The Lombardy DSU Grant (Milan, Pavia, Bergamo)

The right-to-study system in Lombardy

Lombardy is Italy’s most populous and economically strongest region; the right-to-study (diritto allo studio) services are organised at the regional level and delivered through the universities and the regional bodies. Milan above all, and cities like Pavia, Bergamo and Brescia, hold many universities. Milan has the Statale, Bicocca, Politecnico, Bocconi and various private universities; Pavia the storied University of Pavia and its prestigious collegi; Bergamo and Brescia their regional universities. The region’s grant system provides the income-based support of this vast student population.

Milan: opportunity and cost

Milan is the centre of Italy’s finance, fashion, design and business world — which means unrivalled internship and career opportunities for students of business, economics, engineering and design above all. But those opportunities come at Italy’s highest cost of living: rent and daily costs in Milan run far above the national average. So the DSU’s hall, fee exemption and cash support are vital for a student in Milan. With the right support, even a city as expensive as Milan can become reachable for a student.

Pavia and the collegio tradition

Another important Lombardy university city is Pavia, very close to Milan. The University of Pavia is storied and respected; and the city is famous for its “collegi di merito” tradition — the merit-based select student colleges. These collegi offer high-achieving students both housing and a rich intellectual environment. The cost of living in Pavia is more reasonable than Milan, while the closeness to the metropolis’s opportunities is kept. Pavia is therefore an attractive Lombardy alternative for students seeking both a strong academic environment and a balanced life.

The grant’s coverage and the application

The Lombardy DSU system offers income-based cash grants, hall priority, the canteen and supports like the fee exemption. Students from Turkey earn, as fuori sede, the highest amount. Given Milan’s high cost, a hall allocation is especially critical here. The application runs through the region’s and/or the university’s relevant portal, via the ISEE Parificato; the income documents’ apostille and sworn translation are required. Start the document preparation early; see our application calendar and process page.

Notes for Turkish students

For Turkish students aiming at Milan or Pavia, Lombardy’s DSU supports are close to essential — because the region, Milan above all, is expensive. The hall, the fee exemption and the cash support are the chief things that make the cost manageable; and Milan’s career opportunities, joined to the right financial support, turn into a great advantage. Plan your application early, prepare the ISEE Parificato and the translations on time, and secure your hall priority with your fuori-sede status. In the region choice, it is wise to weigh opportunity and cost together.

Planning together with MAECI

Weighing this regional grant alongside the MAECI government scholarship can cut the Italian cost substantially. With MAECI covering the living and the fee exemption and the regional agency the hall and canteen, the out-of-pocket sum shrinks to its smallest. But confirm in advance whether the Lombardy region counts the MAECI allowance into the income calculation (the ISEE). For the logic of holding the two together see our DSU and MAECI together page, and for the whole strategy our fully funded study page.

Bergamo and Brescia

Lombardy is not Milan and Pavia alone; Bergamo and Brescia are important university cities too. The University of Bergamo offers programmes in fields like languages, business and engineering, and its historic upper town (the Città Alta) makes a livable, attractive setting. Brescia holds both a state university and medicine- and engineering-focused programmes; the city’s industrial and economic vitality is an advantage for internships. Both offer a more reasonable cost of living than Milan while keeping the closeness to the metropolis’s opportunities. These cities are worth weighing for students seeking a balanced alternative in Lombardy.

Transport and student discounts in Milan

High as Milan’s cost of living is, the discounts offered to students ease the weight in part. The comprehensive metro and public transport network, with discounted student passes, makes getting around the city economical; and student discounts on museums, cultural events and some services are common. Staying in a DSU hall makes Milan reachable by lowering the biggest expense line, the rent. Using these provisions deliberately lets you build a balanced budget even in an expensive city. Given Milan’s career opportunities, that cost-management effort turns into a serious long-term investment.

Differences by university

In Lombardy, how the right-to-study supports work can differ in detail by the university you attend. Some large universities run their own grant and hall systems alongside the regional supports; a university’s own fee-waiver rules, for instance, can be weighed together with the regional DSU grant. So when applying in Lombardy you should study both the region’s diritto allo studio rules and your target university’s own student services separately. Understanding the two layers together lets you use every support open to you without missing any. The university’s international office helps clarify how the two systems combine in your case.

A short application checklist

• Learn the regional agency’s current call and its deadline
• Start the ISEE Parificato preparation early
• Have the income documents apostilled and sworn-translated
• Back your fuori-sede status with an accommodation document
• Complete the application on time for the hall priority

Frequently asked questions