Deadline: 17-Nov-2025
The Zero Discrimination Association has launched its Romani Education Fund Scholarship to address the financial difficulties experienced by Roma students in accessing education, to reduce adaptation problems, the risk of failing classes and the problems they face in transitioning to employment.
Within the scope of the project, scholarships will be provided to 60 university and 120 high school students between 2023-2025. Within the scope of the scholarship program, high school and university students will be able to benefit from Romani Scholarships will continue to be provided to young people. New scholarship recipients will be selected to replace students who have graduated or lost their right to receive scholarships.
Each Roma university student eligible for the scholarship will receive 800 Euros in Turkish Lira throughout the academic year, paid in three installments. High school students will receive 500 Euros in Turkish Lira, also paid in three installments.
In the 2025-2026 academic year, 42 high school students and 28 university students will benefit from the project activities. Eligible high school applicants must be Roma, enrolled or residing in Edirne, Istanbul, Izmir, Hatay, or Malatya, and studying in an eligible high school program. Students from vocational training centers are not accepted. Evaluation for high school students will be based on their general grade point average.
For university students, eligibility requires being Roma and enrolled in an undergraduate or associate degree program at a state university during the 2025-2026 academic year. There are no city-specific requirements for university applicants, and applications from all over Türkiye are accepted. Evaluation will consider university entrance exam scores for first-year students and general grade averages for continuing students.
The scholarship applications will be evaluated by an independent selection committee of six people, considering academic performance, motivation, family income, and health status as important criteria.
The evaluation process includes assessing family income and health status, motivation, academic success, and completeness of documents. The evaluation board will determine the scholarship recipients based on the highest total score. Priority will be given to students who have lost one or both parents, those with disabilities, and those with poor economic conditions.
A total of 70 Roma students (28 university and 42 high school) who meet the eligibility criteria will be selected by an independent committee. The selection process includes online interviews with shortlisted candidates and their referees.
Required documents include an online application form, student certificate, transcript, ID copy or population registration, parental employment documents, a signed declaration, parental permission form (for those under 18), and a reference letter confirming Roma identity and financial need, preferably written by a Roma association representative, headman, or teacher.
Successful applicants will be notified and required to sign a written contract before scholarship funds are transferred. Participation in mentoring support, training, and other project activities is mandatory for scholarship recipients.
For more information, visit Zero Discrimination Association.