University of Milan Regional Scholarship (DSU – Diritto allo Studio Universitario) 2026/2027 | Lombardy Region and Italian Ministry of University and Research, administered via University of Milan | Brilliant Scholarship
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University of Milan Regional Scholarship (DSU – Diritto allo Studio Universitario) 2026/2027
Need-based Italian regional scholarship covering tuition, meals, and living costs for students at the University of Milan.
Lombardy Region and Italian Ministry of University and Research, administered via University of Milan
Overview
The University of Milan Regional Scholarship, known in Italy as the DSU (Diritto allo Studio Universitario), is a need-based financial aid program for the 2026/2027 academic year available to both Italian and international students at the Università degli Studi di Milano, also known as La Statale. Funded jointly by the Lombardy Region and the Italian Ministry of University and Research, the DSU scholarship reflects a broader Italian principle that access to higher education should not depend on a student's financial background — the "right to university study" the name refers to.
Unlike merit scholarships that reward top academic performers, the DSU is fundamentally a financial-need program: eligibility hinges on a household income and asset assessment, not standardized test scores or GPA thresholds. This makes it particularly relevant for prospective students — including those from outside Italy — who are strong academic candidates but face genuine financial constraints in pursuing study in Milan.
Scholarship Details
Selected recipients receive a tiered benefits package depending on their residential status (on-site, commuter, or non-resident) and household financial assessment. Full winners receive a 100% tuition fee exemption, while partial winners receive a 50% waiver. Alongside the tuition benefit, an annual cash allowance is credited to the student's personal university card (Carta La Statale) in two installments across the academic year.
Recipients also receive one free meal per day, Monday through Saturday, at university refectories — a practical benefit that meaningfully reduces daily living costs in a city where dining out is expensive. Students planning to study abroad or take part in an exchange program during their degree can access an international mobility top-up of up to €600 per month, plus travel subsidies of up to €500. Additional percentage increases are available for female candidates enrolled in eligible STEM courses and for candidates with recognized disabilities, reflecting the program's broader access and diversity goals.
ProviderLombardy Region and Italian Ministry of University and Research, administered via University of Milan
AmountNeed-based tuition waiver (100% for full winners, 50% for partial winners) plus a cash allowance paid in two installments; amount depends on ISEE/ISPE financial assessment
Deadline2026-09-30
Durationnull years
Fully FundedPartial
RenewableYes
Who Is This Scholarship For?
Ideal Candidate:
Eligibility Requirements
The DSU scholarship is open to both domestic and international students enrolled, or enrolling, full-time in a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD program at the University of Milan. The central eligibility test is financial: international applicants must submit documentation of their family's income and assets from outside Italy, which is used to calculate an ISEE Parificato certificate — the equivalent financial indicator used to determine whether the applicant falls below the regional economic ceiling set in the annual call.
Academic progress requirements apply differently depending on year of study. First-year students are initially assessed based on financial eligibility alone, but must earn a minimum threshold of university credits (CFU) by August 10, 2027 in order to retain their second payment installment. Continuing students, by contrast, must have already earned the CFU threshold specified for their year of study before applying. A number of exclusions apply: students who already hold a degree at the same level or higher, students enrolled part-time or repeating a year, and students receiving overlapping government or university scholarships are all ineligible for the DSU.
Fields of Study & Programs
The DSU scholarship applies to full-time programs across the University of Milan's major faculties. In arts and humanities, this includes languages, literature, history, philosophy, and cultural heritage studies. In the sciences, eligible programs span mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, environmental sciences, and biotechnology. Engineering and technology coverage includes computer science, data science, and systems safety. Social sciences and law programs — international relations, political science, sociology, and criminology — are also eligible, as are business, economics, and management programs including finance and public policy. Certain non-specialist and single-cycle medical degree tracks in medicine and health sciences are covered as well, though specialized clinical tracks may be handled differently.
Participating Universities
The scholarship applies specifically to the University of Milan (Università degli Studi di Milano), commonly referred to as La Statale, one of Italy's largest and most comprehensive public research universities. Located in the city of Milan, the university sits within Italy's economic and cultural capital, offering students access to a major European city with strong industry connections in finance, design, fashion, and technology, alongside the university's own research strengths across humanities, sciences, and social sciences. As a public institution operating under the Lombardy region's DSU framework, the university works directly with regional and national scholarship administration to process financial aid applications from both domestic and international students.
How to Apply
The application process has several distinct steps, and international applicants in particular should expect it to take real lead time. The process begins with applying for admission to an eligible degree program at the University of Milan. Once admission is secured or in progress, applicants need to gather their family's annual income and asset records from their home country and have these translated into Italian, then legalized via Apostille or through the relevant Italian embassy — a step that can take weeks depending on the home country's administrative processes.
These legalized documents are then submitted to a designated Italian CAF (Centro di Assistenza Fiscale, or tax assistance center) affiliated with the university, which calculates the applicant's ISEE Parificato — the equivalent financial indicator used for the scholarship assessment. With the ISEE Parificato in hand, applicants log into the Unimi Benefits Online Helpdesk using their student registration credentials, complete the Regional Scholarship (DSU) application form, and attach all required certificates. The final step is submitting the online application before the deadline and then monitoring the university portal for provisional and final ranking lists, since award decisions are published through this ranking process rather than individual notification alone.
Deadlines & Important Dates
The application deadline is September 30, 2026 at 23:59 (GMT+2). Given the multi-step process required for international applicants — particularly obtaining legalized financial documents and the ISEE Parificato certificate — starting well before the deadline is strongly advisable. First-year students should also be aware of the secondary deadline of August 10, 2027, by which they must have earned the minimum required university credits to retain their second scholarship installment.
Life as a Scholar
DSU recipients benefit from the practical, day-to-day support the scholarship provides: subsidized meals six days a week reduce one of the largest recurring costs of student life in Milan, while the cash allowance and tuition waiver together substantially lower the overall financial burden of studying in one of Italy's most expensive cities. For students who take advantage of the international mobility top-up, the scholarship also supports periods of exchange or study abroad during the degree, adding an international dimension to the Milan experience without the full cost typically associated with a study-abroad term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this scholarship only for Italian citizens? No, it is open to both Italian and international students, provided financial eligibility requirements are met.
What is an ISEE Parificato and why do international students need one? It's the equivalent financial indicator used to assess non-Italian family income and assets against the same regional eligibility threshold used for Italian families, calculated by an authorized CAF office.
Can I keep the scholarship if I fail to earn enough credits? First-year students must meet a CFU credit threshold by August 10, 2027 to retain the second installment; continuing students must already meet their year's threshold to qualify at all.
Can I combine this with another scholarship? No, students receiving overlapping government or university scholarships are not eligible for the DSU.
Does the scholarship cover part-time study? No, part-time or repeating students are excluded from eligibility.
How is the exact award amount determined? It depends on the household ISEE/ISPE assessment and residential status (on-site, commuter, or non-resident), so amounts vary between recipients.
Final Thoughts
The University of Milan's DSU Regional Scholarship offers a genuinely need-based path to more affordable study at one of Italy's major public universities, but the application process — particularly for international students navigating the ISEE Parificato and document legalization requirements — takes real planning. Prospective applicants should begin gathering and translating their financial documentation as early as possible, well ahead of the September 30, 2026 deadline, to avoid the risk of delays derailing an otherwise strong application.
Award Amount
Need-based tuition waiver (100% for full winners, 50% for partial winners) plus a cash allowance paid in two installments; amount depends on ISEE/ISPE financial assessment
Payment: Annual
Deadline
2026-09-30
Deadline is September 30, 2026 at 23:59 (GMT+2)
Duration
Renewable annually for the duration of the degree program, subject to meeting academic credit (CFU) thresholds each year
Renewable
Yes
About This Scholarship
The University of Milan Regional Scholarship (DSU) for 2026/2027 is a need-based financial aid program funded by the Lombardy Region and the Italian Ministry of University and Research, open to both Italian and international students enrolled in Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD programs at the University of Milan. Awards include full or partial tuition waivers, a cash allowance paid in two installments, a free daily meal at university refectories, an international mobility top-up of up to €600/month for exchange periods, and bonus funding for female STEM students and students with disabilities. Eligibility depends on a household financial assessment (ISEE Parificato for international applicants, calculated from legalized foreign income and asset documents) falling below a regional threshold, alongside standard academic progress requirements. The application deadline is September 30, 2026 at 23:59 (GMT+2), and international applicants must plan ahead to obtain legalized translations of their financial documents and an ISEE Parificato certificate before submitting.
Eligible Study Levels
UndergraduateMasterPhD
Fields of Study
LanguagesLiteratureHistoryPhilosophyCultural HeritageMathematicsPhysicsChemistryBiologyEnvironmental SciencesBiotechnologyComputer ScienceData ScienceSystems SafetyInternational RelationsPolitical ScienceSociologyCriminologyFinanceEconomicsManagementPublic PolicyMedicine and Health Sciences
Available Countries
Italy
Eligibility Requirements
Open to all foreign national and domestic students enrolled or enrolling full-time in a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD program at the University of Milan
Household financial situation (ISEE Parificato for international applicants) must fall below the regional economic ceiling set in the annual call
First-year students: initial eligibility based on financial need; must earn a minimum number of university credits (CFU) by August 10, 2027 to retain the second installment
Continuing students: must have already earned the required CFU threshold for their year of study
Students who already hold a degree of the same or higher level, are enrolled part-time or as repeating students, or receive overlapping government/university scholarships are not eligible
Academic Requirements
Application Process
1Apply for admission to an eligible degree program at the University of Milan
2Gather and legalize family income and asset records from your home country, translated into Italian with Apostille or embassy legalization
3Obtain the ISEE Parificato certificate via a designated Italian CAF (tax assistance center) affiliated with the university
4Log into the Unimi Benefits Online Helpdesk and complete the Regional Scholarship (DSU) application form, attaching all required certificates
5Submit before September 30, 2026 (23:59 GMT+2) and monitor the university portal for provisional and final ranking lists
Required Documents
Passport / National ID*Required
Copy of identification document
University Admission Offer or Enrollment Receipt*Required
Proof of admission or enrollment at Unimi
Family Income Certificate*Required
Issued by local authorities for the relevant tax year
Partner Universities
University of Milan (Università degli Studi di Milano)
Milan, Italy
Additional Benefits
100% tuition fee exemption for full winners / 50% for partial winners
Annual cash allowance credited to student university card in two installments
One free meal per day (Monday to Saturday) at university refectories
International mobility top-up: up to €600/month plus travel subsidies up to €500 for study abroad/exchange
STEM and diversity bonuses for female STEM candidates and candidates with disabilities
About the AuthorActive ApplicantUniversity Graduate
I'm a university graduate currently navigating the world of scholarship applications. I run this blog as an active, personal database of opportunities I'm researching — every listing here is one I've evaluated myself. My goal is to help fellow students cut through the noise and find funding that actually fits their profile.
📚 Researched & curated by a current applicant · Updated regularly
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