Most international students in Italy who study at a public university for very little are not on a merit award. They hold a DSU scholarship (diritto allo studio universitario, the right to university study), paid by the regional body of the region where they study. Indian students can apply on the same terms as Italian students, as long as the family’s income and assets fall within the limits.
What the scholarship gives you
Depending on the region, a DSU award can include a full or partial tuition waiver, a yearly cash grant, and help with meals or university housing. The grant is higher if you live away from home. For 2026/27 the national minimum grants reported from the Ministry decrees are:
Regions may pay more than these minimums, and they decide how much of the grant is paid as meals or housing.
The income and asset limits
Eligibility is judged on two indicators. For 2026/27 the national maximums reported from the Ministry of University and Research decrees are €28,339.88 for the ISEE (the economic situation indicator) and €61,608.48 for the ISPE (the asset indicator). For 2025/26 they were €27,948.60 and €60,757.87. Some regions set lower limits, so the call of your region is what counts.
Because your family’s income and assets are in India, you do not get a normal Italian ISEE. Instead the university or regional body calculates an ISEE parificato: roughly your family’s income plus 20% of its assets, divided by an equivalence scale for the household size, converted at the official reference exchange rate. Our ISEE parificato estimator shows where you are likely to stand before you collect a single stamp.
Documents to prepare
- a family composition certificate covering everyone in the household, including dependent siblings;
- income proof for every earner for the reference year set in the call;
- bank, fixed-deposit, share and insurance statements with balances on 31 December of that year;
- property papers that show the built area of every building, including the family home.
Documents from abroad usually have to be legalised and translated through the Italian diplomatic offices. This is the slow part, so start months before the regional call opens and ask your university and the regional body exactly which stamps they accept.
A realistic timeline
- Shortlist and apply to public-university programmes, and complete pre-enrolment on Universitaly for the visa.
- Start the family documents as soon as you shortlist, because legalisation takes weeks.
- Apply in the regional call of the region where you will study (for example ER.GO in Emilia-Romagna, EDISU in Piedmont or DiSCo in Lazio). Each region publishes its call once a year with its own deadline.
- Keep your credits up. From the second year, renewal also depends on the credits you earn.
If your family is above the limits
Look at merit awards. Bocconi’s Graduate Merit Awards for 2026/27 waive 100% of ordinary tuition and are assigned through the admission application itself. Politecnico di Milano and other universities have their own merit scholarships, and the Italian government’s Invest Your Talent in Italy programme offered €10,800 for nine months with an internship in its 2026/27 call, which closed on 11 May 2026. Our Italy scholarship finder lists each award with its official link and the date we last checked it.
Quick answers
Can Indian students get the DSU scholarship in Italy?
Yes. International students can apply for their region’s DSU scholarship if their family’s ISEE parificato and ISPE fall within the limits and they meet the call’s enrolment and credit rules.
What is the ISEE limit for the DSU scholarship in 2026/27?
The national maximums reported from the 2026 Ministry decrees are €28,339.88 for the ISEE and €61,608.48 for the ISPE. Regions can set lower limits, so check your regional call.
How much is the DSU scholarship?
For 2026/27 the reported national minimum grant is €7,171.11 a year for students living away from home, €4,190.71 for commuters and €2,890.16 for students living at home, often with a tuition waiver. Regions may pay more.
