MAECI Scholarship 2027-28: Eligibility, Amount and How to Apply

Every year, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation opens one of the most reliable fully-funded routes into Italian universities for foreign students. If you've searched for the MAECI scholarship, you're probably trying to answer one thing: do I qualify, and how much will it actually cover? Here's the current, verified answer — with the exact numbers from the official 2026-27 call, since a lot of pages online are still quoting older figures.

What Is the MAECI Scholarship?

MAECI stands for Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale — Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The scholarship is a government grant offered to two groups: foreign nationals from countries with a cultural or academic agreement with Italy, and Italian citizens living abroad (referred to officially as IRE — Italiani Residenti all'Estero).

The goal, as stated in the official call, is to support international academic exchange, spread the Italian language, and back Italy's cultural and scientific ties abroad. In practice, that means the Italian government pays your tuition, gives you a monthly stipend, and covers your health insurance while you study at a recognized Italian institution.

It's issued for four types of programs:

• Master's degrees (Laurea Magistrale)
• PhD programs and research projects under academic supervision
• AFAM courses (Fine Arts, Music, Dance academies)
• Italian language and culture courses

Who Can Apply? (Eligibility Criteria)

Eligibility depends on which program you're applying for. Here's how it breaks down:

NationalityYou must be from one of the countries on the official eligible-countries list published with each year's call, or be an Italian citizen residing abroad. This list changes slightly year to year — not every nationality is included, so check the current bando before assuming you qualify.

Age limits

• Master's / AFAM programs: generally no strict upper limit stated in the call, but strong academic standing matters more
• PhD programs: under 30 at the time of application
• Research projects: under 40 at the time of application

Academic requirements

• Master's applicants need a Bachelor's degree (or be in the final year)
• PhD applicants need a Master's degree or equivalent
• Research applicants need a background relevant to the proposed research area

Language proficiencyB2-level Italian is required for Italian-taught courses. If your program is taught in English, you generally don't need an Italian certificate, though some universities still ask for an English proficiency score.

Enrollment statusYou can apply whether you're already admitted to an Italian university or still applying — the scholarship and university admission are handled as connected but separate steps.

How Much Does the MAECI Scholarship Pay? (2026-27 Figures)

This is where most guides online are outdated. Based on the official 2026-27 call published by the Ministry:

On top of the stipend, grantees also get:

• Full tuition fee waiver at the host institution (regional tax and a small stamp duty, roughly €140–160, are usually still your responsibility)
• Collective health and accident insurance for the duration of the grant
• For renewals, continuation into the following year if academic performance requirements are met — including a minimum credit threshold (commonly around 27 CFUs by the mid-term check)

If you see a page quoting "€900/month" as the headline figure — that's the same money, just expressed monthly (€10,800 ÷ 12). It's not a different, lower scholarship.

How Do You Apply for the MAECI Scholarship?

The entire process runs through one official channel: the Study in Italy portal (studyinitaly.esteri.it), which links to Universitaly for the university admission side. There is no third channel, no separate national ministry portal in your home country, and no fee to apply.

1. Check the current bando (call for applications) on the Study in Italy site to confirm your country is on the eligible list for that year and note the exact deadline.
2. Shortlist your program and university. Confirm the course is recognized and check whether it's taught in Italian or English.
3. Create your account on the Study in Italy portal using a valid email address — this account is also where you'll receive all official communication about your application status.
4. Fill in the application form with your personal, academic, and program details.
5. Upload your documents in the exact format the portal specifies (usually PDF, size-limited).
6. Submit before the deadline. Applications close automatically — there's no grace period, and incomplete submissions are typically excluded rather than flagged for correction.
7. Wait for the outcome. Results are usually announced a few months after the deadline, both on the portal and via the Italian embassy or cultural institute (Istituto Italiano di Cultura) in your country.

What Documents Do You Need?

• Valid passport or ID (minimum 6 months' validity)
• Passport-size photograph
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates
• Updated CV
• Statement of Purpose or motivation letter
• Proof of Italian or English language proficiency (B2 level, where applicable)
• Letters of recommendation
• Research proposal (PhD/research applicants only)
• Proof of admission or pre-enrollment, if you already have it

When Is the Deadline?

The 2026-27 call closed on 26 March 2026. If you're reading this after that date, the next window is the 2027-28 call, which the Ministry typically publishes between December and March. The pattern each year is roughly:

• Call published: December–March
• Application deadline: March–April
• Evaluation: through the summer
• Results announced: September
• Program start: from October

Bookmark the Study in Italy portal rather than relying on a blog post for the exact date — the Ministry, not any consultancy or third-party site, controls when the next call opens.

Is the MAECI Scholarship Connected to India's MHRD?

Short answer: not anymore. Searches like "mhrd maeci scholarship" go back to an older cycle (around 2019-20) when India's Ministry of Human Resource Development played a coordinating role for some Indian applicants. That arrangement is no longer part of the current process. Today, regardless of your nationality, the application runs entirely through the Italian government's Study in Italy portal — there's no separate step through any ministry in your home country. If a site or agent tells you otherwise, treat it as outdated information.

How Do You Contact MAECI Scholarship Support?

There's no single public email address for the scholarship itself — support is handled through two channels depending on your question:

• Application or portal issues: the Study in Italy portal has a help section with a submission form for technical problems.
• Country-specific questions (eligibility for your nationality, embassy-level queries): contact the Italian Embassy or the local Istituto Italiano di Cultura in your country — they handle communication with applicants and post result announcements for their region.

Avoid emailing addresses shared on unofficial forums or unrelated consultancy pages claiming to be the "official MAECI contact" — always verify against the embassy or portal listed for your country.

What Happens After You're Selected?

Grantees aren't just handed the money and left alone. A few things to know:

• The first installment is only released after university enrollment is confirmed and all required documents are submitted.
• You'll need to show satisfactory academic progress (commonly a minimum number of CFU credits) for later installments and for renewal into the next year.
• Renewal isn't automatic — it depends on meeting the continuation requirements set out in the call, and grantees who already received a MAECI scholarship in a prior cycle are usually deprioritized for new awards.
• The scholarship covers study in Italy only — it doesn't fund online or hybrid programs based outside the country.

MAECI Scholarship vs Other Italy Scholarships

If you're comparing options, it helps to know MAECI isn't the only route:

• MAECI scholarship — government-funded, based on nationality/bilateral agreements, covers Master's/PhD/research/AFAM/language courses, fixed national stipend.
• DSU (regional) scholarships — awarded by individual regions based on financial need and merit, amounts and criteria vary by region and university.
• Invest Your Talent in Italy — sector-specific (engineering, design, agri-food, etc.), tied to particular Master's programs and often includes internship placement.

If your goal is simply "study in Italy for free," it's worth checking all three rather than assuming MAECI is your only shot — eligibility and competition levels differ significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the MAECI scholarship open to all nationalities?No. Only countries listed in that year's official call are eligible, plus Italian citizens living abroad. Check the current list before applying.

Does the scholarship cover tuition fully?Yes, for the enrollment and tuition fee at the host institution. You'll still typically pay the regional tax and stamp duty, which are small, fixed amounts unrelated to the scholarship.

Can I apply without an Italian university offer yet?Yes — many applicants apply for the scholarship and university admission in parallel, since both processes run through the Study in Italy / Universitaly system around the same period.

Is the MAECI scholarship renewable?Yes, for multi-year programs, provided you meet the academic progress requirements each year.

Next Step

If you're aiming for the 2027-28 cycle, don't wait for the call to open before preparing. Shortlist your program and university now, get your transcripts translated if needed, and draft your Statement of Purpose early — the biggest reason strong applicants get rejected isn't eligibility, it's rushed, incomplete documentation submitted in the final week before the deadline.