Top 7 Italy scholarships for international students (2024-2025)

Dreaming of studying in Italy but too low on budget? These 7 Italian scholarships can reduce your expenses or even let you study completely for free!

Angelina

7 minute read

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Updated on 18 Apr 2024

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Studying

Italy is one of the most exciting destinations to study abroad. This beautiful country boasts more than 100 universities, with some of the best schools for fashion and architecture in the world. And did you know it’s also quite affordable? With Italy's scholarships for international students, you might even be able to study here for free!

Want to know more? Let’s go!

Pretty much anyone! But most of the scholarships are awarded based on your academic achievements and/or financial means. So, there’s a bigger chance to get a fully-funded scholarship in Italy if you finished your previous education with excellent grades.

But hey, if that’s not the case you have options. Some universities also offer scholarships that you can apply for after studying at the university for a year.

For example, you can start your Bachelor program paying a full fee and apply for a scholarship for the second year. Just make sure to give your best when you’re there!

You’ll come across 2 main types of financial aid in Italy: government scholarships for foreign students and scholarships sponsored by a specific university. These scholarships also differ in the amount they offer and whether they cover accommodation expenses.

The short answer is yes. But, that means beating a whole lot of competition as the number of spots for fully-funded scholarships in Italy is limited.

If you were granted only a partial scholarship grant, you can still find ways that’d help you cover the rest of your expenses of studying abroad.

For example, you can get a work-study job at your institution, find a part-time job in your city, or get a paid internship.

DSU ('Diritto allo Studio Universitario' translates as 'Right to University Education') refers to financial aid benefits that are defined annually by the region where a university is located.

Many universities such as Politecnico di Milano, University of Pisa and University of Milano have such a program.

The amount of the scholarship is calculated based on your income bracket (financial situation) and geographic origin.

The benefits of DSU scholarships in Italy include:

• monetary compensation
• catering services
• residence services

For some Italian scholarships, European students are asked to provide an ISEE certificate to declare their financial status. You can simply request it from the INPS website.

However, if your family's income and assets are abroad, you can’t be issued an ISEE. So, instead, you must request its equivalent called ISEE-U Parificato.

To do this, you can contact the CAF (fiscal assistance centre) affiliated with the university you’re applying to and they’ll issue your certificate.

Be ready to send documents on incomes, properties and financial assets for each member of your family. These documents must be issued by the competent offices in your country and translated and legalised according to the applicable regulations that differ from country to country.

Here we've compiled a list of 7 best of Italy's scholarships. The list incudes Italian government scholarships for foreign students, university-specific scholarships as well as a fully-funded PhD scholarship in Italy.

1. Invest your Talent in Italy
2. EDISU Piemonte Scholarships
3. Bologna University Study Grants
4. Bocconi Merit and International Awards
5. Politecnico de Milano Merit-Based Scholarships
6. Politecnico di Torino International Scholarships
7. Scuola Normale Superiore PhD Scholarships

Let's explore each scholarship and find the right Italian scholarship for your studies.

1. Invest Your Talent in Italy: Italian government scholarships for international students

The Italian government provides scholarships to international postgraduate students. Be sure to check out their application if this applies to you!

For who?

International Students who want to enrol for a Master’s degree or a supervised Postgraduate programs in Engineering, Advanced Technologies, Architecture, Design, Economics, or Management at a top Italian university.

You can find the complete list of eligible programs here.

How much?

The Italian government scholarship for international students grants €8,100 (monthly allowance of €900) as well as it exempts you from paying tuition and enrolment fees.

Requirements

To apply you must have:

• Nationality: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mexico, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Tunisia, Turkey and Vietnam
• Completed your Bachelor’s degree
• English proficiency of at least B2 level
• An Italian health insurance

How to apply?

Once you’ve submitted your pre-application to one of the universities included in the program, you can start your online application for the grant.

Heads up, you’ll be requested to record a 1-minute application video about yourself and your motivation.

For more information about the Italian government scholarships for foreign students read the FAQ document on the official portal of the Invest Your Talent in Italy program.

2. EDISU Piemonte scholarships

If you're planning to study in EDISU Piemonte, be sure to check out their available scholarships!

For who?

International students enrolled in a full-time Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, single cycle master’s degree, or PhD courses at one of the Universities of Piedmont such as the Politecnico of Torino and the University of Torino.

How much?

The scholarship amount depends on your type of enrolment and residency.

You can get assistance with your accommodation as well as a monetary award with the maximum of €5,108 and an exemption from enrolment and tuition fees.

Requirements

EDISU Piemonte Scholarships distinguish between 2 types of requirements: merit-based and economic.

According to merit requirements, you must be regularly enrolled and earn a certain amount of credits, depending on your program.

Further, your economic situation is evaluated based on ISEE Parificato financial certificate.

How to apply?

You can apply for the EDISU Piemonte scholarship through its online portal.

3. Bologna University study grants for international students

If you're studying in Bologna University you may be eligible for an international student grant.

For who?

International students who wish to register for first cycle (Bachelors), second cycle (Masters) or single cycle degree programmes at the University of Bologna.

How much?

Each study grant is awarded for one academic year and amounts to a total of €11,000 and full tuition fee waivers.

Requirements

To be eligible for this Italian scholarship for international students you need to:

• Take SAT or TOLC test if applying for first or single cycle degree programmes, or
• GRE test if registering in a second cycle degree programme, and
• Be younger that 30 years.

How to apply?

To apply for the Bologna University study grant for international students, you need to register in Studenti Online portal and submit required documents.

4. Bocconi Merit and International Awards

If you're planning to study at Bocconi, be sure to check out their Merit and International Awards!

For who?

International students enrolling in AY 2023-2024 Bachelors or Master of Science or Law program in Bocconi University.

Bachelor's students are eligible for the Bocconi Merit Awards and the Bocconi International Awards.

Master's students of science can apply for the Bocconi Graduate Merit Awards and the Bocconi International Awards Graduate.

How much?

The International scholarships offer 50% reduction of the tuition fee.

The Merit scholarships offer tuition fee waivers approximately between €13,000 (for Bachelor's) and €12,000 (Master's).

Requirements

The scholarships are awarded based on your academic excellence.

How to apply?

To be considered for a scholarship, you simply need to apply to an undergraduate or graduate Program in Bocconi University!

5. Politecnico de Milano merit-based scholarships for international students

If you're planning to study at Politecnico de Milano, be sure to check out their merit-based scholarships for international students.

For who?

The most talented international candidates admitted to a Master of science programme in Politecnico de Milano.

How much?

This Italian scholarship for international students is divided into three levels:

• PLATINUM scholarships: €10,000 gross per year
• GOLD scholarships: €5,000 per year
• SILVER scholarships: the total amount of fees for the academic year (students pay only administrative fees)

Requirements

The requirements for the scholarships are:

• GPA (grade point average),
• Academic achievements,
• Your portfolio (if requested),
• A motivation letter.

How to apply?

To apply for the merit-based scholarships for international students you should fill in an online application via the portal of PoliMi.

6. Politecnico di Torino international scholarships

If you're planning to study at Politecnico di Torino, be sure to check out their international scholarships.

For who?

Non-Italian students that want to study a Bachelor in Engineering or Architecture in Politecnico di Torino.

How much?

You’ll be awarded €8,000 per year for the duration of your studies.

Requirements

To be eligible for this Italian scholarship you need to comply with the following requirements:

• Pass the admission test with a score of 60 or higher;
• Obtain your secondary high school diploma outside Italy;
• Be enrolled in a Bachelor of Science Degree program at the Politecnico di Torino for the first time.

How to apply?

You can apply for the TOPoliTO scholarship by ticking the box under the “Research and academic scholarships” section of your application on the Apply@polito platform.

7. Scuola Normale Superiore PhD scholarships

If you're planning to study at Scuola Normale Superiore , be sure to check out their PhD scholarships.

For who?

Italian citizens and international students who want to continue their PhD research in Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa.

How much?

Scuola Normale Superiore PhD scholarships grant full financial support including tuition and enrolment fees and cover the costs of boarding and accommodation.

Requirements

To be eligible for this Italian scholarship program, you must have a Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification. You’ll be evaluated based on your academic assessment and interviews.

How to apply?

To apply for this PhD scholarship in Italy, fill in the online application form in the official portal and refer to this page if you have questions.

Now that you know what kinds of Italian scholarships for international students are out there, you can start applying! Even if you’re not certain, it’s always worth giving it a shot. Trust us, we've been there!

Studying in Italy will open the doors to the competitive Italian job market, providing you with the opportunity to get to know a new culture and learn Italian.

If you’re still doubting whether moving to Italy is the right decision for you, we made a list of pros and cons you should consider.

And if you’re all set to take the leap and study abroad in Italy, you can refer to our relocation guide to make your preparations easier.

Remember that if you’re from a non-EU country, you’ll have to take care of things such as study visa and health insurance. So, the earlier you begin the better.

Now, go get this scholarship in Italy! We know you can!

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