Regional Scholarships Italy (DSU) 2026
Complete Step-by-Step Guide

What Are the Regional Scholarships Italy (DSU) — Overview for International Students

The Regional Scholarships Italy (DSU — Diritto allo Studio Universitario) are Italy's official government university welfare system, providing need-based financial grants, free accommodation, subsidised canteens, and full tuition exemption to eligible students enrolled at Italian public universities. The programme is established by Italian Law 390/1991 and implemented through a network of regional public agencies — known as DSU agencies, ADISU, ER.GO, DiSCo, ESU, and similar names depending on the region.

What most international students do not realise: the DSU is not just for Italian citizens. Both EU and non-EU international students enrolled at Italian public universities are fully eligible, provided they meet the economic eligibility threshold (ISEE Università) and the merit maintenance requirements from their second year onwards. For non-EU students, the application requires extra preparation — primarily obtaining a certified income declaration from the Italian consulate in your home country — but the grant amount and benefits are identical.

Unlike merit-based scholarships that require academic competition with hundreds of other applicants, the DSU is primarily a welfare right — if you are enrolled, economically eligible, and meet the merit criteria, you are entitled to receive it. This makes it one of the highest-value and most accessible financial support mechanisms available to international students in Italy, yet it is significantly underutilised by non-Italian applicants due to lack of awareness and administrative complexity.

Each Italian region manages its own DSU agency with slightly different amounts, deadlines, and procedures. The common framework is set nationally by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and the Ministry of Economy (MEF), but the specific bando (announcement) that you must follow is published by the DSU agency of the region where your Italian university is located.

Financial Package — What Does the DSU Scholarship Cover?

The DSU scholarship is a package of benefits — not just a cash grant. Here is a breakdown of every component, with current figures:

ISEE Università for Non-EU International Students — How It Works

The ISEE Università (Indicatore della Situazione Economica Equivalente per prestazioni agevolate per il diritto allo studio universitario) is Italy's means-test measure used to determine eligibility and grant amount. For Italian students, it is straightforward. For non-EU international students, it requires additional steps — but it is entirely achievable.

What is the ISEE threshold for DSU eligibility?

The standard national ISEE threshold for DSU scholarship eligibility is €26,306.25. Students with an ISEE Università at or below this figure are eligible for the full DSU scholarship. Students between €26,306.25 and approximately €30,000–€35,000 may be eligible for partial benefits (tuition reduction only, depending on the region). Above the threshold, no cash grant is awarded.

How non-EU international students calculate their ISEE

Non-EU students cannot simply declare their Italian income (which is often zero or minimal for full-time students). Italian law requires that the total family income and assets in your home country be declared and converted to euros. Here is the process:

1. Obtain the income/assets declaration from your home country: You must declare all family income and assets (not just your own) through a certified document — typically called the dichiarazione dei redditi esteri — issued or certified by the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence. The consulate stamps and certifies the document, which must then be translated into Italian by a certified translator.
2. Get the Apostille (or consular legalisation): For countries that are signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention, an Apostille stamp on your income documents is sufficient. For non-Hague countries, full consular legalisation is required. Check Italy's bilateral agreements with your country.
3. Go to a CAF office in Italy: A CAF (Centro di Assistenza Fiscale) is an authorised tax assistance centre — found in every Italian city and university town, often associated with unions like CGIL, CISL, or UIL. Bring all certified documents. The CAF staff calculate your ISEE Università using an official INPS formula and submit it electronically to INPS (Italy's social security agency).
4. Receive your DSU/ISEE certificate: INPS generates your official DSU (Dichiarazione Sostitutiva Unica) document containing your ISEE Università figure. This is valid for one academic year and must be renewed annually.
5. Submit the ISEE figure in your DSU scholarship application: The regional DSU portal will ask you to enter your ISEE Università value. The system cross-references it with INPS automatically in most regions.

Who Can Apply — DSU Scholarship Eligibility for International Students

1. Enrollment Requirement

You must be enrolled (or have applied for enrollment) at an Italian public university (università statale) for the current academic year. Private universities and some smaller institutions are not covered under the regional DSU system, though some have their own institutional scholarship arrangements. The University of Bologna, Sapienza University of Rome, Politecnico di Milano, University of Turin, University of Padua, and hundreds of others across Italy are all covered.

2. Nationality and Residency

• Italian citizens: Eligible. ISEE calculated on Italian income/assets.
• EU citizens: Eligible. Treated the same as Italian citizens for DSU purposes. Foreign EU income may need to be declared via equivalent documents.
• Non-EU international students: Eligible — but must follow the foreign income declaration process described above. You do NOT need Italian residency to start the application; enrollment is the primary requirement. However, you must obtain a residency permit (permesso di soggiorno) as a condition of final award.
• Stateless persons and refugees: Eligible under specific provisions. Contact the DSU agency directly.

3. Economic Eligibility (ISEE)

Your family's ISEE Università must be ≤ €26,306.25 to be eligible for the full cash grant. This is the national minimum — some regions have set slightly higher thresholds. The ISEE incorporates income, assets, family size, and several equivalence factors.

4. Merit Requirements (from 2nd Year)

• First-year students: No merit requirement whatsoever. Every eligible first-year student who meets the ISEE threshold can receive the DSU scholarship.
• Second year onwards: You must have earned a minimum number of ECTS credits by the deadline specified in the bando (typically August 10 of the award year for the previous academic year's exams). The standard national threshold is 10 ECTS for eligibility and 25 ECTS (or 20, depending on the region) for full grant amount. Check your specific regional bando.
• Out-of-course year (fuori corso): Students in their first out-of-course year are still eligible but may face stricter credit thresholds depending on the region.

5. Who Is NOT Eligible for the DSU Scholarship?

• Students whose ISEE Università exceeds the regional threshold (typically €26,306.25)
• Students enrolled at private universities not participating in the regional DSU programme
• Students enrolled in distance learning (e-learning) programmes
• Students who have already obtained a degree at the same level in Italy (e.g. cannot receive DSU for a second Bachelor's degree)
• Students who failed to meet the merit credit requirement in the previous academic year (from 2nd year onwards)
• Students whose regular course duration has been exceeded by more than one year

Region-by-Region DSU Scholarship Guide for International Students

The DSU is managed at the regional level. Here are the main DSU agencies by major student destination city:

Check Your DSU Eligibility & Track Your Documents

Use the interactive tools below to instantly check whether you qualify for the Italy DSU scholarship, build your document checklist, and compare alternatives — all without leaving this page.

How to Apply for the Regional DSU Scholarship in Italy — Step-by-Step Guide for International Students

Unlike competitive merit scholarships, the DSU application process is administrative rather than competitive. Your goal is to correctly document your eligibility before the deadline — not to outperform other applicants. Here is the exact process for international students:

1. Confirm your university and identify your regional DSU agency (June–July)
   Once you have received your Italian university admission, identify which DSU agency manages scholarships for that institution. Locate the agency's website and bookmark it — this is where your specific bando (annual scholarship announcement) will be published, usually in late July or August.
2. Begin the ISEE process — non-EU students only (June, immediately after admission)
   Contact the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your home country. Request the certified income and assets declaration (dichiarazione dei redditi e del patrimonio estero) for you and your family. Bring all relevant tax documents, property documents, and bank statements. Allow 4–8 weeks for consular processing. This is the most time-sensitive step.
3. Get your Apostille or consular legalisation (June–July)
   Ensure your income documents are properly legalised. For most countries, this means an Apostille stamp. For others (non-Hague Convention countries), full consular legalisation by the Italian Embassy is required. Have documents translated into Italian by a certified translator.
4. Go to a CAF office in Italy to calculate your ISEE (August, as soon as you arrive)
   Locate a CAF office near your university. Bring: your passport, codice fiscale (Italian tax code — obtainable at any Agenzia delle Entrate or CAF), your certified foreign income documents, and enrollment confirmation. The CAF staff will submit your DSU to INPS and you will receive your ISEE Università certificate, typically within 10–15 working days.
5. Obtain your Codice Fiscale (Italian Tax Code) — if you haven't already
   You need a codice fiscale to apply for DSU. This is a free government-issued alphanumeric code — obtain it from any Agenzia delle Entrate office in Italy or from the Italian consulate abroad before you arrive. Many universities issue it upon enrollment.
6. Read the DSU Bando carefully (August)
   When the bando is published (typically July–August), read it in full. Note: the deadline date, the required documents list, the living situation categories (sede, pendolare, fuori sede), the ISEE threshold for your region, the merit credits required (if you are not a first-year student), and the grant amounts for your category.
7. Submit your DSU scholarship application online (August–September/October)
   Access the DSU agency's online application portal (most use SPID, CIE, or a dedicated university login). Complete the form with: your personal details, ISEE Università figure, enrollment status, living situation (fuori sede / pendolare / sede), and upload required documents. Submit before the primary deadline — typically September 10 to October 31 depending on the region.
8. Submit your merit declaration (August 10 deadline — if 2nd year or above)
   From your second year, you must self-certify (via the DSU portal or a separate form) the number of ECTS credits you earned in the previous academic year by August 10. Credits earned after August 10 typically do not count toward the DSU merit requirement for that year. Make sure you take all eligible exams before this date.
9. Await provisional ranking (October–November)
   The DSU agency publishes a graduatoria provvisoria (provisional ranking). Check your position. If you believe there is an error, you can submit a formal objection (typically within 10–15 days of publication).
10. Confirm enrollment and obtain your student ID (October)
    You must formally enroll and pay any stamp duty (imposta di bollo) — not tuition — before your DSU award is finalised. Confirm that your university has registered your enrollment and issued your student ID card.
11. Final ranking and grant disbursement (November–December)
    The graduatoria definitiva (final ranking) is published. If you are listed as idoneo beneficiario (eligible recipient), your cash grant will be disbursed in instalments — the first instalment (approximately 50%) is typically paid in November, the second in April. Your tuition exemption is applied automatically to your university account.

Tips for Maximising Your DSU Scholarship as an International Student

• Start the ISEE process before you arrive in Italy. Contact the Italian consulate in your home country in June or July. The consular certification of foreign income is the step most international students underestimate. If your consulate has a 6-week backlog, you will miss September deadlines if you wait until August.
• Apply as "fuori sede" (away from home) wherever you legitimately qualify. This is the highest grant tier. You qualify as fuori sede if your permanent family home is more than 50km from your Italian university and travel time by public transport exceeds 75 minutes. This is the case for virtually all international students. Never declare yourself as "sede" if you are an international student who relocated to Italy.
• Book an appointment at CAF before you arrive in Italy. Some CAF offices are very busy in September when students return. Book a CAF appointment online before you fly to Italy. Bring every document the CAF requires in the original and with certified translation. Incomplete submissions cause delays that may push you past the DSU deadline.
• Maximise your ECTS credits before August 10 every year from the second year onwards. The August 10 deadline for merit credits is absolute. Credits earned after August 10 do not count for the DSU of that academic year. Plan your exam schedule strategically — if you are close to the merit threshold, prioritise earlier exam dates in June–July.
• Apply for university accommodation simultaneously with your DSU application. The accommodation allocation is separate from the cash grant and is awarded based on DSU ranking position, so submitting early (as soon as the portal opens) gives you the best chance. Accommodation in Bologna, Milan, Rome, and Florence is heavily oversubscribed.
• Stack the DSU with a university merit scholarship. The DSU cash grant is compatible with many institutional merit scholarships (e.g. University of Bologna Alma Mater, University of Padua Excellence, PoliMi Merit Awards). Apply for both — the DSU alone does not prevent you from receiving additional merit-based awards from your university.
• Check whether your university has its own supplementary grants for international students. Many Italian universities add top-up grants specifically for non-EU students above and beyond the regional DSU. Ask your university's International Students' Office directly after enrollment.
• Keep all original documents and do not discard anything. The DSU agency may request document verification (controllo ISEE) at any point during the year. If your declared ISEE is found to be incorrect due to missing or understated foreign assets, you will be required to repay the entire scholarship with penalties.

After Receiving the DSU Scholarship — What Happens Next?

• Tuition exemption confirmation: Once your DSU award is finalised, your university's administrative office (segreteria studenti) automatically registers your tuition exemption. You should see a zero balance on your university account for the tuition fees. If the exemption has not been applied within 30 days of the final ranking, contact your segreteria studenti.
• First cash instalment: The first instalment (approximately 50% of the annual grant) is typically disbursed to your Italian bank account in November–December. Ensure your bank account details (IBAN) are correctly entered in the DSU portal. Italian banks like Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, and BancoPosta are standard for students.
• Canteen card activation: Your university canteen card is typically activated immediately or within a few weeks of the final ranking. Visit the DSU agency's office or student services desk to collect your carta mensa and activate it.
• Accommodation placement: If you applied for university accommodation and were assigned a room, you will receive a room offer letter with instructions for arrival, key collection, and residence rules. Acceptance is typically required within a short window — do not miss this deadline.
• Maintaining the scholarship for subsequent years: Before August 10 of each year, ensure you have logged the required ECTS credits. Renew your ISEE Università each academic year by repeating the CAF process with updated income documents. Apply in the new year's DSU bando — the scholarship is not automatically renewed; you must re-apply every year.
• Residency permit (permesso di soggiorno per studio): Non-EU students must maintain a valid student residence permit throughout their studies. DSU eligibility is contingent on legal student status in Italy. Renew your permesso promptly — delays can jeopardise your DSU award.
• Repayment obligation if conditions are not met: If you fail the merit requirement, withdraw from your programme, or are found to have provided incorrect ISEE data, you must repay the full scholarship amount received for that academic year. This is a legal obligation — treat the merit and documentation requirements with utmost seriousness.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Italy DSU Scholarship for International Students