In the highly competitive landscape of higher education, academic scholarships are almost exclusively designed to reward the best of the best. Traditional financial aid packages and merit-based grants routinely target students with flawless academic records, high Grade Point Averages (GPAs), and outstanding test scores. However, a group of alumni from Middle East Technical University (METU/ODTÜ), one of Turkey’s most prestigious institutions, is turning this conventional wisdom on its head by introducing a scholarship that does the exact opposite.
Known as the "Ali and Haydar Failure Scholarship" (Ali ve Haydar Başarısızlık Bursu), this unconventional program specifically targets students who are currently struggling academically. To qualify for the monthly stipend of 13,000 Turkish Liras (TL), paid over a period of eight months, applicants must have a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0. Rather than celebrating already established academic success, the initiative aims to support the resilience and determination of students who are trying to rebuild their academic lives after experiencing setbacks.
The program is funded and organized by the METU Statistics Society (ODTÜ İstatistik Topluluğu), a tight-knit network of alumni who graduated from the university’s Statistics Department between 1998 and 2000. The scholarship honors the memory of two of their classmates, Haydar Güney and Ali Koyuncu, both of whom passed away last year. Following its successful launch last year, when it provided financial lifelines to three students, the scholarship has opened its doors for a second term. Applications for this year’s cycle are open until October 15, with the successful recipients scheduled to be announced on October 30.
"We Decided to Hold Their Hands"
The philosophical foundation of the "Failure Scholarship" lies in the shared history of its founders. Dr. Çağdaş Şirin, an economist and a prominent member of the alumni group, explains that the program is a direct reflection of the solidarity and mutual support that defined their own university years.
"We were a group of friends who always supported one another during our university years," Dr. Şirin said, reflecting on the origins of the initiative. "Although we scattered to different cities and countries over the decades, we never broke our bond; we managed to stay in touch in one way or another. The idea for this scholarship, which honors the memory of Ali and Haydar, was born as a direct product of this long-lasting friendship and solidarity. There are about 30 of us in this alumni network, and we fund this scholarship entirely through donations collected among ourselves."
For students at METU, falling below a GPA of 2.0 carries serious consequences. Under the university’s academic regulations, students whose GPAs drop below this threshold are placed on "probation" status. This classification prevents them from taking courses from upper semesters, effectively stalling their academic progress and delaying their graduation. Dr. Şirin points out that this system can easily trap students in a demoralizing cycle where financial stress, personal issues, and academic restrictions feed into one another.
"We are graduates from the class of 1999," Dr. Şirin continued. "During our time at university, our group included class valedictorians, but some of us were also academically unsuccessful at times. Looking back, we realized that those who struggled often did so because of external pressures. Some of us were dealing with severe financial difficulties, while others were experiencing turbulent relationships with their families. Yet, we had all earned our way into the METU Statistics Department, which meant we were fundamentally capable and successful individuals to begin with. We had proven our potential just by getting in."
This realization—that academic failure is often a temporary state caused by life’s hardships rather than a lack of ability—became the driving force behind the scholarship. Dr. Şirin revealed that he, along with the late Ali Koyuncu and Haydar Güney, had experienced the stress of being placed on probation during their undergraduate years.
"Because we had walked in those exact shoes, we decided it was time to hold the hands of those who had once succeeded but are now struggling due to various circumstances," Dr. Şirin explained. "That is how the concept of the failure scholarship was born. We wanted to support not the achievement itself, but the will to stand back up after falling."
Awarded for Only One Year
Unlike conventional financial aid programs that offer continuous support throughout a student’s entire degree, the "Ali and Haydar Failure Scholarship" is strictly limited to a single academic year. Dr. Şirin notes that this structural limitation is a deliberate choice that aligns with the core philosophy of the program.
"We only award this scholarship for a single year; it does not continue," Dr. Şirin clarified. "This is because the ultimate goal of the scholarship is to help students transform their academic struggles into success. It is designed to be a temporary bridge—a concentrated period of financial and moral support that allows them to focus on their studies, raise their GPAs back above the 2.0 threshold, exit probation, and regain their academic independence."
By relieving the immediate financial burdens that often force struggling students to take on exhausting part-time jobs, the alumni hope to give recipients the breathing room they need to focus entirely on their coursework. For the recipients, the monthly payment of 13,000 TL over eight months represents a significant source of stability.
Despite being restricted to a single department within a single university, the initiative has generated immense interest across Turkey’s higher education sector. According to Dr. Şirin, the alumni group has already received nearly 100 applications for the current cycle, and the reach of the program has extended far beyond its official boundaries.
"Even though we announced that we only provide this scholarship to students in the METU Statistics Department, we have been contacted by students from other departments and even other universities," Dr. Şirin shared. "They reached out to tell us how valuable this kind of support is and expressed a strong desire for similar programs to be established at their own institutions."
The overwhelming response highlights a broader, systemic issue in academic philanthropy, where students who fall behind are often left without resources, further compounding their difficulties. By focusing on those who have faltered, the METU Statistics alumni hope to inspire other graduate networks and institutions to reconsider how they define and distribute student aid.
"It is absolutely necessary to support those who are successful, but we must also recognize that there are many complex reasons behind academic failure," Dr. Şirin concluded. "With this initiative, we wanted to keep the memories of our dear friends alive while offering both financial and emotional backing to young people who, despite their current struggles, still possess the determination to succeed. We want to give them the chance to turn things around."
