Quick answer: International students, EU and non-EU, who are enrolled or about to enrol at an Italian university can apply for the DSU if their ISEE Università is under the limit in the local bando. If your family lives abroad, the university or agency calculates an ISEE parificato from your legalised foreign documents.
Status on October 29, 2026: the 2027/28 calls are not published. Degree-student deadlines for 2026/27 have passed, but PhD windows are still open in Tuscany (until 16 November 2026) and Piedmont (until 27 November 2026).
Funding is not guaranteed for every eligible applicant, and every agency sets its own rules. Always confirm numbers in your own bando.
What Is the DSU Scholarship in Italy?
The DSU is Italy's university right-to-study system. It is set at national level and delivered by regional agencies (ER.GO, DiSCo Lazio, DSU Toscana, ESU, EDISU) and, in some cities such as Milan, by the universities themselves. Each publishes a yearly bando (call) with its own deadline, income limits, amounts and credit rules.
EU and non-EU students can both apply. The DSU is a means-tested entitlement, not a merit competition, but grants are paid from a limited budget, so being eligible (idoneo) does not always mean being paid (beneficiario). It is separate from MAECI, Italy's national merit scholarship, which you cannot combine with it (see the section on MAECI).
| Run by | Regional agencies or universities, under national rules |
| Who | Italian, EU and non-EU students at eligible institutions, full-time only |
| Basis | Family income and assets (ISEE Università and ISPE), plus credits from the second year |
| Benefits | Cash grant, free or subsidised meals, full or partial tuition exemption, and a housing application (a place is not guaranteed) |
| Typical timing | Calls open June to July; main deadlines late July to September; first rankings October |
| 2027/28 call | Not published yet |
What the DSU Can Cover and Pay
- Cash grant: the amount depends on your income band and on whether you live in the university town (in sede), commute (pendolare) or live away from home (fuori sede).
- Meals: free or subsidised canteen access.
- Tuition: full or partial exemption depending on the agency and your status.
- Housing: a residence place is assigned by ranking and availability, often with its own earlier deadline. Demand exceeds supply in the big cities.
- Extras: supplements for study abroad and a graduation bonus for finishing on time, where the bando provides them.
A worked example: the University of Milan, 2026/27
| Status | Lowest income band | Highest income band |
|---|---|---|
| Living away from home (fuori sede) | 7,419 | 5,028 |
| Commuter (pendolare) | 3,991 | 2,470 |
| Living locally (in sede) | 2,601 | 1,314 |
The three income bands run up to an ISEE of €13,443.97, €17,925.29 and €26,887.93. The cash part is net of the meal service the university retains, and eligible students and winners are also exempt from the second tuition instalment (50% for partial winners). Other agencies use different amounts, so treat this as an illustration, not a national figure.
Cities and budgets matter as much as the grant. Our affordable universities finder helps you compare options before you apply.
ISEE Parificato for Non-EU Students
The ISEE Università is the means-test indicator. Italian residents get it for free by filing a DSU declaration online through INPS or at a CAF. Students whose family earns and owns things abroad cannot get a normal one, so they go through the ISEE parificato (ISEEUP) instead. How that works depends on the agency:
- University of Milan (2026/27): you upload your foreign documents with the application and the university calculates the figure itself. It sums the household's 2025 income and adds 20% of its assets at 31 December 2025, valuing buildings at €500 per square metre, then applies the Italian deductions and equivalence scale.
- Lazio DiSCo (2026/27): students whose families live abroad can use CAFs that work with DiSCo to prepare the ISEEUP.
A University of Milan detail worth knowing: its call asks for foreign income documents only from students whose countries appear in an annex of mostly higher-income countries. Students from countries not on that list are placed in the first income band automatically, though the university may check afterwards. Other agencies may not do this, so never assume it.
Documents the University of Milan asked for in 2026/27
- A certificate from the civil registry or equivalent authority showing who is in the household.
- Official proof of the 2025 income of every household member, or a statement that there was none.
- Proof of movable assets (deposits, shares, insurance, business equity) on 31 December 2025, or a statement of none.
- Proof of property owned on 31 December 2025, with square metres and whether it is the family home.
The call requires these to be issued by the authorities of the country where the income and assets exist, legalised, and translated into Italian by Italian diplomatic or consular offices abroad. Where that is difficult, it allows legalisation through foreign consulates in Italy. Other agencies set their own rules, so follow yours exactly. Getting legalised and translated papers can take weeks, so do not leave it for the weeks before the deadline.
The reference year moves forward: for 2026/27 the University of Milan used 2025 income and assets at 31 December 2025. If the same logic applies in 2027/28, you will need your 2026 documents, which is why you can start gathering them in January 2027. Confirm in the new bando.
Who Can Apply
- Enrolment: enrolled, or intending to enrol, full-time at an eligible university or institution. Part-time students are excluded. The University of Milan and Lazio DiSCo both let you apply before you finish enrolling, although the award itself needs enrolment.
- Economic: an ISEE and ISPE within the limits of your bando. Both limits must be met together.
- Level and years: the grant is normally available once for each level of study, for the regular length of the course plus one extra semester.
- Usually excluded: students who already hold an Italian degree of the same or a higher level, first-year students who transferred or re-enrolled after dropping out, students repeating a year, and those admitted with a shortened career after a foreign course is recognised (University of Milan rule).
- PhD students: treated differently. Tuscany and Piedmont run separate windows, and the University of Milan accepts PhD students only if they have no scholarship or research grant.
- Incompatible awards: you must choose between the DSU and other equivalent benefits. See DSU vs MAECI.
Credits and Merit Rules
First-year students need no credits to apply, but that does not mean the first year is free of conditions. The University of Milan's 2026/27 call is typical of the system:
- First-year Bachelor's: 35 credits (CFU) by 10 August 2027, with an automatic 5-credit bonus.
- First-year Master's: 20 credits for open-access courses, or 23 for restricted-access courses, by 10 August 2027, with no bonus.
- If you reach the target only by 30 November 2027: you lose the second instalment, keep half the benefit and receive a 50% tuition exemption.
- If you miss that too: the award is revoked. You repay the first instalment and the value of the free meals, and you lose the tuition exemption.
Other agencies use different numbers. Liguria's 2026/27 call asks for 20 credits by 10 August 2027, and Molise's asks for 18 by that date and 20 by 30 November 2027. Check your own bando.
| Course | 2nd year | 3rd year |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's (Laurea) | 35 | 80 |
| Master's (Laurea Magistrale) | 30 | n/a |
Only completed exams and certain recognised activities count, and extra-plan exams do not.
Regional Limits and 2026/27 Deadlines
The 2026/27 rounds have mostly closed. These are the dates and limits that were published, to help you plan for 2027/28. Open the agency link for the current call.
| Region / cities | Who handles it | 2026/27 main deadline | Income limits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emilia-Romagna (Bologna, Modena, Parma, Ferrara) | ER.GO | Opened 23 June; closed 24 August 2026, 16:00 | Check the bando | ISEE had to be available by the deadline. |
| Lazio (Rome) | DiSCo Lazio | Closed 22 July 2026, 12:00; correction phase to 11 August | ISEE €28,339.88 / ISPE €61,608.48 | Families abroad use the ISEEUP, through CAFs that work with DiSCo. |
| Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, Siena) | DSU Toscana | 20 July to 7 September 2026, 13:00. PhD: 25 September to 16 November 2026 | ISEE €27,000 / ISPE €60,000 | One agency for all three university cities. |
| Lombardy (Milan) | Each university (e.g. University of Milan) | University of Milan: 10 July to 30 September 2026. Brescia: 20 August | University of Milan: ISEE €26,887.93 / ISPE €58,452.06 | Calls, dates and housing deadlines differ by university. Bicocca also closed on 30 September. |
| Veneto (Padua, Venice, Verona) | ESU (one per city) | Housing requests are usually in August, grants later | Check the bando | We could not confirm exact 2026/27 grant dates, so check the ESU for your university. |
| Piedmont (Turin) | EDISU Piemonte | 22 July to 4 September 2026, 12:00. PhD: 28 October to 27 November 2026 | ISEE €26,306.25 / ISPE €57,187.53 | Covers Turin's universities, AFAM institutions and other eligible schools. |
Deadlines and limits are re-set every year, and the Italian bando is the document that counts. Last checked: October 29, 2026.
Milan
Milan works differently from Bologna or Rome because each university runs its own call. The University of Milan's 2026/27 call opened on 10 July and closed on 30 September 2026 at 23:59, with an earlier housing deadline of 7 August. The DSU declaration had to be signed by the same date as the application deadline. Winners are paid onto the university's "Carta La Statale" prepaid card, which has to be activated at a branch of Intesa Sanpaolo. First-year instalments were due by 31 December 2026 and 31 October 2027. Check Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi and Bicocca separately, as they publish their own calls.
Bologna and Emilia-Romagna
One agency, ER.GO, handles Bologna, Modena, Parma and Ferrara. In 2026 its single deadline covered the grant, the tuition exemption and housing, with the ISEE already available by that date.
Rome and Lazio
DiSCo Lazio covers Sapienza, Tor Vergata and Roma Tre. It publishes separate guidance for first-years, later years, international and away-from-home students, so read the section that matches you.
Turin and Tuscany
Turin is handled by EDISU Piemonte and Florence, Pisa and Siena by DSU Toscana. Both applications go online through the agency's portal with SPID or CIE.
DSU 2027/28 Timeline
Nothing is confirmed for 2027/28. This is what happened in 2026 and what is reasonable to expect:
| Stage | 2026/27 (observed) | 2027/28 (expected, unconfirmed) |
|---|---|---|
| Calls open | 23 June (ER.GO), 10 July (Milan), 20 July (Tuscany), 22 July (Piedmont) | June to July 2027 |
| Main deadlines | 22 July (Lazio) to 30 September (Milan) | Late July to September 2027 |
| Provisional ranking | By 31 October 2026 (Milan) | Around October 2027 |
| Final ranking | By 30 November 2026 (Milan) | Around November 2027 |
| First payment | By 31 December 2026 (Milan) | Around the end of 2027 |
Start in January 2027. The family income and asset documents are what take longest, so collect, legalise and translate them before any call opens.
How to Apply for the DSU, Step by Step
- Find your agency or university in the table above and bookmark its bando page.
- Read the bando in full: deadlines, documents, income limits, living-status rules and credit requirements. Note the date by which the DSU declaration must be signed.
- Collect your family's income and asset documents for the reference year, then legalise and translate them as your agency specifies.
- Choose your ISEE route: upload documents for the university or agency to calculate the parificato, or book a partner CAF, depending on your agency.
- Apply online before the grant deadline, and file the housing request separately if it has an earlier deadline.
- For fuori sede status, prepare a registered rental contract. The University of Milan required one covering at least ten months, delivered by 16 November 2026.
- Check the provisional ranking and file any appeal within the window, which was seven days at the University of Milan.
- Complete enrolment and pay the fees you still owe, then watch the final ranking and payment dates.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating the DSU as one national scheme. Rules, portals and dates belong to your agency or university.
- Missing the DSU signature date. At the University of Milan a declaration signed after the deadline was grounds for exclusion.
- Uncertified foreign documents. Documents that are not legalised and translated as required are a common reason for exclusion.
- Claiming fuori sede status you cannot prove. Without a qualifying paid rental contract the grant is calculated as a commuter's, and if a contract ends early the grant may be revoked.
- Ignoring the first-year credit target. Missing it can mean repaying the first instalment.
- Understating income or assets. The University of Milan checks declarations, and for false data it can demand three times what you received.
- Counting on a guaranteed room or "free everything". Housing is limited and the cash grant depends on the budget.
- Reusing last year's limits. ISEE and ISPE ceilings change every year.
After You Are Awarded
- Reapply every year. At the University of Milan, a previous winner's award is not renewed automatically.
- Check how you are paid. Some agencies pay to a bank account, while the University of Milan pays onto a prepaid university card you must activate.
- Tell the scholarship office promptly about transfers, withdrawals, a new scholarship or the end of a rental contract.
- Keep a record of your credits against the August target, and keep your residence permit valid if you are a non-EU student.
- Keep your supporting documents. Agencies can check them after payment, not just before.
DSU vs MAECI and Other Routes
The DSU is income-based. MAECI, Italy's national scholarship, is merit-based and aimed at Master's, PhD and research applicants. You cannot hold both. MAECI's call makes the scholarship incompatible with regional right-to-study grants, and the University of Milan's call lists scholarships for foreigners from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as incompatible with its DSU, giving you 30 days to choose between them. Read our MAECI Italian Government Scholarship 2027–2028 guide to compare the two.
If your family income is above the limits, or you want to look beyond Italy, these are the closest guides we have:
- Erasmus Mundus Scholarship 2027 for a Master's across several European countries.
- Stipendium Hungaricum and the Türkiye Bursları Scholarship for fully funded degrees, including Bachelor's.
- Our scholarship database to filter fully funded options by country and level.
Frequently Asked Questions About the DSU Scholarship in Italy
Can non-EU international students apply for the DSU scholarship in Italy?
Yes. Non-EU students who are enrolled, or intend to enrol, at an Italian university can apply on the same terms as Italian students. The difference is the means test: if your family's income and assets are abroad, you cannot get a normal ISEE. Instead the university or agency calculates an ISEE Università parificato from your legalised foreign documents, or you use a CAF it works with, depending on the agency. Follow the bando of your own region or university.
Is the DSU scholarship guaranteed if I am eligible?
No. Being eligible (idoneo) is not the same as being a winner (beneficiario). Grants are paid in ranking order until the budget runs out. At the University of Milan, for example, eligible students who miss the cash grant are still exempt from the second tuition instalment, but they receive no cash. The University of Milan states there are no scholarships for merit alone or for income alone: you need to meet both the income and the merit rules.
How much does the DSU scholarship pay?
It depends on the agency, your income band and where you live. The University of Milan's 2026/27 call pays, in its lowest income band, €7,419 in cash plus a free meal a day to students living away from home (fuori sede), €3,991 to commuters (pendolari) and €2,601 to students living locally (in sede). Its highest income band pays €5,028, €2,470 and €1,314 respectively. Other regions differ, so read your own bando.
Does the DSU cover tuition fees?
Usually partly or fully, depending on the agency. At the University of Milan, eligible students and winners are exempt from the second tuition instalment, and partial winners get a 50% exemption. Fixed charges such as the regional tax can still apply, so read your university's fee rules as well as the scholarship call.
What is the ISEE limit for the 2026/27 DSU?
Each region sets its own, up to a national ceiling. For 2026/27 the published ISEE limits were €26,306.25 in Piedmont, €26,887.93 at the University of Milan, €27,000 in Tuscany and €28,339.88 in Lazio, each paired with a separate ISPE asset limit. Both limits must be met, and they are re-set every year.
Do first-year students need credits?
Not to apply, but they usually must earn a minimum number of credits (CFU) by 10 August of the following year to keep the money. At the University of Milan, 2026/27 first-year Bachelor's students need 35 credits and first-year Master's students 20 (23 for restricted-access courses) by 10 August 2027. Reaching the target only by 30 November 2027 means a partial award, and missing that means revocation and repayment of the first instalment.
What is the ISEE parificato?
It is the version of the ISEE used for students whose family earns and owns things abroad. The university or agency converts your foreign income and assets into an Italian-style indicator. At the University of Milan in 2026/27, the formula adds the household's 2025 income to 20% of its assets at 31 December 2025, with buildings valued at €500 per square metre, then applies Italian deductions and the equivalence scale.
Do I have to be enrolled before I apply?
Not always. The University of Milan's 2026/27 call let students apply without being enrolled yet, and Lazio DiSCo's call worked the same way, although the benefit is only assigned once you are enrolled. Each agency has its own rule, so check the bando.
I missed the 2026/27 deadline. What can I do?
Most degree-student deadlines for 2026/27 passed between July and October 2026. As of October 29, 2026, PhD and specialisation windows were still open in Tuscany (until 16 November 2026) and Piedmont (until 27 November 2026). Otherwise check your agency for a late or supplementary window, ask your university's scholarship office, and start gathering documents early for the 2027/28 call.
When will the 2027/28 DSU calls open?
Not yet published. In 2026, calls opened between June and July (ER.GO on 23 June, the University of Milan on 10 July, Tuscany on 20 July, Piedmont on 22 July) and the main deadlines fell between late July and the end of September. Expect a similar pattern in 2027, but treat the dates as unconfirmed until your agency publishes its bando.
Can I combine DSU with MAECI or other scholarships?
Not with MAECI. The MAECI call makes it incompatible with regional right-to-study grants, and the University of Milan's call lists scholarships for foreigners from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as incompatible, giving you 30 days to choose. Similar benefits from other public or private bodies are also incompatible, but contributions for study periods abroad can be combined. Always read the incompatibility article of your bando.
Do I need to speak Italian to apply?
Not necessarily, but portals and calls are mostly in Italian and the Italian text is the one that counts. Many universities publish English guidance, and the international office can help. Searching with the Italian terms (bando, graduatoria, idoneo, ISEE parificato) finds more results.
Can PhD students get the DSU?
In some places, yes. Tuscany and Piedmont run separate PhD and specialisation windows. The University of Milan accepts PhD students only if they do not already receive a PhD scholarship or research grant. Check the PhD article of your agency's bando.
Sources
Check these before you apply
- Your agency's current bando: ER.GO, DiSCo Lazio, DSU Toscana, EDISU Piemonte, ESU Padova
- University of Milan 2026/27 regional scholarship call (PDF, Italian), the source of the Milan figures above
- studiare-in-italia.it, the Ministry of University and Research guide for international students
How we checked this guide
This guide is research-based and independent, and it is not legal or immigration advice. Figures and dates come from the 2026/27 University of Milan call, the published 2026/27 EDISU Piemonte and DSU Toscana calls, and agency and news announcements for ER.GO and DiSCo Lazio, checked on October 29, 2026. We also compared several popular DSU guides and found claims the calls do not support, such as "free housing for everyone" or a single national deadline, so we followed the calls. We will update this page when the 2027/28 calls appear. Found an error? Email us. About CatchThatScholarship.
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