Italian Scholarships for Medicine: The 2025 Guide
Studying Medicine in Italy is already affordable, but securing Italian Scholarships can make it completely free. These generous financial aids cover tuition, accommodation, and meals, yet the system is often fragmented and bureaucratic.
This guide consolidates everything you need to know about Regional (DSU) and Departmental scholarships, including a master list of direct links for the 2025-2026 academic year.
1. Types of Italian Scholarships
Generally, there are two main types of scholarships in Italy available to international students:
- Departmental scholarships: Usually merit-based (awarded for excellent academic performance). You must consult specific university webpages for these.
- Regional Italian Scholarships (DSU): Generally need-based (based on family income). This is the most common form of aid for medical students.
Regional Italian Scholarships (The "DSU")
These grants are funded by regional governments. Applying for Italian scholarships of this type typically covers tuition fees (often a 100% waiver), accommodation, and meals.
Public universities offering IMAT-accessible courses are located in 11 regions: Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Lombardia, Marche, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicilia, Toscana, Veneto. Each region has its own agency (e.g., ER.GO in Emilia-Romagna, LAZIODISCO in Lazio).
Critical Step: The ISEE Parificato
International Students: You cannot generate the required income document (ISEE) online like Italian citizens. You must collect documents regarding family income/property in your home country, translate/legalize them via the Italian Embassy, and take them to a CAF (Tax Assistance Center) in Italy. Start this months in advance.
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2. Italian Scholarships: Amounts & Status
The funding you receive from Italian scholarships depends on your ISEE value and your Student Status. To get the maximum funding, you generally need an ISEE lower than €13,153.12 (varies by year).
Living in the same city or within 40 min/40 km. Lowest scholarship amount.
Living 40-80 km away or 40-80 min travel time daily.
Living >80km away and renting accommodation near the course for at least 10 months.
3. General Steps to Apply
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1
Complete the "Request for Benefits"
Fill out the declaration form on your student webpage or the specific Regional Scholarship website.
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2
Request the ISEE Parificato
This is the income assessment for international students. Read more about ISEE here.
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3
Finalize Enrollment
Officially enroll for the next academic year by paying the first installment of tuition fees (often €156 regional tax).
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4
Confirm Status (Off-site Students)
Upload your rent contract on the dedicated platform to confirm "Off-site" status and receive higher funding.
4. Application Timeline
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June - July
Call for Applications (Bando) is published. Begin collecting documents immediately.
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September (Late)
Typical deadline for submitting the application and ISEE value.
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November
Provisional rankings published. Check for errors and submit corrections.
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Dec / Jan
Final ranking and first installment of funds (usually). Second installment follows in summer upon credit completion.
5. Important Rules & Tips for Success
Understanding how rankings work is key to keeping your scholarship:
- First-year Students: Your ranking is based ONLY on ISEE (Income). If your family income is low enough, you are eligible.
- Second-year Onward: Rankings are based first on your Merit Coefficient (exams passed), and then on ISEE. You must maintain a high academic standard to keep your funding.
- The 20 CFU Rule: If you do not achieve at least 20 CFU (University Credits) by November of your first year, any scholarship money you received will likely be revoked and you will be asked to pay it back.
- Safe Strategy: Try to pass most exams before July so your credits are registered before the August data collection deadline.
6. Master List: University Links (2025/26)
We have collected the direct application pages for every public medical school. Use these links to find the specific "Bando" (Call for Applications) for your target university.
| Region | University | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Lombardia | Milano Statale (Unimi) | Website |
| Lombardia | Milano Bicocca | Website |
| Lombardia | Pavia | Website |
| Veneto | Padova | Website |
| Emilia-Romagna | Bologna & Parma | ER-GO Agency |
| Piemonte | Turin (Unito) | EDISU Agency |
| Lazio | Sapienza & Tor Vergata | LazioDisco |
| Campania | Napoli Federico II & Vanvitelli | AdisurC |
| Puglia | Bari | Adisu Puglia |
| Sicilia | Messina | ERSU Messina |
| Sicilia | Catania | ERSU Catania |
| Toscana | Siena | DSU Toscana |
| Marche | Politecnica delle Marche | ERDIS |
Scholarships at Private Universities
While regional scholarships apply to public universities, private universities have their own systems (though some still allow DSU access). Here is a snapshot for 2025/26:
- UniCamillus (EU Only) Partial tuition exemption (€3,750 - €5,250) for top 50 ranked students with ISEE < €55k.
- Humanitas University Non-EU: 3 partial scholarships worth €18,000. EU: 9 scholarships (1 full waiver, 8 partial).
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele Students may apply for the regional scholarship, which supports the right to university study. Download Call (Bando)
- Cattolica (UCSC) Non-EU: UCSC International Scholarship reduces fees to ~€5,900/year. EU: EDUCatt scholarship available.
Disclaimer: Scholarship rules are strictly enforced. Missing a deadline by one minute or failing to meet credit requirements (CFU) can result in loss of funds and repayment demands. Always verify with the official call for applications.