Sakarya University prohibits discrimination on grounds including disability, age, gender, race, religion or belief, and nationality. Its 2022 Sustainability Report explicitly applies non-discrimination to student recruitment. The University’s 2025 Sustainability Report reaffirms its commitment to equality and inclusion. Article 5(1) of Türkiye’s Law No. 6701 protects people seeking access to education as well as those already receiving it. Article 7(1)(f) permits different treatment where it is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy inequality. [1, 2, 18, 20]
ÖSYM, the national examination and placement authority, allocates places through the YKS system using placement scores, preferences, programme quotas and published entry conditions. Applicants who need examination adjustments can request them from ÖSYM. After placement, SAÜ offered electronic registration on 1–3 September and in-person registration on 1–5 September 2025. The University’s guide also directs students with disabilities to the support office after registration. [3, 4, 5]
The national scheme gives eligible women who had turned 34 by 1 January 2025 an additional route into designated programmes. Candidates are considered first for general places. Previous bachelor’s graduates are ineligible, and previous associate-degree graduates may apply only for bachelor’s places under the scheme. At SAÜ, the 2025 guide lists one reserved place alongside 40 general places in Social Work (programme 108810183). These figures describe the places available. [4, Figure 3]
For associate and bachelor’s programmes, SAÜ’s 2025–2026 rules specify which examination results and diplomas it accepts, how it calculates scores and how it allocates places by score and preference. Section 2 sets a 10% ceiling by nationality for Medicine and Dentistry. A separate provision limits the share for specified Turkish-citizenship and Blue Card categories in Teacher Education, Law, Medicine and Dentistry. Applicants abroad who cannot arrive by the registration deadline may be granted temporary online registration. [6]
For graduate study, SAÜ’s Business Institute published its autumn 2025 international application window (4–17 August) and registration dates (22–24 September). Later that year, the Senate revised the international graduate admissions directive on 30 December (decision 730/15). Article 3 assigns ranking by previous degree grade average to the International Student Office and sets out academic and language requirements. The autumn call documents the earlier intake. [7, 19]
At graduate entrance examinations, applicants may submit a documented adjustment request to the Barrier-Free Life and Support Coordination Office. Articles 4–5 of the Senate directive provide for individual assessment, and Article 13(2) extends examination arrangements to special aptitude and other University examinations where compatible with their rules. These provisions establish an adjustment route. The separately documented 10% quota applies to the three undergraduate art programmes described below. [8, 9, 11]
Article 3(5) of the thesis-based master’s rules, revised on 2 May 2024 (decision 671/16), removes a specific barrier at application. For the Turkish-medium conservatory and fine arts graduate programmes specified there, eligible applicants are deemed to meet the minimum foreign-language score without submitting a test result. The provision covers hearing impairment of at least 70% uncorrected or 40% corrected, intellectual disability of at least 50%, or autism spectrum disorder with a disability rating of at least 40%. A report from a state hospital or state university hospital is required. [10, Figure 6]
SAÜ also published an autumn 2025 special-conditions graduate call for veterans and for the spouses and children of veterans or of persons recognised as martyrs. The Business Institute accepted applications for this route from 18 to 27 August. [21]
The Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture reserved 10% of each department’s places for eligible applicants with disabilities in Painting, Ceramics and Glass, and Traditional Turkish Arts. Applicants sat the same questions and stages in separate rooms. The faculty ranked eligible candidates on a separate list by aptitude score, with a minimum score of 50. This allows candidates to compete for reserved places while demonstrating the same artistic skills. The Painting Department’s 2025–2026 main selection list records one candidate selected under this quota. [11, 12, Figure 7]
The Painting Department published examination results for five candidates under the disability route. Three received examination marks and two were listed as absent. The main selection list records one successful candidate. [23, 12]
On 24 October 2025, the support office introduced its services to students with disabilities or special educational needs and discussed their requests. SAÜ News reported the meeting on 28 October. YÖK’s 2025 monitoring report, using 2024 data, ranked SAÜ first for audiobooks and accessible library resources (6,699,982). SAÜ reported that finding on 25 December. Separately, SAÜ received 40 YÖK programme badges for accessible teaching and support in 2025, the highest university total that year. These records document support during study. [13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, Figures 2 and 9]
In August 2025 the Faculty of Education announced TÜBİTAK 3005 funding for EDİM. The project was designed for graduates of special education practice schools to gain work experience with Hendek Municipality, with support from pre-service special education teachers. [22]
Figure 1. Law No. 6701 on equal treatment in access to services, including education. PDF p. 3. Source [2]
Figure 2. SAÜ’s 2025–2026 YKS registration guide gives the registration options and dates for candidates already placed through the national system. PDF p. 4. Source [5]
Figure 3. ÖSYM 2025 quota table, Social Work (108810183). The column headings and programme row are shown as two excerpts from Table 4, PDF p. 294. Column 5 gives 40 general places and column 9 gives one place for eligible women aged 34 or over. Source [4]
Figure 4. Article 13(2) of the Senate directive extends examination adjustments to special aptitude and other University examinations where compatible with the examination and its rules. PDF p. 11. Source [8]
Figure 5. Scope of the University directive and the route for requesting adjustments. PDF p. 3. Source [8]
Figure 6. Article 3(5) of the thesis-based master’s rules specifies the programmes, disability thresholds and hospital documentation for the foreign-language score adjustment. PDF p. 2. Source [10]
Figure 7. The faculty’s 2025–2026 special aptitude guide sets the disability quota at 10% of each department’s places. PDF p. 7, item 11. Source [11]
Figure 8. Special aptitude admissions procedure for candidates with disabilities. PDF p. 7. Source [11]
Figure 9. SAÜ’s entry in YÖK’s monitoring report. The figure of 6,699,982 refers to audiobooks and accessible library resources in 2024. Published in 2025, figure E.3.2-4, printed p. 221. Source [15]
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