5 funding routes
Italy pays students to study. Most never apply.
Between regional DSU grants, government awards and university merit scholarships, a well-prepared student can cover tuition and living costs entirely. The catch is that almost every deadline falls before you land.
Five funding routes worth your time
Ranked roughly by how many of our students actually receive them. The first one is the reason we specialise in Italy at all.
| Award | Value | What it covers | Typical deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 DSU / Regional Right-to-Study Grant Merit + income based. The single most valuable award for most students. | €5,000 – €7,300 per year | Cash stipend, tuition waiver, free canteen meals, subsidised dorm | Usually July – September, before you arrive |
| 02 Invest Your Talent in Italy Selected Master's in engineering, management, design and architecture | €9,000 per year + tuition waiver | Master's tuition, stipend and a company internship | Typically January – March |
| 03 MAECI Italian Government Grant Master's, PhD, AFAM and Italian-language course applicants | €900 per month | Monthly stipend, tuition exemption and health cover | Typically opens in spring |
| 04 University Merit Scholarships Awarded directly by universities on academic record | €1,000 – €12,000 per year | Partial to full tuition, sometimes with a living allowance | Aligned with the university's own admission rounds |
| 05 Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Highly competitive multi-country Master's consortia | Full funding + €1,400/month | Tuition, travel, installation and monthly allowance | Usually October – January |
Values and deadlines are indicative for the 2026/27 cycle and are set independently by each region, ministry and university. We confirm the current call for your specific case before filing.
6 regional agencies
Your grant depends on where you study, not just what
Each region runs its own agency, its own income thresholds and its own deadline. These are the ones we file with most often.
Milan & Lombardy
Your university's DSU office
No regional agency: each university runs the call to Regione Lombardia's criteria. Higher living costs, higher award ceilings.
Turin & Piedmont
EDISU Piemonte
Generous and comparatively accessible; strong dorm capacity.
Emilia-Romagna
ER.GO
Serves Bologna, Modena, Parma and Ferrara.
Tuscany
DSU Toscana
Covers Florence, Pisa and Siena.
Rome & Lazio
DiSCo Lazio
Largest applicant pool in the country.
South & Umbria
ADiSU & southern agencies
ADiSU runs Umbria; Campania, Puglia and the other southern regions each run their own. Lower cost of living, less competitive rounds.
4 preventable failures
Four mistakes that cost students thousands
None of these are about merit. Every one is a calendar or paperwork failure, and every one is preventable.
Applying after you arrive
Most regional calls close in July or August, while you are still waiting on a visa. There is no late window and no appeal.
Starting the ISEE parificato too late
It needs family income and asset documents translated, legalised and processed through a CAF office. Budget six weeks, not six days.
Ignoring the renewal credit threshold
Year-one awards are income-based; year two requires a fixed number of credits by a set date. A light first semester quietly costs you the grant.
Choosing the region last
A slightly lower-ranked university in a less competitive region can leave you thousands of euros better off. Pick the grant, then the campus.
Find out what you qualify for before the call closes.
Send us your grades and family income bracket. We will tell you which regional grants are realistic and when their deadlines fall.