DSU Scholarship 2027/28: When the Calls Open and How to Prepare from India

Updated 6 October 2026. The 2027/28 calls are not published yet. Dates and rules below are from the 2026/27 calls, checked on 28 September 2026, and show the pattern to plan around; we update this page as each 2027/28 call appears.

In short

• The 2027/28 DSU calls have not been published. In 2026/27 the earliest stated window opened on 5 June (ERSU Palermo) and the last closed on 30 September (University of Milan and University of Padua).
• More than half of the 2026/27 windows had closed by the end of August, often before admission letters arrived. Students who start in summer are usually too late.
• The slow part is the family file from India: income, property and bank certificates for the right year, apostilled and translated. Start it in early 2027.
• Choose universities first, because the university decides the body, its ISEE limit and its deadline.

This guide is part of the complete DSU scholarship guide. Check your eligibility first. If you are eligible, you book a one-to-one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.

When will the DSU 2027/28 calls open?

No body has published its 2027/28 call yet. If the bodies follow the 2026/27 pattern, the calls will appear between late May and July 2027, and the windows will run from June to September 2027. The national minimum grants and ISEE ceilings come first, by MUR decree: for 2026/27 they were set on 10 February 2026.

These were the 2026/27 windows, earliest first. Use them as the planning calendar until the new calls are out.

Full windows, foreign-document deadlines and payment dates are on our DSU deadlines page.

Which income year will the family documents need to cover?

Each call names the year. In 2026/27 some bodies used 2024 income and others 2025, so for 2027/28 expect 2025 or 2026 depending on the body. The table shows what each 2026/27 call used; the same body is likely to move forward by one year.

What should you do, month by month, for a September 2027 start?

1. October to December 2026: build the shortlist. Pick public universities and note the DSU body for each. Some universities open applications for September 2027 in this period.
2. January to February 2027: start the family file. Family composition certificate, income of every adult member, property with floor area, and bank balances at 31 December. See our ISEE parificato guide for the list at each body.
3. February to April 2027: apostille and translate. Indian documents need the right attestation; our apostille and E-Sanad guide explains which.
4. March to May 2027: codice fiscale and accounts. You need a tax code for the application and the lease; see codice fiscale for students.
5. June to September 2027: apply in each window, request a residence bed in the same application, and book the partner CAF appointment where the body requires one.
6. September to December 2027: follow rankings, prove fuori sede status and collect the first payment. See our guides to rankings and payments and fuori sede lease rules.

Can you apply for DSU before your admission is confirmed?

At many bodies, yes, and you often have to. Windows close in July or August while admission and enrolment continue: DiSCo Lazio, for example, accepted enrolment until 10 February 2027 for its 2026/27 grant. Apply in the window, then confirm enrolment by the body's later date. Check each call's rule, because they differ.

Which mistakes make students miss DSU for a whole year?

• Starting the family file after admission. By then several windows have closed.
• Documents for the wrong year. Certificates must cover the income year the call names.
• The wrong CAF. Politecnico di Milano, the University of Padua, EDISU Piemonte, ALiSEO Liguria, ERSU Catania and DiSCo Lazio accept the ISEE parificato only from their own partner, affiliated or agreed CAF.
• Missing the bed request. At most bodies the residence bed is requested in the grant application itself.
• One application only. Each university on the shortlist may sit under a different body with its own window.

Will the DSU amounts and limits change for 2027/28?

Probably, by a small amount. MUR updates the national minimum grants and the ISEE and ISPE ceilings each year; for 2026/27 they were 7,171.11 EUR fuori sede and 28,339.88 EUR ISEE. Plan with the 2026/27 figures in the complete DSU guide and recheck when the 2027/28 decree is published.

The ApplyAZ DSU guide series

Each guide answers one part of the DSU scholarship in depth. Read them in order, or jump to the step you are on.

1. DSU scholarship in Italy: the complete guide
2. Every DSU regional body compared, with a guide to each
3. ISEE parificato: family documents for DSU
4. DSU deadlines and payment dates by region
5. Fuori sede status: the lease rules that decide your rate
6. DSU housing: residence beds, costs and rent contributions
7. After you apply: rankings, appeals and first payments
8. DSU credits: how many you need to keep the grant
9. DSU 2027/28: when the calls open and how to prepare (you are here)

How ApplyAZ helps

ApplyAZ has operations across all Italian regions, because each region sets its own regulations and deadlines and they change every year. For eligible students we build the shortlist with each university's DSU body, start the family file early, and prepare every application in its window.

Check your eligibility first. If you are eligible, you book a private consultation with an Italy expert, and after it you receive your personal Italy Roadmap, with every step ahead of you and when to do it.

Frequently asked questions

When will the DSU 2027/28 applications open?

The 2027/28 calls are not out yet. In 2026/27 the windows ran from 5 June to 30 September 2026, so expect calls between late May and July 2027 and windows from June to September 2027.

When should I start preparing for the DSU scholarship?

For a September 2027 start, begin the family documents in January or February 2027. Certificates, apostille and translation take weeks to months, and several windows close in July or August.

Which year's income counts for DSU 2027/28?

Each call names it. In 2026/27 some bodies used 2024 income and others 2025, so expect 2025 or 2026 for 2027/28 depending on the body.

Can I apply for DSU in more than one region?

You apply to the body that covers each university you enrol at. Students with several universities on their shortlist often prepare for more than one body until enrolment is decided.

Will the DSU amount change in 2027/28?

MUR sets new national minimums and ISEE ceilings each year. For 2026/27 they were 7,171.11 EUR a year for a student living away from home and an ISEE ceiling of 28,339.88 EUR.

Sources

• MUR, Directorial Decree 175 of 10 February 2026.
• MUR, Directorial Decree 176 of 10 February 2026.
• ERSU Palermo, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• DiSCo Lazio, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• ALiSEO Liguria, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• ER.GO Emilia-Romagna, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• ERSU Catania, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• University of Milan, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• ADISU Puglia, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• ERSU Cagliari, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• DSU Toscana, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• EDISU Piemonte, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Milano, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• ERDIS Marche, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• ADSU Chieti-Pescara, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• ADiSU Umbria, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• ADISURC Campania, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.
• University of Padua, 2026/27 call, checked 28 September 2026.