Welcom back at Scholar Path, your favorite platform for navigating the pathway to obtaining superior academic scholarships and free university routes around the globe. Should you desire to pursue your higher education journey in Italy entirely for free? The eagerly awaited fully funded Italian regional "Right to Study" (Diritto allo Studio) scholarships for the year 2026/2027 have finally become available online. Such scholarships, which are commonly referred to as DSU, DiSCo Lazio, and EDISU, among others, offer the best financial security to international students entering Europe. In contrast to competitive scholarships, where one needs to have high grades, these are a set of regional grants that purely depend on how much your family needs financially. Once you qualify in terms of income, you will be entitled to receive an enormous scholarship worth several thousand euros per year. It will consist of a tuition waiver, free housing in student dorms, provision of warm meals every day, and a reasonable allowance up to €6,800.

Italy Regional Grants Overview

Host Country: Italy

Scholarship Name: Regional Diritto allo Studio (DSU, DiSCo, EDISU, ER.GO)

Academic Levels: Bachelor's, Master’s, and PhD degrees

Selection Criteria: Primarily Financial Need (Family Income)

Application Fee: Completely Free ($0)

Current Status: Open / Opening Throughout June & July 2026

What Is Included In A Regional Grant?

This financial scholarship, unlike the normal lump sum, consists of a total package delivered to your province's university. As an international student regarded as a non-resident (off-campus), you will receive:

Tuition: 100% tuition fee waiver for university enrollment and registration.

Accommodation: Guaranteed accommodation either singly or collectively in the university hostels. Should the university accommodation be full, you are granted cash accommodation bonuses by the regional office that can help pay your rent elsewhere.

Meals: A daily meal package of either one or two free hot meals served daily at the university mensa.

Financial Allowance: Large yearly allowances credited directly to your bank account. The allowance is between €6,400 and more than €6,800 annually, paid twice every year.

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Entry Requirements and the “ISEE Parificato" (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator).

What is most interesting about these scholarships is that no matter what your GPA, you can still qualify! The only way to get this grant is to demonstrate that your family’s income level is below the average economic income of that region (€14,000 to €25,000 per year).

In order to achieve this, you will need to apply for an ISEE Parificato (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator).

List of Mandatory Documents

If you want to ensure that your financial assessment is carried out properly, you should order the following precise documents from the authorities in your native country:

Certificate of Family Members: An official document that provides information about all the family members who live legally with you in your house.

Family Income Certificate: Annual gross incomes of all members of the family engaged in economic activity during the year in which taxes were due.

Proof of Property Ownership or Tenancy: Official documentation of proof regarding your family’s ownership of the property (along with the area of the property measured in square meters) or the fact that your family rents a property.

Bank Statements: Closing balance of the bank account(s) held by your family up till December 31 of the relevant tax year.

None of these will be accepted in your native language. They must be translated into Italian.

Critically Important Active Deadlines (2026)

Since these scholarships are managed by the provinces separately, all their deadlines are independent of each other. Don’t wait till you are in Italy; everything can be done online prior to your visit.

DiSCo Lazio (Lazio Province): Application process is now ongoing. The strict deadline for your application in its first phase is July 22, 2026. How to apply for a scholarship

DSU Toscana (Pisa, Florence, and Siena): Portals open in July and remain active until late August to early September 2026. Visit application portal.

EDISU Piemonte (Piedmont Province): Portals usually open in late July and close by mid-September 2026. Application Detail.

Visit the official website to find your institute.

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How to apply on these regional scholarships: follow these steps

1. Get your university admission first or apply to those universities that are offering regional scholarships.

2. Collect all your required documents, which are mentioned above.

3. Translate and Legalize Everything: Documents without apostilled and legalized documents will not be accepted.

4. Once your legalized documents are ready, you need to turn them into an official Italian economic score called the ISEE Parificato.

5. Go to the specific regional portal (like DiSCo Lazio for Rome, DSU for Tuscany, etc.) and and submit your application

Important things for Italy regional grant applicants

Make sure you are aware of the following list of things, because once you do something listed below, it immediately nullifies your funding:

Repetition Not Allowed: You cannot repeat a degree you already possess. So if you have a master's degree from your native country, you are only eligible for getting a PhD and not another master's.

The CFU Rule: In your first year, funding is based on financial need, but in order to receive the same amount again next year, you are required to complete a minimum number of university credits by August.

Strict Periods: Your scholarship lasts for a period equivalent to the official duration of your study (such as exactly two years for a master's degree). Anything else would invalidate your scholarship entirely.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Can I submit the application before obtaining my student visa?

A: Of course! You can submit your application during the summer months, even as your visa is still being processed. Wait until arriving in Italy, and you will not be able to get access to the portals anymore.

Q: Are there any age restrictions on the regional scholarship program?

A: No. In contrast to the central MAECI scholarship, which is subject to certain age limitations, regional scholarships have none. Any person enrolled in a study program may apply.

Q: May I work part-time while being on this scholarship?

A: Sure! A student visa guarantees up to 20 working hours per week. However, be careful not to exceed the scholarship financial threshold due to the additional income.

Q: Should I attach the IELTS certificate to the application?

A: Not necessary. The region considers only your financial situation (ISEE); language restrictions are controlled only by your university.

Q: What if the university dormitories do not have any vacancies left?

A: No problem! If you meet the criteria but cannot find any place in the dormitories, the region will provide you with a monetary housing allowance instead.

Apply on the official website. Link provided below