before the published closing time.
For the 2026 cycle, step seven had to be completed by 20 February 2026. The announcement does not authorize submissions by email, social media message, third-party form, or an agent’s private website. A service that asks for payment to “secure” a place or claims to submit outside the official Türkiye Scholarships system should not be treated as the program itself.
Preparing documents without overstating the checklist
Because the announcement page is a program notice rather than a full application manual, it is better to prepare methodically and verify the final checklist in the portal. A prospective applicant would normally want clear identity information, educational records, transcripts, and any level-specific academic material ready before opening the form. Graduate applicants should also expect that the portal may ask for more detailed evidence of their preparation than an applicant entering an associate or bachelor’s program.
The useful standard is consistency. Names and dates should match across the profile, passport or identity document, diploma, transcript, CV, and statement. Scans should be readable, complete, and oriented correctly. If a document is not in an accepted language, the applicant should follow the translation and certification instructions shown by the current official system. Do not infer that a translation, recommendation, test score, research proposal, or portfolio is required for every level; verify the requirement for the selected program.
The same discipline applies to the study plan. A bachelor’s applicant can explain the academic foundation they want to build. A master’s applicant should connect previous study with the proposed specialization. A PhD applicant should be able to explain the research direction and why the chosen training is appropriate. These are preparation suggestions, not additional eligibility rules published in the announcement.
What applicants should take from this archived call
The most important lesson from the 2026 notice is that a broad benefits package still depends on a precise application route. The program supported four degree levels and named benefits covering tuition, living support, insurance, language preparation, and travel. At the same time, the application had a fixed start and end date, a defined country and field scope, and a required selection in the Türkiye Scholarships form.
The deadline field on this page is intentionally the real historical date: 2026-02-20. It is not marked “ongoing,” and no successor deadline is invented. The historicalReference flag marks the record as an archive entry because the 2026 window has closed and the linked official announcement does not provide a successor cycle.
If a new YTB–IsDB announcement is published, it should be checked for changes to eligible countries, fields, study levels, benefit terms, document requirements, and the amount of the monthly stipend. A later announcement may not simply repeat the 2026 rules. Until then, this page should be used to understand the previous cycle and to find the official program source, not as proof that applications are open.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still apply for the 2026 program?
No. The official application period ended on 20 February 2026. This page records the closed cycle.
What was the monthly stipend amount?
The official announcement confirms a monthly stipend but does not give a numeric amount in the announcement text. No amount is stated here because guessing would make the archive misleading.
Which degree levels were included?
The 2026 announcement lists associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD levels.
Who was the program intended for?
The announcement describes successful international students from IsDB member countries and Muslim communities around the world. The eligible country and field list linked from the announcement was also part of the practical eligibility check.
Where were applications submitted?
Only through the official Türkiye Scholarships website. Eligible candidates also needed to select “Yes” under Joint Scholarship Programs in the application screen.
What did the scholarship cover?
The announcement lists a monthly stipend, accommodation support, tuition fees, health insurance, a one-year Turkish language course, and one-time round-trip airfare.
Is there a later deadline listed here?
No. The linked notice is for the 2026 cycle, and this page does not invent a successor deadline. Check the official Türkiye Scholarships announcements for any future call.
Official source
Read the original announcement at Türkiye Scholarships. It remains the authoritative source for the 2026 dates, funders, study levels, eligibility description, benefit list, and application route.