StudyDesk Scholarships
The honest picture for 2026-27
Italy does not have one big "fully funded" national scholarship that covers everything. Instead, funding comes in three layers: government grants (MAECI and Invest Your Talent), regional right-to-study scholarships (DSU/EDISU agencies, which can combine cash, free meals and housing), and university merit awards (Polimi, Padua, Bologna, Bocconi, SNS). Be cautious of trackers that list these as always-open "fully funded" awards — as of October 2026 most 2026-27 calls have closed, so this guide separates what is still open from what to prepare for in 2027-28.
The 9 verified routes
1. MAECI Italian Government Scholarships (2026/27)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official programme paid €10,800 over 9 months for 2026/27 (three instalments), plus health insurance and a tuition/enrolment fee exemption at participating universities — you still pay the regional tax of about €140 plus stamp duty. Eligibility: Master's (under 28), PhD (under 30) or AFAM/research (under 40), with B2-level English or Italian, studying on-site. The 2026/27 call closed 26 March 2026; the next call typically opens in January–February 2027. Ignore trackers quoting €9,000 or a May 2026 deadline — both are wrong.
2. Invest Your Talent in Italy (2026/27)
A combined scholarship-plus-internship route: €1,200/month for 9 months from 1 October 2026, tuition exemption, and a mandatory internship with Italian companies. It does not cover travel or accommodation, and it cannot be combined with any other Italian public scholarship. Open to bachelor's graduates under 28 with B2 English from 23 partner countries, including India. The 2026/27 call closed 11 May 2026.
3. DSU Toscana regional scholarships (2026/27) — PhD window still open
Tuscany's right-to-study agency offers cash grants of up to about €6,800 plus tuition exemption, free canteen meals and accommodation, scaled to your income bracket (ISEE/ISPE) and whether you live at home, commute or are off-site. The Bachelor's/Master's window closed 7 September 2026, but the PhD/specialisation window runs 25 September – 16 November 2026 — still open. International students must convert family income documents into an ISEE Parificato at a CAF centre after arriving in Italy, with sworn translations and apostille/legalisation.
4. EDISU Piemonte (Turin) 2026/27 — PhD window still open
Piedmont's agency supports students at the University of Turin, Politecnico di Torino and the University of Eastern Piedmont with roughly €1,873–€8,097/year depending on ISEE bracket and residency, plus free meals and possible housing for off-site students. The Bachelor's/Master's window closed 4 September 2026; the PhD/specialisation window opens 28 October and closes 27 November 2026. First-year students must earn 20 university credits (CFU) by 10 August 2027 to receive the second half of the grant.
5. Politecnico di Milano merit scholarships — 2027-28 call live
Polimi offers international Master's students a full tuition waiver (winners pay only about €170 in admin fees), with top-ranked awardees receiving up to €10,000/year gross on top (Platinum/Gold tiers). The 2026/27 call is over, but the 2027-28 call is now live: apply for MSc admission between 1 October and 1 December 2026, then submit the separate scholarship form via Polimi Online Services by 15 December 2026, 12:00 Italian time. Note that most tiers are waiver-only — the cash allowance is for top awardees, and the grant can be combined with DSU Lombardia.
6. University of Bologna — Unibo Action 1 + Action 2
Bologna's route for first-year international students has two branches: Action 1 (100% tuition waiver) and Action 2 (a study grant of about €11,000 gross/year) — you cannot hold both. They require applicants under 30 with SAT (Bachelor's) or GRE (Master's) scores. Bologna's separate International Talents @Unibo (€6,500/year + full tuition exemption, 30 awards) closed 30 May 2026 for 2026/27; the 2027-28 call is not yet published.
7. Bocconi Merit Awards (2026/27)
Bocconi awards top-profile first-year Bachelor's and Master's applicants a full tuition waiver worth roughly €12,000–14,000/year, plus possible free accommodation in Bocconi residences, renewable on academic progress. Consideration is automatic — no separate application; awards follow the admission rounds. Do not confuse these merit awards with Bocconi's need-based ISU support, which is a separate income-based scheme.
8. University of Padua — International Excellence Scholarship
Padua's excellence scheme offers €8,000/year plus a full tuition-fee waiver for up to 2 years (Master's) or 3 years (Bachelor's), with about 69 Excellence and 30 departmental awards; only the regional tax and stamp duty remain payable. Open to non-Italian citizens not resident in Italy. The 2026/27 calls ran February–May 2026 and are closed; the next intake is expected to open around late February 2027.
9. Scuola Normale Superiore PhD positions (2026-27, 42nd cycle)
SNS Pisa offers PhD positions with a PhD scholarship plus free accommodation and free canteen meals, open to all nationalities. Eligibility requires a Master's obtained no earlier than 5 years before the call deadline (or to be obtained by 31 October 2026) and no prior Italian PhD. The 2026/27 sessions closed in early 2026; the new 2027-28 call is expected in early 2027.
Eligibility at a glance
- Age limits: MAECI under 28 (Master's)/under 30 (PhD)/under 40 (research); IYT under 28; Bologna under 30; Padua none stated; Polimi and SNS rules vary by call.
- Language: B2 English or Italian for MAECI and IYT; English-taught programmes at Polimi, Padua and Bologna require the university's standard English evidence.
- Country rules: IYT is restricted to citizens of 23 partner countries including India; regional DSU grants and most university awards are open to all nationalities.
- Income: regional DSU/EDISU grants are means-tested — you need documented family income and assets converted to an ISEE Parificato; merit awards ignore income.
Documents you will need
- Valid passport/ID and degree certificate plus transcripts with grades.
- Europass CV, motivation letter, and English B2 certificate (IYT also asks for a 59-second motivation video and a one-page CV).
- SAT/GRE for Bologna's Unibo Actions; research project proposal for SNS PhD (max 20,000 characters).
- For regional DSU grants: family income, bank-balance, property and household-composition certificates with sworn Italian translations plus apostille or consular legalisation, then an ISEE Parificato from a CAF centre.
How to apply
- Pick your route first: government (MAECI/IYT), regional DSU, or university merit — the portals and timelines are completely separate, and IYT cannot be combined with other public aid.
- Apply to the university in parallel: several routes (Padua, Bocconi) assess you automatically on admission; Polimi and SNS need separate scholarship steps.
- Register on the right portal: studyinitaly.esteri.it for MAECI, the IYT application portal for Invest Your Talent, DSU Toscana's Student Help Desk or EDISU Piemonte's online sportello for regional grants.
- For DSU grants, prepare the income paperwork early: get 2024 tax-year family documents translated, legalised and converted to ISEE Parificato before the PhD windows close (16 Nov / 27 Nov 2026).
- Submit before the call's exact time: Italian calls use Italian time (CET) — Polimi's 15 December 2026 form closes at 12:00 Italian time.
FAQs
Yes, two: the DSU Toscana PhD/specialisation window (until 16 November 2026) and the EDISU Piemonte PhD window (28 October – 27 November 2026). The Politecnico di Milano 2027-28 merit call is also live (scholarship form by 15 December 2026). All other 2026-27 calls listed in this guide are closed.
No. It is a need-based regional grant: the cash portion (up to about €6,800) depends on your ISEE income bracket and living arrangement, and first-year students must earn 20 credits by 10 August 2027 to get the second half. Meals, tuition exemption and housing add real value, but nothing is guaranteed.
Not necessarily. MAECI accepts B2 English or Italian, and Polimi, Padua, Bologna and Bocconi all run English-taught programmes. IYT requires B2 English. Regional DSU applications can be done in Italian or with translated documents.
No. IYT is explicitly incompatible with any other Italian public scholarship, so choose one route.
The official 2026/27 MAECI terms cover a €10,800 grant over 9 months, health insurance and tuition exemption — travel to Italy is not listed among the covered items.
Start now: gather and legalise family income documents for DSU, prepare English certificates, and watch the Polimi 2027-28 call (live now) plus Padua and SNS, whose 2027-28 calls are expected around late February / early 2027.
Verified 18 Oct 2026 against official pages: studyinitaly.esteri.it and esteri.it network announcements (MAECI 2026/27 €10,800, closed 26 Mar 2026), conscalcutta.esteri.it (Invest Your Talent 2026/27), dsu.toscana.it (PhD window 25 Sep – 16 Nov 2026), edisu.piemonte.it (PhD window 28 Oct – 27 Nov 2026), Politecnico di Milano 2027-28 merit call (form by 15 Dec 2026), bandi.unibo.it (Unibo Action 1/2), unibocconi.it (Bocconi Graduate Merit Awards 2026-27), University of Padua English scholarship pages, sns.it (42nd-cycle PhD call). Stale/wrong tracker figures (€9,000 MAECI, "guaranteed" DSU sums) deliberately omitted.
