This research was conducted to understand the importance and impact of mentoring in higher education. The importance of mentoring programs that can contribute to students' personal development, career goals and academic success is increasing. In this study, the relationship between the concept of mentoring and the students' perspective was investigated by using the Higher Education Student Mentoring Scale developed by Crisp (2009) on 270 students studying in different departments at Bitlis Eren University. The four-factor structure of the scale was used to evaluate students' expectations and experiences from mentoring programs. The results of the research show that the scale is effective in measuring important factors such as guiding the participants, mentoring, achieving academic success and being a role model. The reliability of the scale was found to be high and as a result of the analyzes, it was determined that the mentoring scale showed significant differences according to demographic variables such as gender and department. These findings highlight the necessity of designing and implementing mentoring programs for various student groups. Research results show that mentoring programs in higher education have positive effects on students' personal development and success. These programs help students increase their academic performance, set career goals, and improve their self-confidence. In addition, mentoring programs create a strong network among students, fostering collaboration and enriching students' university experience. Therefore, higher education institutions should support mentoring programs, facilitate students' access to these valuable opportunities, and spread the mentoring culture. Thus, it can be ensured that students benefit from the mentoring experience at the highest level in their university life and a solid foundation can be formed for their future careers. However, various strategies should be adopted to increase the effectiveness of mentoring programs and reach a wider student body. First of all, effective promotional activities should be carried out to increase their awareness in order to encourage participation in mentoring programs. It is vital that higher education institutions care about mentoring programs and take the necessary steps to increase the effectiveness of these programs, to support the personal development of students and to increase their success.

Mentoring in higher education, mentoring practices, higher education student mentoring scale, mentoring.