Bachelor’s Scholarships in Italy

Bachelor’s study in Italy

The Italian bachelor’s degree (laurea triennale) generally runs three years; a few fields — medicine among them — are single-cycle and longer. Most bachelor’s programmes are taught in Italian, generally requiring B2 Italian to apply, though the number of English-taught degrees keeps growing. At the public universities the cost of a bachelor’s is banded by family income, and accessible by most countries’ standards — and with the income-based grants and fee waivers layered on top, an undergraduate degree becomes financially very reachable. The right funding strategy starts with knowing the channels particular to this level.

Which scholarships exist at bachelor’s level?

The crucial difference first: there is no MAECI scholarship for bachelor’s degrees — it serves master’s, doctoral, AFAM and language study. The primary channel for undergraduates is therefore the income-based regional DSU grant, valid at every level including bachelor’s and carrying halls, canteen and cash support. The second channel is the universities’ own merit awards — academic, income-independent. The fee waivers cut the tuition besides. At bachelor’s level, weighing these two or three channels together is the smart play.

DSU: the core undergraduate channel

The income-based DSU grants are the fullest support an undergraduate can hold. Students whose family income sits under the threshold receive cash support plus the aid in kind — halls and canteen. Students arriving from Turkey generally qualify in “fuori sede” status for the highest band and halls priority. That comprehensive structure is what makes a long degree like the bachelor’s financially sustainable — and the application requires documenting your family’s position through the ISEE Parificato. For a low-income student aiming at a bachelor’s, DSU is Italy’s strongest door.

Merit awards and the fee waiver

For undergraduates above the income threshold but with a strong academic file, the universities’ merit awards are the valuable alternative: they look at the grade average and the record, not income, and come as a tuition waiver, a cash allowance or both. Many universities also band the fees by income. At bachelor’s level, then, weigh both the income-based DSU and the merit-based university awards, and apply where your profile fits — thinking of the two together raises the odds of finding support whatever your income, and keeps the undergraduate degree accessible.

Notes for Turkish students

The essential point for a Turkish undergraduate: know that MAECI is absent at this level, and focus on DSU and the university awards. Italian-taught bachelor’s programmes take B2 Italian preparation; the English-taught ones offer an alternative. Prepare the income documents (ISEE Parificato) and the diploma–transcript translations early — you can see the translation price in advance — and see the decision guide for the channels overall. The right channels (DSU, the university award) planned early are what carry the funded-bachelor’s goal home.

The bachelor’s application process

The undergraduate application generally runs through the Universitaly portal and the university’s own process. Italian-taught programmes want a B2 certificate; English-taught ones an English certificate. Some programmes — the quota-limited fields, medicine and engineering above all — add an entrance exam. Degree recognition and the apostille and sworn translation of the high-school documents are needed too. Learn the application calendar early and prepare the documents against it; the DSU grant application, meanwhile, goes separately to your region’s agency. Planning the programme application and the grant application together is what keeps every step and deadline alive.

English-taught bachelor’s programmes

English-taught options at bachelor’s level are fewer than at master’s, but growing — business, economics, international relations and some engineering fields in particular. For students without Italian who want an Italian bachelor’s, they open a real door; but with options thinner than the Italian-taught field, fixing your goal and field early and researching the fitting English degrees matters. And even studying in English, learning Italian pays handsomely for daily life and the long-term opportunities. The English-taught bachelor’s is the way in for students without time for language preparation.

City and cost of living

With the bachelor’s running three years or more, the city’s cost of living shapes the budget over the long haul. The big cities carry more programmes and opportunity at a higher price; the smaller and southern cities run economical. The DSU halls and canteen play the critical role in holding costs down across a long degree — and in an economical city, a bachelor’s supported by the income-based grants becomes far more sustainable. Choosing the university, then, weigh the programme’s quality alongside the city’s costs and the DSU provision: over a long degree that balance makes a real difference, and it eases the budget throughout.

A short checklist

• Remember MAECI is absent at bachelor’s level; focus on DSU and the university award
• Meet the language requirement (B2 Italian or English) early
• Prepare the ISEE Parificato and the high-school document translations
• Plan the programme and DSU applications together
• Weigh the economical cities and the DSU halls

Related document guides

The document side of the bachelor’s application, in our guide library: the bachelor’s document list and the master document checklist.

Frequently asked questions