Applications for the Higher Education Yarım Elma Scholarship are submitted through bursverenler.org . Applications are reviewed in accordance with the criteria established through the bursverenler.org assessment system and by the Yücel Cultural Foundation Scholarship Committee.

For applications that stand out during the preliminary assessment, the applicant’s reasons for applying, educational and career goals, personal development efforts, volunteering experience and social participation are also reviewed in detail.

The weighting of the criteria may be updated according to the circumstances of the application period, the available scholarship budget and decisions of the Foundation Board of Trustees. Receiving the highest score does not, by itself, create an entitlement to a scholarship; the final decision is based on a holistic review.

The Yücel Cultural Foundation respects different views and beliefs and does not use discriminatory criteria such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, denomination or ethnic origin in its assessments.

Applications are assessed by considering financial need, educational circumstances, academic achievement, social participation, motivation for development and preparation for the future together.

1. Citizenship and Basic Eligibility
   The applicant must be a citizen of the Republic of Türkiye and meet the published basic eligibility requirements of the Yarım Elma Scholarship.
2. Criminal Record and Legal Eligibility
   The applicant’s compliance with the criminal record and legal eligibility requirements set out in the Scholarship Regulations is reviewed. Matters requiring clarification are considered separately by the Scholarship Committee together with the relevant documents.
3. Academic Achievement
   For students beginning university, higher education placement results are considered. For continuing students, transcripts, grade point averages and progress throughout their studies are reviewed.
4. Family Circumstances
   Family circumstances such as the loss of a parent, parents living separately, the number of siblings and dependants are considered.
5. Family Financial Circumstances
   Regular household income, essential expenses, housing and rent circumstances, the number of people living in the household and disposable income per person are reviewed together.
6. Student Financial Circumstances
   Other scholarships and support received by the student, education and accommodation expenses, additional costs associated with the field of study and employment status are taken into account.
7. Social Participation and Volunteering
   The applicant’s participation in civil society initiatives, volunteering and activities that contribute to their community is assessed in light of the opportunities available to them.
8. Participation in Foundation and Community Activities
   The applicant’s participation in educational, cultural, artistic and youth activities organised by the Yücel Cultural Foundation or other organisations is considered. Having no previous connection with the Foundation or applying for the first time is not treated negatively.
9. Leadership, Creativity and Project Development
   Projects initiated, organised or supported by the applicant, as well as social, cultural, artistic and sporting activities, are assessed in light of the applicant’s circumstances.
10. Skills, Talent and Openness to Development
    The applicant’s efforts to develop themselves, including training, courses, seminars, certificate programmes and artistic or sporting activities, are taken into account.
11. Future Goals and Level of Preparation
    The applicant’s educational and career goals, preparations made towards those goals and statements in the application form are reviewed. An interview may be conducted where considered necessary.

Information declared in the application form is compared with the documents uploaded to the system. If there is an inconsistency between a declaration and a document, information is incomplete or a matter is unclear, additional information or original documents may be requested from the applicant.

If inaccurate information or documents are found to have been submitted, the application may be excluded from assessment or an existing scholarship may be terminated in accordance with the Scholarship Regulations.

Donors may select a scholarship recipient from among applicants who meet the programme’s basic eligibility requirements and whose application information has been verified.

The other half of the selected recipient’s support is funded by the Yücel Cultural Foundation or another donor, subject to the programme conditions and the available scholarship budget.

A donor’s preference does not exempt an applicant from basic eligibility, document verification or regulatory compliance checks.