What Are DSU Regional Scholarships? (A Turkish Student’s Guide)

What is a DSU grant, and who awards it?

Italy is divided administratively into twenty regions, and each has an agency responsible for student welfare: ER.GO in Emilia-Romagna, EDISU in Piedmont, DiSCo in Lazio, Azienda DSU Toscana in Tuscany, and so on. These agencies award grants, housing and canteen rights to students at the universities in their region, on income and academic criteria. In short: whichever region you will study in, that region’s DSU agency is the one you apply to. The full list of agencies is available through the national association, ANDISU.

How it differs from MAECI

The two are constantly confused, yet completely different. MAECI is central government: applied for on the Study in Italy portal, assessed chiefly on merit and motivation, and never awarded at bachelor’s level. DSU is regional: assessed chiefly on income (ISEE), and open at every level, bachelor’s included. Most importantly, because the two draw on different funds, you can — conditions permitting — hold both in the same year. See our comparison page for the two set side by side.

What does a DSU grant cover?

DSU support is not a single cash payment; it usually stands on three legs. First, the cash grant (borsa di studio), whose amount depends on your status — at home, commuting, or living away — and on family income. Second, housing (posto alloggio): priority access to free or discounted student accommodation. Third, the canteen (mensa): meals at very low prices. On top of these, grant holders in most regions are also exempted from university tuition fees. Together, the three legs cut the cost of living in Italy dramatically.

Who qualifies? Income and academic progress

DSU looks at two criteria: income and assets (ISEE and ISPE), and academic progress (credits). On the income side, your family’s finances have to be translated into the Italian system through a calculation called the ISEE Parificato. Because a large share of students coming from Turkey fall below the income threshold, the success rate is surprisingly high. On the academic side, first-year applicants generally need nothing beyond enrolment; in later years you must complete a set number of credits.

When and how do you apply?

Application windows vary by region but run broadly from July to September, closing before lectures begin in most years. One genuine convenience: you can apply before completing final enrolment — sometimes before even receiving your admission letter — and finish the registration later. The application goes through the regional agency’s online portal, and at its heart sit the ISEE Parificato and your income documents. Preparing those correctly and completely is the most critical — and most error-prone — part of a DSU application.

What should a Turkish applicant watch for?

When DSU applications go wrong, it is almost always over documents: a missing bank balance letter, an unapostilled civil registry extract or a mistranslated income document sinks the ISEE calculation, and the grant with it. Your income and asset documents therefore need apostilles and sworn Italian translations. Our income documents and translation page walks through the set item by item; you can upload your documents and see the batch translation price in advance.

How is the regional agency chosen?

It isn’t a choice — it follows from your university’s region. Studying in Bologna puts you with ER.GO; Turin, EDISU Piemonte; Rome, DiSCo Lazio; Florence, Pisa or Siena, DSU Toscana. Each agency has its own calendar, income thresholds and application portal, so once your target university is fixed, go straight to the relevant agency’s pages.

The DSU statuses: in sede, pendolare, fuori sede

One of the biggest variables in the grant amount is your housing status, which falls into three categories. “In sede” is the student living with family in the university town and travelling from home — the lowest grant band, since there are no accommodation costs. “Pendolare” is the daily commuter from a nearby town — the middle band. “Fuori sede” is the student who has moved to the university town from elsewhere and pays rent — the highest band. Students arriving from Turkey naturally count as fuori sede, but proving the status requires a residence document, rental contract or halls registration in that city. Documenting your status correctly is the key to receiving the highest grant you’re entitled to.

Idoneo ma non beneficiario: eligible but unfunded

A situation you’ll sometimes meet in the DSU system is “idoneo non beneficiario” — you meet every condition, but the region’s funds ran out that year. This is not a rejection: you are on the “eligible” list, but the money is distributed by ranking and none was left. Even then, rights such as the fee exemption and canteen/housing access are usually preserved, and you may still receive the grant in later distribution rounds or when supplementary funds are announced. So even an “idoneo” outcome has real value — never give up on applying, and follow the results through the distribution rounds.

What makes DSU strong: support as a package

To see DSU as merely a cash grant is to undervalue it. For most students the cash is only part of the package; the real difference is made by the housing and the canteen. In the big cities, private rent can swallow half a monthly budget — a DSU hall of residence takes that line to nearly zero. Mensa meals cost a fraction of market prices and can cover two meals a day. When the three legs come together, a student below the income threshold can study in Italy at almost no cost. Which is why you should apply for DSU even when the headline cash figure looks modest.

Frequently asked questions