DSU scholarship is another regional need-based fully funded scholarship in Italy.
It is a little different than Edisu, LAzioDisco, ERGO, Aliseo, and ERSU.
The rules are the same but the method of document submission, universities, deadlines & regions are different.
So any international student who got admission to any public university in Tuscany region can apply for it.
The list of universities for the DSU scholarship is also given below.
“Diritto allo studio universitario” (DSU) is a fully funded Italian regional scholarship that can grant a sum of up to 6806 euros, (If the hostel & two-time meal is given, then the grant will be deducted accordingly.) Depending upon your income status & ISEE.
It is awarded strictly on two bases.
1. Income of the applicant
2. Merit of the applicant (in 2nd year only)
If you are interested to study in Italy for free, this detailed guide will explain the whole DSU Scholarship application process step-by-step.
Check the step-by-step process of the Italy study visa.
DSU Scholarship Italy
1. What are the benefits of DSU scholarship?
2. Who can apply for the DSU scholarship?
3. Who Cant apply for DSU Scholarship?
4. Which documents are required for the DSU scholarship?
5. How to apply for a DSU scholarship?
6. What are the deadlines for the DSU scholarship?
7. Which universities in Italy come under DSU?
8. FAQS about DSU
9. Summary of the Blog
The list of 37 English-taught Universities in Italy.
1. What are the benefits of DSU scholarship?
DSU mainly provides 4 benefits to its scholarship holders.
1. 2 free Meals per day for a whole year.
2. The tuition Fee is fully covered.
3. Hostel accommodation or coverage of living (renting) expenses, if you are living outside the DSU residence.
4. A total sum of 6806 euros, will be given (If the hostel & two-time meal is given, then the grant will be deducted accordingly.)
Note: The DSU grant strictly depends on the student’s income status (ISEE) & merit. check the ISEE breakdown of DSU here.
In the first year, it’s mostly “Income Need base”, but in 2nd year it also gets merit base.
Check our detailed guide about Italy study visas for Pakistan.
2. Who can apply for the DSU scholarship?
Eligibility criteria of DSU:
1. National & International students of bachelor’s, Masters & Ph.D. students from all areas, disciplines & nationalities can apply for DSU.
2. There are no age restrictions for the DSU scholarship. Anyone who got admission to an Italian university can apply for DSU, in that specific region.
3. Students should be enrolled or at least finish the Pre-enrollment process before applying for the DSU scholarship.
3. There are NO IELTS, “Experience letter” or any kind of “Entry test” required for DSU.
These documents could be required for the specific universities & disciplines, but not for the DSU application.
4. The income of the applicant must be less than 25,000 euros per annum to be eligible.
The applicant can get all the privileges of a hostel & canteen etc if the income is less than 12,000 euro per annum.
The less the income is, the more benefits they will get.
The merit may change every year. It depends upon how many students applied per year.
5. Ph.D. students are only eligible if they aren’t beneficiaries or taking other research funds.
Remember one can be eligible for DSU scholarship but still fail to get the scholarship, because of not fulfilling the income or merit criteria.
3. Who can’t apply for a DSU scholarship?
Not ELIGIBLE for DSU scholarship:
- Applicants who are already getting benefits from another scholarship or fund from any public or private institution are not eligible for DSU.
- Students who are repeating the year or enrolled on a part-time basis.
- Applicants who didn’t submit their documents before the deadline.
- Applicants who submitted wrong or untruthful documents.
- Applicants who are already holding a degree (awarded in Italy ) that is equal to or higher than the program for which the grant is requested.
Remember Applicants can only apply once a year.
4. Which documents are required for the DSU scholarship?
1. Family income certificate
2. Bank certificate
3. Property certificate
4. FRC (Family registration certificate)
5. Codice fiscale
6. ISEE Parificato
7. Passport/ID
8. Italian Translation of the documents
9. University admission/Pre-Enrollment letter ( Additional document)
10. DOV (Declaration of value)/CIMEA/Self-declaration (Additional document)
11. Academic transcripts ( Additional document)
12. CV ( Additional document)
13. Course description ( Additional document)
14. IELTS/ English Proficiency ( Additional documents )
Note: The additional documents are not required for the DSU scholarship (per se).
It’s good to have these documents because it’s essential for the university Enrollment process, and could be asked later in additional documents.
The essential documents are explained below.
4.1. Family income certificate for DSU scholarship:
This certificate must have your family members’ full names,
occupations, Age & their income individually.
If you are from Pakistan then the income certificate must be made & verified by the FBR (Federal Board of Revenue) office.
If you are from India you have to verify it from the Revenue officer.
Applicants from other countries must verify their income certificate from their respective local authorities & then from the Italian embassy.
Remember the income certificate must be from the last calendar year, which means (From Jan-dec year 2022).
The income certificate must be translated into the Italian language.
4.2. Bank certificate for DSU scholarship:
Bank certificate of each family member. but If they are unemployed or students or retired, then you should provide evidence to those documents. ie Retirement letter, etc.
Applicants don’t need to legalize the bank statement. The document should be made for the year 2022.
4.3. Property certificate for DSU scholarship:
This certificate contains all the property details of your family. if you are living in a rented home, then you should mention that.
if you are from Pakistan this document should be legalized & made by Tehsildar or in DC (deputy commissioner) office. The document should be made for the year 2022
4.4. FRC (Family registration certificate)/Family composition certificate:
It is only required in the case of Pakistani applicants.
The NADRA office in Pakistan issues it, (you can even apply for it online)
other countries like India need a family composition certificate.
International students should look into their respective specific authorities.
Note: All the above documents should be Apostile, translate & Legalize. (Except bank certificate)
Apostle means international attestation that is acceptable in 92 countries. The Ministry of external affairs does that for every country.
If your country isn’t under the Hague Convention, then do it from MOFA, (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), ie in the case of Pakistan.
Translate these documents & then Legalize them from Italian consulates.
All the income/assets and their values must be expressed in Euros, (by calculating the exchange rate of foreign currencies).
4.5. Codice fiscale:
It’s a tax code. The Italian Fiscal code known as “Codice Fiscale” is an alphanumeric code made up of 16 characters.
If you haven’t created your Codice fiscale yet, click here. & create it in two minutes.
4.6. ISEE Parificato:
In easy language, ISEE Parificato is a certificate that summarizes the income and property information from abroad.
This document will evaluate whether you are eligible for a scholarship or not.
Who will issue ISEE Parificato?
The applicant will get this certificate in Italy from The CAF office ( Authorized Center for Fiscal Assistance).
In case of a DSU scholarship Students need to send these documents to the addresses mentioned in step 5 in the blog.
How to make ISEE Parificato for EDISU scholarship?
4.7. Passport:
The passport must be valid for at least one year.
4.8. Italian translation:
The following documents must be stamped, verified & translated by the Italian embassy.
Income certificate,
property certificate,
Family details certificate (FRC)
4.9. University admission letter (Pre-Enrollment letter):
It’s proof that you are already pre-enrolled as an international student in the university.
Remember Pre-Enrolment is before Enrollment.
DSU is independent & has a separate deadline from university enrollment.
So those Students can still apply for the DSU scholarship, who are not yet fully registered or got the admission.
4.10. DOV (Declaration of value)/CIMEA/Self-declaration:
DOV is a descriptive document detailing the qualification awarded to a given person by any institution other than the Italian education system.
In other words
It is a measure of assessing the given qualification by the competent University for the prospect of admission to a degree program or recognition of the foreign qualification.
If DOV & CIMEA isn’t available at the moment you can upload it in the form of a self-declaration that you are eligible for this course.
It is usually issued by the Italian Embassy in the country where the qualification was awarded.
this document will be given at the time
The Regional Authentication Centre or Department of Education of the country must authenticate the highest degree by which the degree has been obtained.
All These documents must be from last year & legalized by their respective authorities. (according to your country)
These documents should also be translated.
Remember in most cases FRC & Family income certificate is enough.
In the family income certificate, the property is mentioned too.
If You have any questions related to the DSU scholarship or any other scholarship, you can also contact us for a live one-on-one session.
Whatsapp Contact: +393512735708
5. How to apply for DSU scholarship?
It’s 6 Step process.
1. Check Regional scholarship
2. Prepare the set of documents
3. Fill out & submit the application
4. Print & verification
5. Send it to the registered addresses
6. ISEE parificato & final ranking
Step #1: Check the regional scholarship
First Check out which regional scholarship your university is offering.
whether your university is offering “DSU” or other Italian regional scholarships, like EDISU, LAZIODISU, ERSU, ERGO, ALISEO ETC.
To check this go to your university’s official website, in the top menu, there would be a “scholarship option for international students”.
For example in the case of “UNIPI” (university of PISA)
Go to the “UNIPI OFFICIAL WEBSITE” > Study > Fees and grants > DSU scholarship
You can see the DSU Scholarship is mentioned on UNIPI website.
See the screenshot ↓.
The applicant can do the same method for every university to find out which regional scholarships is applicable in their Italian host university.
Step#2: Prepare the set of documents:
Gather all the documents discussed in this blog, above.
Carefully read the criteria of documents.
Applicants only need the essential documents.
Which is
Income certificate,
property certificate,
Bank statement,
Family details certificate (FRC)
Passport copy
Additional documents may be needed if the DSU asked for them.
Step#3: Fill & submit the application:
Go to the “DSU Toscana website” > “Borse e contributi” > “Borsa di studio” > “Sportello studente”> “Registrazione”
If you translate the website into English then
“DSU Toscana website” > “Grant and grants ” > “Scholarships” > “Student desk” > “Register create new user”
See the screenshot↓.
Step#4: Print & verification
After filling out the application, the applicant should print out the receipt, (which is at the end of the application).
Attach the required documents in original form & send them to the their country consulates in Italy, for Italian language translation & verification.
They will paste a “Revenue stamp” (Marca da bollo) on the document.
Pakistani applicants should send it to the Pakistani embassy in MILAN for verification.
(Other applicants should send it to their respective embassies in Italy, but the whole process is just the same)
(Applicants can request other students to do this for them)
Step#5: Send it to the registered addresses
After verification, applicants need to send these documents to one of these addresses, according to their universities.
FLORENCE:
ARDSU Toscana – Servizio Interventi Monetari
Viale Gramsci, 36 – 50132 FIRENZE
PISA:
ARDSU Toscana – Servizio Interventi Monetari
Piazza Cavalieri, 6 – 56126 PISA
SIENA:
ARDSU Toscana – Servizio Interventi Monetari
Via Paolo Mascagni, 53 – 53100 SIENA
Step#6: ISEE parificato & final ranking:
The offices mentioned above will make ISEE Parificato according to the applicant’s income & documentation provided.
The applicants should now wait for the final ranking.
Unlike EDISU, applicants don’t need to send to look for the CAF offices on the website.
they should just send it to the above-mentioned addresses.
6. What are the deadlines for the DSU scholarship?
The deadline for submitting the DSU scholarship (Tuscany) for 2023-2024 is 1.00 pm on 6 September 2023 (Italian time) for students enrolled or intending to enroll in the three-year, master’s, and single-cycle degree courses;
Starting from 25 September and until 13.00 on 15 November 2023 for students enrolled in doctoral and specialization courses.
The final ranking will be published on 30 November 2023, for bachelor’s, Masters & PHD programs.
15th January 2024 for those enrolled in PhD & specialization courses.
Generally speaking, This scholarship opens every year in May-June, & the deadline is mostly in August or September.
7. Universities under DSU Scholarship
3. University of FLORENCE (UNIFI)
4. Polytechnic University of Milan (POLIMI)
5. University of MILAN (UNIMI)
8. FAQS about DSU Scholarship
8.1. When does the DSU scholarship publish the final ranking list?
In December. The final ranking list of scholarship holders is mostly published every year at the end of December.
8.2. What is the difference between DSU, EDISU, LazioDisco, ERGO, ERSU & Aliseo scholarships in Italy?
These all are Italian regional scholarships in their specific regions with little differences in grants & application procedures, but as a whole, they are all need-based Italian scholarships.
LAzioDisco is in the Lazio region, DSU is in the Tuscana region, EDISU is in the Piemonte (Piedmont) Region, ERGO is in the Emilia Romagna region, ERSU is in the Sicily region, Aliseo is in the Liguria region of Italy.
8.3. Can I get a DSU scholarship in every region in Italy?
NO. DSU scholarship is specifically designed for the Tuscany region of Italy. Other regions in Italy have their own specific scholarships like LAzioDisco (in the Lazio region), EDISU in the Piemonte (Piedmont) Region, ERGO in the Emilia Romagna region, Aliseo in the Liguria region, while ERSU in the Sicily region of Italy.
8.4. Is the DSU scholarship in Italy, easy to get?
YES. The process sounds complicated because of the various income documents involved, which we explained completely in the blog above, but as a whole, it’s a need-based scholarship, so it’s not that difficult to get for applicants belonging to developing countries.
8.5. What is the ISEE breakdown DSU Scholarship?
ISEE is basically a document, issued by the CAF office ( Authorized Center for Fiscal Assistance) in Italy which evaluates the economic condition of the applicant.
we already explained it here in detail.
ISEE tables for the DSU scholarship amount in Italy 2023-2024 is given below.
| ISEE | On-site students | Commuting students | Off-site students |
| from € 0
to € 12.500,00 |
€ 2236
1 free meal a day |
€ 3624
1 free meal a day |
€ 3056
2 free meals a day and free place in accommodation |
| from € 12.500,01
to € 16.666,66 |
€ 1833
1 free meal a day |
€ 3040
1 free meal a day |
€ 2057
2 free meals a day and free place in accommodation |
| from €
16.666,67 to € 25.000,00 |
€ 1650
1 free meal a day |
€ 2280
1 free meal a day |
€ 1234
2 free meals a day and free place in accommodation |
ISEE Breakdown for Autonomous Students:
| ISEE | On-site and
Commuting Autonomous students |
Off-site
Autonomous students |
| from € 0
to € 12.500,00 |
€ 6806
1 free meal a day |
€ 3056
2 free meals a day and free place in accommodation |
| from €
12.500,01 to € 16.666,66 |
€ 5807
1 free meal a day |
€ 2057
2 free meals a day and free place in accommodation |
| from €
16.666,67 to € 25.000,00 |
€ 4984
1 free meal a day |
€ 1234
2 free meals a day and a free place in accommodation |
8.6. Can I get a DSU scholarship & any other scholarship at the same time?
NO. Students can only get benefit from one scholarship at a time.
The DSU beneficiaries will be considered incompatible if the student tries to get funds from other scholarships.
9. Summary of the DSU SCHOLARSHIP
- Get admission to a university in Toscana region, in Italy.
- Prepare the list of documents discussed above.
- Submit the scholarship application form online.
- Send the receipt & original documents to the Addresses mentioned in the blog.
- Wait for the final ranking.
For more details, please visit the following official sites of DSU
We cover everything in detail, but if you still have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments.
If You have any questions related to DSU scholarship or any other scholarship, you can also contact us for a live one-on-one session.
Whatsapp Contact: +393512735708
Hello, the bank certificate should be for how many years? If I want to apply for 2023-24 then bank certificate as on 31 Dec 2022 will do or I would require bank certificate for Dec 2021 as well?? Please help.
Hi Ishi, THe bank certificate is usually required for last year which means, if you are applying for 2023-24 you will provide a bank certificate for 2022.
however, I would suggest you also staple the bank certificate for 2021 (if you can), but I don’t think that is compulsory.
Thank you very much for providing clarity.
I have one more query. In my family it’s me and my mother. Mother is a house wife. Is it OK if I put my bank certificate for scholarship or it should be of my mother’s??
If it is possible that I can use my bank certificate then will there be any change in the process and in the scholarship benefits?
When you show FRC (Family registration certificate), there you mention your whole biological family. (brother, sister, father etc ) So technically you should provide their bank certificates.
Now if they are unemployed or retired or jobless or underage etc, you should provide some proof of your claim. (Retirement letter etc).
If your father is no more with you, provide some proof (Death certificate or any other legal document for your specific personal case).
If my father is not with me any more will this waive the bank account for the dsu scholarship?
And does this apply for the bank account of visa?
How much amount cover in DSU?
Please check “Benefits of DSU scholarship” in the blog above, & you will get all the details.
Can Students from private academies apply for any scholarship in Italy?
Can you be specific, Which private academy? your home country one?
Hey! I want to apply for year 2024/25 do I have to fill the documents a year before the admission which is now? As u said “all these documents must be from last year”.
NO. you will fill out the documents after securing your admission to an Italian university for the year 2024/25. You can only apply for the scholarship after getting admission.
I sent an email as I wanna know more information about the DSU scholarship. Will someone respond to the email and when please?
I sent it yesterday
we received your email Laiba, it’s in the Queue & will respond according.
We also want to let you know that for us it’s impossible to facilitate every reader through email personally. Mind that, DRSCHOLARS is a self-funded platform that shares free authentic information with fully researched data, which is a very hard job to do in the first place.
Also we respond to comments more than emails because it’s public & helps many students.
Thank you for your patience.
Thank you Falaksar for your response! I still sadly don’t get it, does that mean that someone will answer my email soon?? Thanks
Why don’t you ask your questions here, & I will answer them in a few days when I get free.
Thanks.
Okay Falaksar thank you for giving me this option for quick response!First of all, After doing all the steps of the financial aid papers and transferring it to the ISEE. Do I get the confirmation that my scholarship is accepted after I arrive to Italy and visit the CAF office to complete the papers? In my opinion, it’s a bit risky, what if the scholarship wasn’t accepted and I already arrived to Italy to complete the papers?
Yes, but this is how the application process works. Also, you may not get the full scholarship, but you may still get the partial scholarship, depending on your ISEE & merit.
Honestly, A lot of international students get it this way. (Also check our EDISU Blog )
We regularly update our blogs, if they change the rules in the coming months.
Secondly, I read that the scholarship must be re-made every year. Are other years gonna be based on my collage grades so, if I didn’t get high grades I won’t get the scholarship the next year?
Yes. For the next year, they will recheck your ISEE plus the merit or grades (the paper you passed). it’s a kinda yearly-based scholarship, not a once-degree thing.
how do I prevent not getting the scholarship! Like does it have a minimum number of acceptance? Im searching for all the details a year before applying because I really want to complete my studying in Italy and prevent facing any problems. Thank you for giving me from your time!
It’s actually comparatively easy to get. Don’t worry, follow all the rules, read the blog carefully & apply on time.
best of luck.
Hey is there anyone who’s gonna help me out?😊
All your above questions are answered. Best of luck.
Thank you Falaksar!
I came from Bangladesh but i lives in italy with my family. I have resident. I just apply for University of pisa. I just wanted to know that the documents mention above about scholarship, Where i can get them verify or legalized or authorized?
You can legalize it from your country’s Italian consulate. Make sure you provide translated copies.
Good luck.
Can i still apply if i got accepted in Trento University?
I will advise you to start applying at the start of January to Mid March. try to get in the first session, so that you don’t have ant visa appointment issues.
HI Next year ı will be studying at IULM University in Milan, ı was wondering if DSU is available for IULM University if so from where ı can apply.
Yes, it’s available there. I just checked it. good luck.
where I can get my documents for scholarship are legalized in Italy la Spezia? Please help me out, thanks in advance.
Technically you can legalize documents from your country’s Italian consulate. you should provide them with translated copies of the above documents.
ISEE is made by the registered CAF offices.
Good luck.
What documents can I use to confirm the lack of income for minors?
can I apply for more than one regional scholarship at the same time?
I have two years gap after my high school will it affect my application?? and i am also enrolled in a uni in pakistan?? is it good to apply??
Hi! Thank you for such a comprehensive article. I was wondering if there is a specific manner to proceed if I’m a financially independent student? I understand I can provide a death certificate for one of my parents, however, my other parent doesn’t support me financially. Thanks
it is written that pakiatani student should send the documents to pakistan embassy in milaan for verification so do we have to send it by here or compelete the process after going there and how should we send to them like by tcs or something
Hi I have the same confusion kindly contact me personally to talk about all this I mentioned my email
rfiza915@gmail.com
Hi, thanks for setting up such an excellent platform. Your’s is the first platform where I have discovered ( after an entire year of searching) that we do not have to send documents to a CAF for the DSU toscana scholarship, rather only to the address provided. If possible, could you explain the process of ISEE calculation? I saw that an income of 25,000 Euros is the maximum upto which the scholarship will be offered – is this 25K the family income ( as student is not earning anything) or is it divided among all the family members? For e.g. in my case, family income is around 29,000 euros but I am still a needy student because that money is not mine to use – it is my parents who have their own expenses right? I’d really appreciate it if you could clarify this point for us.
i dont have passport yet. when applying to dsu they ask for passport ,identity card or driver license , can I put my Pakistani id card there?
Do they have Fashion Design in their programme? And what are the application acceptance rate ? Only those Students who are currently enrolled in university are eligible to apply ?
I am from unmarried girl living with my mother from Pakistan and father has expired. Please advise on following points
1. Me and my mother are depenent on one of my brothers. Other brothers and sisters as shown in FRC are independent and do not contribute towards us. Do I need to show their income source also.
2. who is autonomous student for scholarshp purpose.
3. Being in Pakistan, should I send my documents duly translated in Italian to Consulate of Italy or the would translate it. Would consulate return the documents after verification to me or send it to concerned authorities in Italy.
4. Is there any agency who could process my documentation for scholarship. What are the charges for such services.