I still remember how confusing Italian scholarships can look when you first start researching them. You find a university with reasonable tuition fees, then another page talks about DSU, another mentions EDISU, and suddenly you are wondering whether these are separate scholarships, university scholarships, or something completely different.

If you are planning to study in Italy in 2027, the good news is that Italy regional scholarships can be one of the most useful funding routes for international students. They are generally based on your family’s financial situation and academic requirements, and the benefits can include a cash scholarship, accommodation, meals, tuition-fee reductions or exemptions, and other student services.

There is one important timing point, though. As of September 2026, most regions have not yet published their final 2027/28 scholarship calls. The latest official calls are for the 2026/27 academic year, and these give us a good picture of how the system works. At the same time, some Italian universities have already opened their 2027/28 admission applications, so students can start preparing their university applications now rather than waiting for the regional scholarship announcement.

Italy Regional Scholarships 2027: What Are They?

Italy’s regional scholarships are part of the country’s right-to-study system. Instead of being one single national scholarship, different regions operate their own student-support organizations.

You may see different names depending on where your university is located:

• EDISU Piemonte – Piedmont
• ER.GO – Emilia-Romagna
• Lazio DiSCo – Lazio
• DSU Toscana / ARDSU– Tuscany
• ADISU Umbria – Umbria
• Other regions have their own right-to-study organizations.

The university and the regional authority are therefore two separate parts of your application strategy.

For example, you may apply for a Master’s degree at a university in Turin and separately apply for the regional scholarship through EDISU Piemonte.

This distinction is important because getting university admission does not automatically mean you have received the regional scholarship.

Why international students pay attention to these scholarships

The biggest attraction is that the scholarship is not simply based on having an exceptionally high GPA.

The applicant’s economic circumstances are a major part of the assessment. That can make these scholarships particularly relevant for students from lower- and middle-income families.

The exact income limits, documents, amounts and procedures change from region to region and from one academic year to another.

What Can Italy Regional Scholarships Cover?

This is where things become interesting.

A regional scholarship can combine several benefits rather than simply giving you a monthly payment.

Depending on the region and your status, benefits may include:

1. Cash scholarship

You may receive financial support to help with living and study expenses.

The amount can vary according to your student status.

For example, the latest Lazio DiSCo information gives different scholarship amounts for students classified as in-town, commuters and out-of-town. In the 2026/27 framework, an out-of-town student can receive a substantially higher amount than an in-town student.

This is why you should never look only at the headline scholarship amount. Your classification matters.

2. Accommodation

Some regional authorities provide university residence places to eligible students.

EDISU Piemonte, for example, allows eligible non-resident students to request accommodation alongside the scholarship application.

Accommodation is particularly valuable in cities such as Turin, Bologna, Rome and Florence, where private rent can become one of the biggest expenses for an international student.

3. Free or subsidized meals

Depending on the regional authority and your eligibility, you may receive free meals or access to subsidized university canteens.

4. Tuition-fee exemption or reduction

Regional benefits can also be connected with reductions or exemptions from university fees.

However, don’t make the mistake of assuming that “regional scholarship” automatically means every university charge disappears.

There can still be:

• application fees
• regional taxes
• admission fees
• residence-permit expenses
• visa expenses
• document/legalisation costs
• travel costs

Always check the university fee page and scholarship call separately.

Italy Regional Scholarships 2027 Eligibility

Although the final 2027/28 requirements will depend on the regional authority, the latest calls show the main areas students need to prepare for.

Academic eligibility

You normally need to be enrolled, or intend to enroll, in an eligible degree programme.

Depending on the scholarship and your year of study, academic progress requirements can also apply.

First-year students are usually assessed differently from students already enrolled in later years because they do not yet have Italian university credits.

Financial eligibility

This is one of the most important parts.

The scholarship authorities assess your family’s financial situation using the relevant Italian economic indicator or an equivalent process for international students.

For international applicants, this can mean preparing official documents about:

• family composition
• annual income
• property ownership
• movable assets
• rent paid by the family
• other financial information

For example, Lazio DiSCo specifically requires international students to prepare documentation for the ISEEUP process. The authority states that documents should cover family composition, 2024 gross income, property and movable assets, and family housing rent, with the required documentation translated into Italian.

This is one area where I would strongly recommend starting early.

Don’t wait until the scholarship application opens.

Which Countries Are Eligible?

Italy regional scholarships are generally open to international students who meet the relevant university and regional requirements.

That can include students from:

• Pakistan
• Bangladesh
• India
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• Ghana
• Egypt
• Turkey
• Morocco
• Indonesia
• and many other non-EU countries.

But there is an important distinction:

Your nationality alone does not make you eligible.

You must also satisfy the admission requirements of the university and the specific scholarship requirements of the region.

For an international student living outside Italy, financial documentation is especially important.

Documents You Should Prepare Early

If you are planning for 2027, I would create a separate folder specifically for the regional scholarship.

A typical preparation list includes:

1. Passport
2. Family registration/family composition document
3. Parents’ income documents
4. Proof of employment or unemployment, where applicable
5. Property ownership documents
6. Bank or financial asset documentation, where required
7. Rent information, where applicable
8. Academic certificates
9. Academic transcripts
10. Admission letter or application information
11. Translations into Italian where required
12. Legalization/attestation or diplomatic certification where required
13. Other documents requested by the regional authority

The exact list changes by region.

A lesson that saves applicant’s time

One of the most common mistakes is preparing the university documents but completely ignoring the financial documents until the scholarship call opens.

Don’t do that.

University admission documents and scholarship financial documents are two different preparation tracks.

If you are applying from Pakistan, for example, start discussing the required family-income and asset documentation with the relevant Italian authority/CAF or follow the regional authority’s instructions well before the deadline.

Italy Regional Scholarships 2027: Latest Regional Examples

Because the official 2027/28 regional calls have not yet been released across Italy, the following examples are based on the latest 2026/27 official calls.

Use them as a planning guide, not as the final 2027 deadline.

EDISU Piemonte – Turin and Piedmont

EDISU Piemonte supports students studying at universities and eligible higher-education institutions in Piedmont.

The latest 2026/27 scholarship call opened on 22 July 2026 and the main deadline for Bachelor’s, Master’s and single-cycle Master’s students was 4 September 2026 at 12:00 noon.

The scholarship can also be connected with accommodation for eligible students.

For international students without Italian SPID/CIE, EDISU provides a temporary-access registration route.

This is particularly relevant if you are considering universities such as:

• University of Turin
• Politècnica di Torino
• University of Eastern Piedmont

The important lesson for 2027 applicants is simple: watch EDISU from summer 2027 rather than waiting until after admission is completed.

ER.GO – Emilia-Romagna

ER.GO is the regional right-to-study authority for Emilia-Romagna.

It covers students at institutions including universities in:

• Bologna
• Modena and Reggio Emilia
• Parma
• Ferrara

For 2026/27, the ER.GO scholarship application opened on 23 June 2026 and the main scholarship deadline was 24 August 2026 at 16:00.

ER.GO also provides support related to accommodation, international mobility and other student services.

One thing student sometimes misunderstand is the timing.

The scholarship process can have its own deadline even when the university admission or enrolment process has a different deadline.

So don’t build your entire plan around the university deadline.

Lazio DiSCo – Rome and Lazio

If you are targeting Rome, Lazio DiSCo deserves special attention.

The 2026/27 call offered:

• scholarships
• accommodation
• international mobility contributions
• graduation awards
• subsidized meals

The first application phase for 2026/27 closed on 22 July 2026, but some related university-enrolment procedures can continue later.

For international students, Lazio DiSCo has specific procedures for ISEEUP and documentation from the student’s home country.

The authority also provides specific instructions for international students who do not have SPID or CIE.

If you are planning to study in Rome in 2027, start watching the Lazio DiSCo website from spring/summer 2027.

DSU Toscana – Tuscany

Tuscany also operates a regional scholarship and accommodation system through ARDSU/DSU Toscana.

For the 2026/27 cycle, the scholarship and accommodation call opened on 20 July 202.

The main deadline for Bachelor’s, Master’s and single-cycle Master’s applicants was 7 September 2026 at 13:00.

PhD and specialization applicants had a later application window.

This is useful for students considering universities in cities such as:

• Florence
• Pisa
• Siena

Again, the 2027 deadline should not be copied from the 2026/27 call. Wait for the new official announcement.

ADISU Umbria

Umbria also has a regional right-to-study system.

For 2026/27, ADISU Umbria published a new call covering scholarships and other student services.

The latest published economic thresholds included an ISEE maximum of €28,339.88 and ISPE maximum of €61,608.48 for that cycle.

These figures demonstrate why checking the current call matters: financial thresholds are not permanent and can change each year.

Universities Currently Open for 2027/28

Here is an important update for students reading this article in September 2026.

You don’t necessarily have to wait for regional scholarship calls before starting your university application.

University of Padua

The University of Padua has announced that its first application call for 2027/28 opened on 15 September 2026 for most degree programmes.

The first application window runs until 15 November 2026.

This makes Padua one of the universities students can actively start researching and applying to right now.

For English-taught programmes, Padua generally requires English at B2 level. Its published language rules list IELTS 6.0 for B2, although exemptions are possible when the previous qualification was completed entirely in English, subject to the university’s rules.

The university’s application process also includes an application fee; the current published application-fee guidance has listed €60 for the application process. Always confirm the amount shown on the 2027/28 application portal before payment.

University of Bologna

The University of Bologna is another university worth monitoring for 2027/28.

The important point here is that admission requirements, deadlines and application fees can differ significantly by programme.

Don’t search for “Bologna application requirements” and assume the answer applies to every Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

Open the specific programme page and check:

• academic requirements
• English requirement
• application fee
• deadline
• non-EU visa deadline
• admission test, if applicable

Bocconi University

For students interested in business, economics, finance and management, Bocconi has already published its 2027/28 admissions timeline.

For international applicants to MSc/MA programmes, the first selection round runs from 1 October to 29 October 2026, followed by later rounds in 2026/27.

Bocconi is a private university, so its tuition and scholarship structure is different from the public-university regional scholarship model.

Don’t confuse a Bocconi scholarship with a regional DSU-type scholarship.

Universities With IELTS and Without IELTS: What You Need to Know

One of the most frequent queries I get from students is this one.

There is no honest universal list saying:

“University X never requires IELTS.”

Italian universities normally leave language requirements to the university, department or specific programme.

For example, Padua requires B2 English for English-taught programmes but allows exemptions where the previous education was entirely in English.

Politecnico di Torino has also published B2-level English requirements and recognizes certain exemptions. Its published rules specifically include English-taught qualifications from Pakistan among certain countries where an English-medium qualification may satisfy the exemption conditions.

So, if you studied your Bachelor’s degree in Pakistan in English, don’t immediately spend money on IELTS.

First check whether your chosen programme accepts an English-medium/MOI-based exemption.

But don’t assume an MOI will work everywhere.

A safer approach

Before booking IELTS:

1. Open the exact Master’s programme.
2. Find “Admission requirements.”
3. Find “Language requirements.”
4. Check accepted certificates.
5. Check exemptions.
6. Check whether an English-medium previous degree is accepted.
7. If unclear, email the university admissions office.
8. Keep the university’s written response.

That last step can save you from a very expensive mistake.

Application Fees: No Fee vs. Fee

Application fees are another area where online lists can become misleading.

Some Italian universities charge application fees, while others or specific programmes may not.

For example:

University Requirement	Example application fee information	English
University of Padua	€60 in current published application-fee guidance	B2; IELTS 6.0 listed, exemptions possible
Politecnico di Torino	€50 in published admission procedures	B2; IELTS 5.5 equivalent/exemptions
University of Turin	€60 for applications through Apply@UniTo in the published 2026/27 procedure	Programme-specific
Sapienza University of Rome	€30 per pre-selection application for English programmes in 2026/27	B2 depending on programme
University of Macerata	20 application fee starting from 2027/28	Programme-specific

Important: A university can have different fees for different programmes or applicant categories. A no application fee statement found on a third-party website should not be treated as confirmation for your specific 2027 programme.

This is especially important if you are applying to several universities because €20–€60 per application can quickly add up.

How I Would Arrange an Italy 2027 Application, Step-by-Step

If I were preparing an application today, I would do it in this order.

Step 1: Select five to eight realistic programs

Don’t choose universities simply because someone posted that they offer “free education.”

Look at:

• course content
• language
• academic eligibility
• tuition
• city
• regional scholarship availability
• non-EU admission process

Step 2 — Apply to universities

Start with programmes whose 2027/28 calls are already open.

Padua is already one example.

Step 3 — Prepare your financial documents

Do this before the regional scholarship call.

This is probably the biggest practical lesson from working with international applicants: financial-document preparation takes longer than students expect.

Step 4 — Monitor the regional authority

If your university is in Turin, watch EDISU.

If it is in Bologna, watch ER.GO.

If it is in Rome, watch Lazio DiSCo.

If it is in Tuscany, watch DSU Toscana.

Step 5 — Apply for the regional scholarship separately

Do not assume university admission automatically enters you into the scholarship competition.

Step 6 — Complete Universitaly

For students who require a visa, university pre-enrolment through Universitaly is an important part of the process.

The Italian government has published procedures covering international students for both the 2026/27 and 2027/28 academic years.

Step 7 — Keep checking your scholarship ranking

Regional scholarship authorities normally publish provisional and final rankings.

If your status is pending or you are asked for additional documents, respond within the stated deadline.

Common Mistakes I Would Avoid

Mistake 1: Waiting for the scholarship before applying to university

This can put you behind.

University applications and regional scholarships follow different calendars.

Mistake 2: Assuming IELTS is always mandatory

Check the programmes exemptions first.

You may qualify through previous English-medium education, depending on the university.

Mistake 3: Assuming every DSU scholarship is identical

They are not.

EDISU, ER.GO, Lazio DiSCo and DSU Toscana have their own rules, deadlines and procedures.

Mistake 4: Using old income thresholds

A figure from a 2025/26 scholarship article may not apply to 2027/28.

Always use the latest official call.

Mistake 5: Trusting “100% guaranteed scholarship” advertisements

No genuine consultant can guarantee a regional scholarship.

Eligibility and final allocation depend on the official authority, the available funds and the rules of that year’s call.

Mistake 6: Forgetting accommodation status

In some regional systems, whether you are considered in-town, commuter or out-of-town can affect the value of the benefit.

Your accommodation documentation can therefore matter financially.

Who Can Apply for a Regional Scholarship in Italy?

These scholarships are worth researching if you:

• are planning a Bachelor’s, Master’s or eligible higher degree in Italy;
• have limited or moderate family financial resources;
• can document your family’s financial situation;
• are academically eligible for your chosen university;
• are willing to prepare documents early;
• are applying from outside Italy and need a structured funding plan.

They can be especially useful when combined with a public university offering relatively moderate tuition.

But remember that you still need money for the initial stages of the process, including documents, visa-related costs, travel and potentially the first period of living expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Italy regional scholarship fully funded?

Not necessarily in the same way as a traditional “fully funded scholarship.”

The regional scholarship can combine cash support, meals, accommodation and tuition-related benefits, but the exact package depends on the region and your status.

Can Pakistani students apply?

Yes, Pakistani students can apply for eligible Italian universities and regional scholarships if they meet the university admission and regional scholarship requirements.

The financial-document requirements for international students are particularly important.

Does an Italy regional scholarship require an IELTS score?

IELTS is generally not the scholarship itself.

The English requirement normally comes from the university/programme.

Some programmes accept exemptions or alternative proof of English proficiency.

Can I apply for the scholarship before receiving admission?

This depends on the regional call.

Some authorities allow students who intend to enrol to apply before their university enrolment is fully completed.

Lazio Disco’s 2026/27 call, for example, allowed applicants to participate without having completed enrolment at the time of the scholarship application.

Always check the new call before applying.

When will applications for the 2027–2028 Italy Regional Scholarship be accepted?

Most 2027/28 regional calls are expected to be announced closer to the 2027/28 academic cycle, generally around the summer period, but the exact dates are decided by each regional authority.

Do not treat a 2026/27 deadline as the 2027/28 deadline.

Which regional scholarship should I apply for?

It depends mainly on where your university is located.

For example:

• Turin → EDISU Piemonte
• Bologna/Modena/Parma/Ferrara → ER.GO
• Rome/Lazio → Lazio DiSCo
• Florence/Pisa/Siena/Tuscany → DSU Toscana
• Perugia/Umbria → ADISU Umbria

Final Thoughts

The biggest mistake I see in Italy scholarship planning is treating admission and funding as one application.

They are not.

Think of your 2027 plan as two connected tracks: university admission + regional financial support.

Right now, in September 2026, the smart preparation is to identify your programme, check whether you need IELTS or qualify for an exemption, understand the application fee, prepare your academic documents and start collecting your family’s financial documents.

At the same time, keep the regional scholarship authority bookmarked.

The exact 2027/28 calls will bring the final income limits; scholarship amounts and deadlines. Once those calls are published, check them against the official source rather than copying numbers from an older blog or social-media post.

For students who plan early, the process becomes much less confusing. You don’t need to know every Italian scholarship at once. You need to know which university you want, which region it belongs to, and what documents that region will ask you for.

If you are preparing your Italy application, also check our [Study in Italy guide] and [Study Visa Guide] on Universal Scholarships before starting the application process.