In addition to providing modern and quality education to more students by increasing the number of schools in the country, the Turkish Education Association, based on the principle of equal opportunity in education, offers scholarships to the successful students who are not able to access to good education due to economic problems.
The Turkish Education Association upholds the principle of equal opportunity in education and it serves to this with a unique kind of scholarship system. The scholarship system of the Turkish Education Association differs from the current scholarship practices in Turkey by its coverage. With the scholarship system in practice, the education expenses of about 48.000 students including their allowance have been covered by the time they graduate from university.
Why Does the Turkish Education Association Offer Scholarship?
It is among the fundamental goals of the democratic regimes to ensure that each segment of society benefits from education services by providing equality of opportunity in education. Since its inception, the Turkish Education Association has been awarding scholarships to the successful students in need based on its mission of “contributing to the equality of opportunity in education and raising well-equipped generations,” which is among the three fundamental missions of the Association.
Legal Basis of the Scholarship System
Charter Article 5 – paragraph a:
To provide education opportunity to the well-behaved, understanding and hardworking Turkish children who are not able to go to the school due to orphanage and poverty.
How Does the Turkish Education Association Award Scholarship?
The Turkish Education Association gives education opportunity to the successful students with limited financial means through the following practices:
- Support
- Full Support
- Full Education Scholarship
The Support and Full Support Scholarships cover the students’ book, stationery and clothing needs as well as their allowances.
The Full Education Scholarship covers all the educational expenses of the students as well as their allowance, school bus, food, book and stationery, clothing needs and their dormitory expenditures if they are boarding students.
Full Education Scholarship
The students who benefit from the Full Education Scholarship (FES) system continue their education as a “Young Torch.” The Young Torches are selected through a central exam given nationwide and the following interviews (home visits). The Full Education Scholarship not only covers the tuition fees, but also the allowance, school bus, food, book and stationery, clothing and boarding school fees if the students are staying in dormitory. This scholarship is given throughout the university education as well. Within the framework of this system, the students and their families are provided guidance and counseling services, psychological support, health services, academic support and supervising when necessary. In addition, the university students are offered internship opportunities and career monitoring services.
Donators of the Full Education Scholarship System: Education Torches
The persons and organizations that give financial and moral support to the Young Torches are named as the “Education Torches.” The persons who contribute individually are included in the system as the “Individual Education Torches” and those who contribute institutionally are the “Institutional Education Torches.” In FES system, which is unique in our country, some of the total amount is provided by the Education Torches and the remaining part is drawn from the own funds of the Turkish Education Association.