Financing

The central government budget predominantly finances public education institutions at the preprimary, primary, and upper secondary levels. In this context, budget planning and appropriation allocation for expenses such as maintenance, repair, and heating, particularly classroom and laboratory equipment and materials needed to sustain educational activities, are managed by the relevant units of the central organization. In addition to fulfilling the equipment needs of existing schools and boarding houses, the central organization also plans for newly established or planned institutions, including additional buildings, fields, branches, and departments. Required materials are procured and dispatched to the relevant institutions or directly allocated from the general budget when necessary.

Most of the staff salaries and wages, expenditures on movable and immovable property, educational materials, and other operating expenses of public schools at these levels are covered by central government budget resources. Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) raise funds through parental contributions, children’s clubs, various events, and donations.

Financing Pre-primary Education

Pre-primary education is free of charge and is provided through kindergartens, nursery classes, and practice classes. Financial contributions may be requested in a manner that does not burden families financially, particularly for nutrition, cleaning, and educational materials. These institutions are allocated funds based on the number of students, classrooms, and location. In addition to government allocations, pre-primary institutions also receive contributions from families, special provincial administration budgets, project funds, donations, municipalities, private individuals, and organizations.

The planning, allocation, and monitoring of appropriations for equipment, maintenance and repair, and heating fuel are carried out by the relevant central organizational units. Accordingly, equipment needs for new or planned schools and institutions are identified, and the required materials are either procured and delivered or directly financed from the central budget.

Financing Primary Education

Primary schools, including compulsory four-year primary schools, lower secondary schools, imamhatip lower secondary schools, sports lower secondary schools, music lower secondary schools, and vocational lower secondary schools, are financed primarily by the central government budget. These schools also receive additional funding from the budgets of metropolitan municipalities, special provincial administrations, and donations.

The planning, allocation, and monitoring of appropriations for the equipment, movable and immovable property maintenance-repair expenses, and heating fuel needs of primary schools are carried out by the relevant units affiliated with the central organization. In addition, the equipment needs of newly established or planned primary education institutions are identified, and the procurement and delivery of the required materials are ensured and/or appropriations are allocated to the relevant institutions from the central budget.

Financing Upper Secondary Education

Upper secondary education consists of general upper secondary education, vocational and technical upper secondary education, and religious education schools, all of which are compulsory and last four years. Upper secondary schools are financed by the central government budget, and additional support is also provided through the budgets of metropolitan municipalities, provincial special administrations, and donations. Moreover, vocational and technical education schools generate revenue through revolving funds. Resources allocated for skill training provided to candidate apprentices and apprentices in vocational training enterprises also constitute part of the financing sources.

The planning of equipment needs and the allocation of appropriations for upper secondary education institutions and their affiliated school dormitories are carried out by the relevant units of the central organization. Within this scope, the necessary equipment for newly established or planned schools, institutions, dormitories, annex buildings, as well as for specific fields, branches, and departments is identified, and the procurement and delivery processes are implemented and/or appropriations are allocated to the relevant institutions from the general budget.

Financial Management and Control

Budget resources allocated for basic education schools are used by schools through provincial directorates of national education. A school-based budget module has been established for the efficient use of the budget in primary schools. Budget allocations for upper secondary schools are used directly by schools. Separate allocations are also provided for special education classes and support education rooms in these schools. In addition, the planning and monitoring of expenditures such as vehicle expenses, service building rents, staff travel expenses, subscription-based payment transactions, and consumption allowances of the provincial organization are carried out by the relevant central units.

Free Public Education

With the Student Transportation Practice carried out within the scope of the MoNE Regulation on Access to Education through Transportation, students attending primary, upper secondary, and special education schools/institutions/classes who are likely to be deprived of the right to education recognized by the Basic Law on National Education No. 1739, as well as special education trainees who benefit from nonformal education services, are provided with free access to education through transportation to official schools/ institutions. Primary and upper secondary education students, excluding special education students/trainees, are provided with free lunch. Students attending special education classes opened in schools where lunch is provided to primary and upper secondary education students within the scope of the student transportation practice also benefit from this service free of charge.

The free transportation costs of primary and secondary education students are covered from the central government budget, while free lunches for primary and upper secondary education students and free transportation costs for special education students are covered from resources transferred from the Social Assistance and Solidarity Incentive Fund.

In line with the Regulation on Special Education Services, free lunches are provided to daytime students in official special education schools with funds allocated from the general budget. Within the scope of equality of opportunity in education, free textbooks are offered at all levels, and the cost of free textbooks is financed from funds transferred from the Social Assistance and Solidarity Incentive Fund. Additionally, free accommodation services are provided to all students accommodated in Regional Boarding Lower Secondary Schools and secondary education students who wish to stay in boarding houses, with these expenses covered from the central government budget.

Financial Support for Families

Within the framework of the protocol between MoFSS and MoNE, the ‘Conditional Education Assistance Program’ is implemented, providing education assistance to families in need on the condition that they send their children to school regularly. From 2003 to 2024, a total of 11 billion 490 million 611 thousand 316 TL was paid to the parents of students in primary and secondary education with conditional education assistance from the Social Assistance and Solidarity Incentive Fund.

Financial Support for Families in Need of Special Education

Within the scope of the Social Assistance Program, MoFSP provides support in cooperation with MoNE to ensure access to schools for students with special education needs. The program is implemented as a resource transfer to MoNE.

Financial Support for Students

According to Article 42 of the Constitution, “The State provides scholarships and other means of assistance to successful students who lack financial means in order to enable them to continue their education.” To ensure equality of opportunity in education, students who have difficulty accessing education are provided with the opportunity for free boarding and scholarships. Students who are successful in the Free Boarding and Scholarship Examination are provided with scholarships and free boarding as educational support. In addition, free lunch service is provided for students studying in special education schools and vocational and technical Anatolian high schools who are not economically well-off.

For each student studying in vocational and technical Anatolian high schools and participating in vocational (skills) training in enterprises within the scope of the Vocational Education Law, payments are made to enterprises that provide skills training and internships within the scope of the state contribution. Enterprises that provide skills training and internships are paid 2/3 or 1/3 (depending on the size of the enterprise) of the amount that must be paid to students, which corresponds to at least 30% of the minimum wage (50% for Vocational Education Center program mastership training students) as state contribution. This practice paves the way for enterprises to provide more students with skills training and internship opportunities. Thus, it is aimed that students receive a qualified vocational education through skills training and internships in the real work environment in enterprises.

Within the scope of the Law on Social Security and General Health Insurance, vocational and technical upper secondary education students were insured against occupational accidents and occupational diseases from the date they started their field education.

The following amendments were made to the Law on Vocational Education:

• One-third of the minimum wage received each month by students studying at vocational training centers is fully paid by the state.
• Payments made to 12th-grade students of vocational training centers who have gained journeyman qualification cannot be less than fifty percent of the minimum wage.
• The state contribution payments made to the wages of candidate apprentices and apprentices and students undergoing vocational training in enterprises, internships, and complementary education can be extended for ten academic years, starting from the 2021-2022 academic year.
• The number of students enrolled in vocational education center programs reached 453,469 (MoNE 2025 Budget Report).

Within the scope of equal opportunities in education, free textbooks are distributed at all levels. In the 2024-2025 academic year, 883 types of course materials belonging to 53 fields and 114 branches were distributed free of charge to vocational and technical secondary education students.

Private Education

In Türkiye, private education institutions have financial autonomy. They can formulate their own policies within the framework of national education legislation and carry out business and operations accordingly. The work and transactions carried out in private education institutions are audited by the MoNE.

Within the scope of the Private Education Institutions Law, in order to support private schools affiliated with the MoNE, education and training support has been provided for students who are citizens of the Republic of Türkiye studying in these schools since the 2014-2015 academic year. This support is not to exceed the duration of the school education at each level according to the school type of a student studying in public schools. Education and training support, which is given by considering criteria such as the priority level of development in the region where the school is located, the income level of the student’s family, the number of students in the education region, and the success levels of the supported student, continues in vocational and technical Anatolian high schools opened in organized industrial zones.

In order to increase quality and employment in vocational and technical education, education and training support is provided for each student studying in private vocational and technical Anatolian high schools opened in organized industrial zones since the 2012-2013 academic year. Within the scope of the Law on Private Education Institutions, education and training support payments are made every year in an amount jointly determined by MoNE and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance (MoTF) for students studying in specified fields in private vocational and technical Anatolian high schools both inside and outside organized industrial zones. In addition, education and training support is provided for students studying in private schools in Adıyaman, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, and Malatya provinces, and İslahiye and Nurdağı districts of Gaziantep province, which were affected by the February 6, 2023, earthquake, starting from the 2023-2024 academic year.

As of June 1, 2006, the educational expenses of students in need of special education who are deemed eligible for support education by special education evaluation boards within guidance and research centers are covered by MoNE, regardless of whether they have social security or not. MoNE is authorized to determine the funds to be allocated to special education and rehabilitation centers for support education services.

According to the Law on Private Education Institutions, institutions are obliged to educate no less than three percent of the number of students free of charge. The application conditions for students who will be educated free of charge at private education institutions, the procedures to be carried out by the governorships, and similar issues are regulated in the guideline prepared by MoNE. Additionally, as of 2025, these children will benefit free of charge from services such as meals, breakfast, boarding/housing, books, stationery, clothing, study, international diploma, and certificate programs, excluding service fees, in the private education institutions where they are placed.