The ApplyAZ Code of Practice
Ten plain promises about how we advise, apply, charge and handle your data, written so you can hold us to each one.
No commitment
Less than 2 minutes
Limited intake, 1:1 support
international students trusted us
universities only, where study can be tuition-free for eligible students
English-taught programmes
Italian regions covered
The ApplyAZ Code of Practice is the list of promises we make to every student we work with. Students are right to ask how an adviser works before they pay. Each commitment below is specific enough for you to check, and you can hold us to it.
Why students choose ApplyAZ: evidence you can watch
Our independence is a statement about how ApplyAZ operates. The student videos show what our support felt like in practice. A Pavia student describes honest course guidance and attention to application costs; a Bologna student and her family describe help with documents and questions; and a Naples Federico II student explains support with rescheduling an interview. Watch their own words and decide which kind of support matters to your plans.
In short
- ApplyAZ focuses on public universities and takes no commission from any university, public or private.
- Every student starts with the free eligibility check, and we assess whether a suitable study route in Italy is realistic for each student.
- We never promise admission, a scholarship or a visa, because those decisions belong to others.
- You approve the programmes we apply to, and a named person handles each stage.
- You pay step by step as results arrive, on terms you see in writing before you begin.
Not sure yet whether Italian public universities are open to you? Check your eligibility first. The check is free.
What is the ApplyAZ Code of Practice?
The ApplyAZ Code of Practice sets out ten commitments on how we advise students, prepare applications, charge fees and handle personal data. They apply to every student, from the first eligibility check to arrival in Italy. If you believe we broke one, email info@applyaz.com.
We wrote them as promises we can keep, not as marketing. That is why none of them promises an outcome. Admission, scholarships and visas are decided by others, and a code of practice should only cover what we control.
What are the ten ApplyAZ commitments?
The ten commitments cover who we work with, who pays us, who we take on and how honest our advice is. They also cover the rules we work from and what we will not promise. The rest cover your approval of applications, who handles your file, fees and your data.
- We focus on Italian public universities and have no private-university tie-ups. We have no private-university tie-ups. We consider selected exceptions when the programme and financial support fit the student, including IULM’s DSU route.
- We take no commission from any university. Universities never pay us, public or private. Students and their families pay our fees, so our advice is not tied to where you enrol.
- We check eligibility before anything else. Every student starts with the free eligibility check, and we never ask for your phone number or email before it. We assess whether a suitable study route in Italy is realistic for each student.
- We give honest verdicts. If a public university in Italy is not realistic for you yet, we say so and explain what would need to change. If the roadmap from your consultation is all you need to apply on your own, we say that too.
- We work from the actual rules. We check your case against the actual university and DSU rules before we give you an answer. DSU rules and deadlines differ by region, so we check them for each university on your shortlist.
- We never promise admission, a scholarship or a visa. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. We prepare your file so each of them sees your strongest case.
- You approve the programmes we apply to. We apply only to programmes you have approved, one by one or within limits you set in advance. You follow every application live in your ApplyAZ dashboard.
- A named person handles each stage. Each stage of your file has a named person on our team responsible for it. You always know who is handling what, and how to reach them.
- You pay as results arrive, on written terms. After the consultation, you pay step by step: a starting fee, then our admission, DSU and visa fees as each result arrives. You see each fee and its refund terms in writing before you begin.
- We never sell your personal information. We use your documents and details to prepare and submit your applications. Our privacy policy sets out every use of your data, and we do not sell it.
Why does ApplyAZ publish a code of practice?
We publish it because students are right to be careful with agents. Some study abroad agents are paid a commission by universities for each student they send, and that payment can shape the advice. A written code lets you compare what we promise with what we actually do, at every stage of your file.
It also answers the questions a careful student should ask any consultant. Our guide on how to choose a study in Italy consultant lists ten of them. Our page on how ApplyAZ gets paid explains our fees in detail.
What does ApplyAZ not promise?
ApplyAZ does not promise admission, a scholarship or a visa, and no honest adviser can. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. What we promise is expert work on every step, and an honest read of your chances before you pay.
The same care applies to money. Study can be tuition-free for eligible students, but it is not automatic. It depends on your family's income documents and usually on a regional DSU scholarship, so we check your likely fee band early.
Every commitment starts with one step. Check your eligibility before you share anything else with us.
What happens after the eligibility check?
If a public university in Italy is realistic for you, the next step is a 30-minute Zoom consultation with one of our Italy experts. Its price varies by country and degree, you see it before you pay, and we refund it if you don't find it useful. Parents are welcome to join.
Only after the consultation do you receive your personalised Italy Roadmap: realistic universities, admission strategy, DSU pathway and visa steps. Some students use it to apply on their own.
If you ask us to handle it, we shortlist 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at public universities. We then prepare your CV, statements of purpose, applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, DSU scholarship application and visa file. See how it works for the full sequence.
How do I report a problem?
Email info@applyaz.com with your name, the stage your file has reached and which commitment you believe we did not keep. Attach any emails or documents that show the problem. Email gives both of us a written record of what was raised and when. The more specific you are, the easier it is for the right person to check.
How can I check that ApplyAZ keeps these promises?
You can check most of them yourself as your file moves forward. Your ApplyAZ dashboard shows your applications, their status and your approvals. Check that each stage has a named person, and that each fee matches the written terms you accepted.
You can also read about students we have helped on our success stories page. They include Harshit (MBBS at Marche Polytechnic University) and Ismit (a DSU scholarship for a second master's at the University of Pavia). To learn who we are, visit our about us page.
Ready to see whether you qualify? Check your eligibility, then decide whether a consultation makes sense for you.
Independent advice includes explaining exceptions
ApplyAZ has no private-university tie-ups and receives no university commissions. Students and families pay for advice and application support; universities do not pay us to recommend them. Public universities remain our main focus.
A selected exception can still serve the student. IULM is a private university with DSU support and tuition exemptions or refunds for eligible students under its published rules. Those benefits depend on the applicable financial, enrolment and merit requirements. ApplyAZ has no tie-up with IULM and receives no commission from it. Read the IULM student experience and how this exception is assessed.
Frequently asked questions
Does ApplyAZ take commission from universities?
No. ApplyAZ takes no commission from any university, public or private, and focuses on public universities. Students and their families pay our fees, so our advice is not tied to where you enrol. That is the main difference from agents who are paid a commission by universities for each student they send.
Can ApplyAZ promise that I will be admitted?
No. ApplyAZ never promises admission, a scholarship or a visa. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. We prepare a complete, accurate file for each decision, and we apply only to programmes you have approved.
Will ApplyAZ apply to a programme without my approval?
No. We apply only to programmes you have approved, either one by one or within limits you set in advance. A named person handles each stage, so you always know who to ask about a document or a decision. You can follow every application, scholarship and visa step live in your ApplyAZ dashboard.
What happens if I am not eligible?
If the free check shows a public university in Italy is not yet realistic for you, we say so and explain what must change. ApplyAZ does not take you on at that point. We never ask for your phone number or email before the check, so you know where you stand before you share anything.
How are ApplyAZ fees and refunds set?
You pay step by step as results arrive: a starting fee after the consultation, then our admission, DSU and visa fees. We refund the consultation if you don't find it useful, and your starting fee if you get no admission. If your visa is refused because of a mistake on our side, we refund our visa fee. Terms apply, in writing before you begin.
How do I report a problem with ApplyAZ?
Email info@applyaz.com with your name, the stage your file has reached and the commitment you believe was not kept. Attach any emails or documents that show the problem. Email gives both of us a written record of what was raised and when. Specific details make it easier for the right person to check.
Will ApplyAZ tell me if I do not need its help?
Yes. If your profile is strong and you are organised, the roadmap from your consultation may be all you need to apply on your own. We will tell you if it is. Honest verdicts are part of our code, even when they mean you do not use our full service.
How does ApplyAZ use my personal data?
ApplyAZ uses the documents and details you share to prepare and submit your applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, DSU scholarship application and visa file. We do not sell your personal information. Our privacy policy explains every way we use and protect your data, and how to make a privacy request.
Where they're studying now
Students who started exactly where you are
English-taught programmes that can be tuition-free for eligible students, and the DSU grant landing in their account every year. The funding mechanics are identical at every Italian public university: the same ISEE Parificato, the same regional bando, the same ranking. Only the authority and the dates change.
They began right where you are
Now they're studying at Italian public universities, where a degree can be tuition-free for eligible students, with DSU scholarships of up to about €8,250 a year for students living away from home, depending on the region.
