In 2025, METU gave students from low-income family’s free meals, free dormitory places, cash support, and free campus transport and internet, so that they could complete their studies.

How support is allocated

Donations from the METU Student Support Association, the METU Development Foundation, alumni, students' families and companies are pooled in a single aid fund, which the METU Scholarship and Support Committee distributes according to financial need. Students apply through the online student information system (ozlukbilgi.metu.edu.tr) with a statement of their financial situation and official documents. The support is need-based, not a reward for academic success, and a student in serious hardship can receive cash, dormitory and meal support at the same time.

Students receiving support, 2023–2025

Source: METU Directorate of Student Affairs, annual activity reports 2023–2025.

Free meals

Meal support gives students free lunch and/or dinner at the METU Cafeteria. In 2025, 1,397 students received meal support and 110,000 free meals were served to scholarship students (METU Institutional Self-Evaluation Report 2025).

Free accommodation

METU's 19 dormitories house 7,691 students. Dormitory support covers the dormitory fee of students in need; 1,000 students received it in 2025. The METU Development Foundation's Comprehensive Support and Merit Scholarship Programme also provided free accommodation and meals to students in financial hardship.

Cash support

Cash scholarships are paid for 9–12 months a year and are worth 4,000–10,000 TL a month in 2026–27; 6,575 students received them in 2025. In addition, the METU Alumni Association's own need-based scholarship supported 503 METU undergraduates in 2025–26 with 4,000 TL (full) or 2,250 TL (half) a month for nine months.

Free clothing and household goods

On 4–5 October 2025, the METU Alumni Association held a second-hand goods solidarity event at which clothing, household items and other necessities donated by alumni were offered to METU students free of charge.

Free transport and internet

Free ring shuttles run across the campus and to the metro station, and free wireless internet is available across the campus, so students do not need to pay for campus transport or internet access.

Work opportunities

Students can work part-time in university units for up to 15 hours a week.

The İŞKUR Youth Programme, run by the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) with state universities since February 2025, gives students from lower-income households paid work on their own campus: students whose household income is above three times the net minimum wage cannot take part. Students work up to three days a week, receive a daily allowance from İŞKUR (1,083 TL a day in 2025) and are covered by health and work-accident insurance. METU organises the work and supervises the students in its units, including laboratories, the library, the Health and Guidance Centre, sports and cultural activities and campus sustainability work. According to METU’s personnel records (from VARSİS report), 1,985 METU students worked at METU under the programme in 2025.