Scholarships in Italy: DSU and ISEE Parificato
The scholarship system for international students in Italy isn't made up only of academic-merit awards based on a high grade average. In regional student-support systems, the economic circumstances of the student and their family play a significant role. The DSU system and ISEE Parificato are the core concepts behind evaluating tuition support, financial aid, meals and, in some cases, accommodation.
For students applying from Turkey, the scholarship process isn't just a matter of filling out an online form. Documents covering family composition, income, bank assets and property need to be prepared for the correct reference year, along with the required legal certification and translation steps.
Last updated: 13 August 2026
On this page
- How the Scholarship System Works
- What Is DSU?
- What Is ISEE Parificato?
- What Can a Scholarship Cover?
- Which Documents From Turkey?
- Why the Base Year Matters
- Apostille and Translation
- What If You Don't Submit ISEE?
- Does Visa Money Block the Scholarship?
- When to Apply
- Application Roadmap
- Common Mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
In short
How do you get a university scholarship in Italy?
International students can apply to regional right-to-study support systems linked to their university/region. For Non-EU students whose family income and assets are abroad, economic circumstances are generally documented using foreign-family financial documents and the ISEE Parificato framework. The process can require:
- Household documentation
- Income documentation
- Property information
- Bank/financial-asset information
- Apostille/legalization where applicable
- Italian translation
- Application to the relevant regional scholarship system
Requirements and deadlines can vary by region and academic year.
How Does the University Scholarship System Work in Italy?
International students in Italy can encounter different types of support. This guide focuses on the regional right-to-study support system and its related income-based aid — it doesn't claim that every scholarship in Italy is DSU.
Merit-Based
Some scholarship or discount types use academic achievement as the primary criterion.
Income-Based / Need-Based
The family's economic circumstances are central to eligibility. The DSU / regional right-to-study framework belongs largely to this category.
What Is the DSU Scholarship?
DSU stands for Diritto allo Studio Universitario, which can be translated naturally as the university right-to-study / student-support framework.
DSU isn't a single national office with one identical application form. Support is administered regionally, and the relevant organization can differ depending on where the university is located. Names such as ERGO, LazioDisco and EDiSU illustrate this regional structure, but this page doesn't attempt to be a complete, current directory of regional agencies.
You should verify the current institution and requirements for the region where your target university is located.
What Is ISEE Parificato?
Italian authorities can access the economic information of families living in Italy through domestic tax systems. An international student's family, whose economic information sits abroad, isn't accessible in the same way. ISEE Parificato is the economic indicator that makes an international family's financial position assessable within Italy's student-support and tuition framework.
Conceptually, the calculation can consider:
- Household composition
- Income
- Real estate
- Financial assets
DSU
The support system.
ISEE Parificato
The indicator/document that makes economic circumstances assessable.
ISEE Parificato isn't the scholarship itself — it's an economic indicator used within scholarship and tuition assessment.
What Can DSU Support Cover?
- 01
Tuition Support / Exemption
Students assessed as eligible under the income-based system can be exempted from most of the tuition fee, paying only a limited, variable regional education tax and a fixed stamp fee. This isn't an automatic outcome for every applicant — it depends on status and the relevant call's rules.
- 02
Cash Support
Some regional calls can provide eligible students with non-repayable cash support. The amount varies by region, the student's accommodation situation, and the academic year — it shouldn't be treated as a fixed or guaranteed figure.
- 03
Meal Support / Mensa
Eligible students can use campus canteens to the extent the regional scheme allows. The scope and conditions vary by region; a fixed number of free meals per day isn't guaranteed to every student.
- 04
Accommodation / Dormitory
Some regional schemes can include dormitory places or accommodation-related support. Availability depends on capacity and the relevant call's terms — a dormitory place isn't guaranteed to every eligible student.
Which Documents Should Be Prepared From Turkey for ISEE Parificato?
- 01
Household / Family Composition
A family/population registry-type document showing the student's parents, siblings and other relevant household members determines how many people the family's overall economic position is assessed across.
- 02
Income Documents
Salary records or official income/tax statements are required for the relevant household members (parents, student) for a specific reference year.
- 03
Real Estate / Immovable Assets
Official land-registry records are required for any property owned by relevant household members. If the family owns no registered property, official evidence confirming this may be required instead.
- 04
Bank and Financial Assets
Official statements showing bank-account balances and other financial assets belonging to household members, as of a specific reference date, are required. Which reference date applies depends on the relevant scholarship/ISEE rule.
| Field | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Household | Family composition |
| Income | The family's economic earnings |
| Real Estate | Housing, land and other immovable assets |
| Bank / Financial Assets | Deposits and other financial assets |
Exact documents and reference years can vary by regional call and academic year.
Why Does the Base Year Matter So Much?
Scholarship/ISEE assessments can use a previous financial reference year rather than the applicant's current-day financial position. Because of this:
"The document is correct, but the year is wrong" can still make a file unusable.
For applications tied to the 2026/2027 academic year, income and asset information from an earlier financial year may be requested, depending on the institution and applicable rule.
Apostille and Italian Translation
For official documents brought from Turkey to be accepted for scholarship/ISEE purposes in Italy, they generally need to go through formal legalization (apostille) and certified Italian translation.
These procedures can vary by region, and some regional systems may impose additional formalities. This page doesn't state a universal rule such as "double apostille is mandatory everywhere."
What Happens Without ISEE Parificato?
Without the required economic documentation / ISEE process, a student can lose access to:
- Income-based scholarship support
- Income-based tuition reduction
- Other benefits tied to economic status
Some universities may also offer an alternative tuition model called Flat-Tax for certain international students.
ISEE / Income-Based System
Tuition and support are tied to assessed household economics.
Flat-Tax
A fixed, predetermined annual tuition model some universities may offer.
It shouldn't be assumed that every university offers Flat-Tax; this page doesn't provide a university-by-university tuition table.
Does Showing Money for the Visa Prevent You From Getting a Scholarship?
Not on its own.
The visa and scholarship processes evaluate different questions.
"Can you finance your life in Italy?"
"What is your family's economic situation?"
The visa process focuses on whether the student has adequate financial means for the upcoming stay and study period. The DSU / ISEE process evaluates the household's broader economic situation using the required historical income/asset documentation.
So showing liquidity for visa purposes doesn't automatically mean the student is ineligible for income-based scholarship support.
Details on required visa documents and amounts will be covered in the future Italy Student Visa & Residence Guide.
When Should You Apply for a Scholarship in Italy?
Scholarship applications shouldn't be treated as something that begins only after arriving in Italy. Regional application windows can open and close before the student even travels.
Preparation for university admission, scholarship documents, apostille/translation, and the visa often needs to proceed in parallel.
How university admission, CEnT-S, Universitaly, scholarships and the visa should be timed together will be covered in detail in the future Italy University Application Timeline guide.
Applying for a Scholarship in Italy From Turkey: General Roadmap
- 01
Decide on your university and region
The region where your target university is located determines which scholarship institution applies to you.
- 02
Identify the relevant scholarship system's requirements
Review the current call from the regional institution, including its conditions and deadlines.
- 03
Determine the correct base year
Confirm which financial reference year is required under the applicable rule.
- 04
Prepare household documents
Gather the family/population registry document showing your household composition.
- 05
Prepare income documents
Gather documents showing the income of the relevant household members.
- 06
Prepare property and bank/financial-asset documents
Gather real-estate and financial-asset documents for the correct reference date.
- 07
Complete the required apostille / legal certification
Start the official certification process for your documents in good time.
- 08
Prepare Italian translations
Complete the required certified Italian translations of your documents.
- 09
Submit the scholarship application within the relevant window
Complete your application while the regional scholarship portal is open.
- 10
Complete the ISEE Parificato / CAF process if required
Complete the ISEE Parificato calculation at a CAF office once in Italy.
This is a general roadmap, not a legally fixed universal procedure for every regional institution.
The Most Common Scholarship Application Mistakes
- 01
Waiting to start scholarship paperwork until after arriving in Italy
Regional scholarship application windows can open and close before the student even travels.
- 02
Preparing documents for the wrong reference year
A document can be entirely correct and still be unusable if it's tied to the wrong reference year.
- 03
Leaving one family member's income/asset information incomplete
Assessments generally cover all relevant household members — a missing person can make the whole file incomplete.
- 04
Preparing property or bank documents incompletely
This includes documentation confirming the absence of property where applicable — all requested asset documents need to be gathered in full.
- 05
Leaving apostille / translation requirements until the last minute
Official legalization and certified translation can take time and can delay the whole application.
- 06
Assuming the money shown for the visa automatically blocks the scholarship
The visa and scholarship processes evaluate different questions — one doesn't automatically rule out the other.
- 07
Assuming every region's scholarship rules are the same
Rules, amounts and deadlines can vary by regional institution — generalising across regions can be misleading.
How Should You Plan the Scholarship and Visa Together?
Since the visa process will be covered in detail in its own guide, this is only a general framework.
Academic Track
Scholarship Track
Visa Track
These three tracks can overlap in practice and should be planned together.
Detailed Guides to This Process
Study in Italy
The overall application roadmap and CEnT-S's role.
Universitaly Pre-Enrollment Guide
From university acceptance to formal pre-enrollment.
Italy University Application Timeline
Timing across CEnT-S, university, Universitaly, scholarships and the visa.
Italy Student Visa & Residence Guide
Visa preparation, arriving in Italy and the residence process.
Frequently asked questions
Can international students get scholarships in Italy?
Yes, international students can apply to regional student-support systems. Eligibility and the type of support vary by region, university and the student's circumstances.
What is the DSU scholarship?
DSU (Diritto allo Studio Universitario) is the university right-to-study / student-support framework. It's administered regionally, and the relevant institution varies by where the university is located.
What is ISEE Parificato?
ISEE Parificato is the economic indicator that makes an international student's family income and assets assessable within Italy's scholarship/tuition system.
Is DSU only based on academic merit?
No, not on its own. DSU is largely based on the family's economic circumstances; academic performance can also play a role in some support or discount categories.
Can non-EU students apply for DSU support?
International students applying from Turkey and holding Non-EU status can apply to the regional scholarship system by preparing the required documents under the ISEE Parificato framework.
What can an Italian regional scholarship cover?
Depending on the case, it can include tuition support/exemption, cash support, meal support, and in some cases accommodation support. Not all four categories are guaranteed to every student.
What documents are needed for ISEE Parificato?
Generally, a household/family composition document, income documents, property information, and bank/financial-asset documents are required.
Are bank accounts considered in ISEE Parificato?
Yes, financial assets are part of the economic assessment.
Does owning property automatically disqualify a student?
Not on its own. Real estate is part of the family's overall economic assessment and is considered alongside other factors.
Does showing money for an Italian student visa prevent me from getting DSU?
Not on its own. The visa process evaluates the student's near-term financial means, while the DSU/ISEE process evaluates the family's broader economic situation using different criteria.
Do foreign documents need apostille and Italian translation?
Generally, official certification and Italian translation are required, but the exact procedure can vary by regional institution, so the same rule shouldn't be assumed to apply everywhere.
Should I wait until I arrive in Italy to apply for scholarships?
This can be risky — regional scholarship application windows often open and close before the student travels.
What financial year is used for ISEE Parificato?
The required reference/base year depends on the applicable academic year and regional rule, and should be carefully confirmed before applying. No single universal year is stated here.
Related Guides
For the overall structure of the application process, see our Study in Italy page.
Written by: CEnT-S Academy Editorial Team
Last updated: August 13, 2026