DSU Scholarship in Italy 2026/27: Amounts, Limits and Deadlines by Region

Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead. Reviewed by Reeya Sharma, Student Success and Partnerships. Published 1 October 2026.

In short

• The DSU scholarship (diritto allo studio universitario) is Italy's main need-based grant for university students, and students from countries like India can apply on the same income rules as Italian students.
• There is no single national application. Each region, or in some cases each university, runs its own call with its own income limits, amounts and deadlines. This page lists the 16 bodies we cover and links to a full guide for each.
• The national minimum for 2026/27 is 7,171.11 EUR a year (about ₹7.84 lakh) for a student living away from home, and the national ceilings are an ISEE of 28,339.88 EUR and an ISPE of 61,608.48 EUR.
• Combined with a public university where study can be tuition-free for eligible students, the grant can cover much of a year's living costs.
• ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that focuses on public universities, prepares the DSU application with each eligible student and helps the family declare income and assets at the right time in the right format, for every region on the shortlist.

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.

Which body runs the DSU scholarship for my university?

The body depends on where your university is. Most regions have one agency for every university in the region, while in Lombardy and Veneto some universities run the call themselves. Pick your body below for its amounts, deadlines, documents and the mistakes that cost students the grant.

Figures come from each body's 2026/27 call, verified on 28 September 2026. Amounts are the highest yearly grant for a student living away from home and may include the value of a bed or meals. Politecnico di Milano's amounts are pending Lombardy's decision.

How does the DSU scholarship work?

Each call ranks applicants by family income and assets, measured through the ISEE and ISPE. For a family that lives and earns abroad, these are calculated as an ISEE parificato from documents issued in the home country, translated and legalised, usually through a CAF named in the call.

The amount depends on income and on your status. A student living away from home (fuori sede) receives the most, a commuter less and a student living at home the least. Many bodies pay part of the grant as a bed in a residence or as meals.

The grant is paid in instalments, and keeping it depends on credits. First-year students usually need 20 credits by 10 August of the following year to receive the balance, and by 30 November to avoid repaying it. Our guide to the credits that keep your grant covers each rule, and DSU deadlines lists every date.

When do the DSU calls open for 2027/28?

Most 2026/27 calls opened between June and July 2026 and closed between July and September 2026. The 2027/28 calls are expected in summer 2027, and the national amounts for 2027/28 are not yet published. Family documents from abroad take weeks to obtain and legalise, so the work starts months before a call opens.

For the full picture, including the documents and the ISEE parificato, see our DSU scholarship guide for 2026/27.

Reality check

What others decide: the regional body or the university decides eligibility, the ranking, the amount and the bed. Some calls pay grants down the ranking until the funds run out, so being eligible does not always mean being funded.

What ApplyAZ handles: for eligible students, we prepare the DSU application with the student for each region on the shortlist, help the family declare income and assets at the right time in the right format, and track every deadline and credit rule. We never promise a grant, a bed or a ranking position. What we do stand behind is the service itself: you pay in milestones, and our refund rules mean every service a student or family pays for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).

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.

Frequently asked questions

Can international students get the DSU scholarship in Italy?

Yes. Students from countries like India can apply on the same income rules as Italian students. Each regional body or university assesses the family's income and assets through an ISEE parificato, built from documents issued in the home country, and the amount depends on income and on whether the student lives away from home.

How much is the DSU scholarship in 2026/27?

The national minimum for 2026/27 is 7,171.11 EUR a year for a student living away from home, under MUR Directorial Decree 175 of 10 February 2026. Each body sets its own amounts at or above that floor in total value, and some pay part of it as a bed or meals.

What are the income limits for the DSU scholarship?

The national ceilings for 2026/27 are an ISEE of 28,339.88 EUR and an ISPE of 61,608.48 EUR, under MUR Directorial Decree 176 of 2026. Several regions set lower limits, from 23,000 EUR in Palermo to the full national ceiling in Lazio and Umbria.

Who decides whether I get the DSU scholarship?

The regional body or the university that runs the call decides eligibility, the ranking and the amount. Being eligible does not always mean being funded, because some calls pay grants down the ranking until the funds run out.

Sources

• MUR, Directorial Decree 175 of 10 February 2026, minimum DSU grants for 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• MUR, Directorial Decree 176 of 10 February 2026, ISEE and ISPE ceilings for 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Each body's 2026/27 call, linked from its guide above, verified 28 September 2026.

INR figures use the ECB euro reference rate of 25 September 2026: 1 EUR = 109.2605 INR.