DSU Scholarship

About the Scholarship

This is Italy's right-to-study benefit rather than a prize from the university. DSU Toscana, the regional agency, runs it and decides it, and Pisa's role is to host the students who win it.

The package is the appeal. A tuition exemption, a place in a university residence or a rent subsidy instead, meals at the DSU canteens and a cash allowance toward books and sport together cover most of what a year costs, which is why it is worth more than its lack of a headline figure suggests.

There is no headline figure because there cannot be one. What a student receives depends on their economic circumstances and on whether they are classed as a commuter, on-site or off-site, so two recipients at the same university can receive quite different packages.

Eligibility turns on not having arrived already. A candidate holding a qualification at the same level cannot claim the award for a second one, and PhD candidates already holding a PhD scholarship are out.

The first year is decided on economic condition alone. Merit enters only at renewal, where both academic progress and economic condition are reassessed, and the award has to be applied for again every year rather than running for the length of the degree.

Timing is worth planning around. Applications close in early September, but provisional rankings usually appear at the end of September and final rankings at the end of November, so a student is committing to the year before knowing whether the award is theirs.

The DSU scholarship page was checked on 16 September 2026.

What It Covers

Tuition
Housing
Living stipend
Other

Exemption from university tuition fees, accommodation in a university residence or a rent subsidy in its place, meals at DSU canteens, and a cash allowance toward extra costs such as books and sport. No fixed value is published because the package is sized to the applicant's economic circumstances and to whether they study as a commuter, on-site or off-site. The award covers one academic year at a time and has to be applied for again each year.

Eligibility

Enrol in or be enrolled on a bachelor's, single-cycle, master's, specialisation or PhD programme at Pisa, and hold no qualification at the same level already, so a candidate who already holds a master's cannot claim one for a second master's. PhD candidates who already hold a PhD scholarship are excluded. Selection for the first year rests on economic condition, while both merit and economic requirements apply to renewal in later years. Enrolment is not required at the point of applying.

Eligible Countries

Open to students of any nationality enrolling in or already enrolled on a degree programme at the University of Pisa. Foreign applicants face extra documentation requirements, including income certification and legalisation, which differ for EU citizens, citizens of non-EU developing countries and other non-EU citizens.

All countries

How to Apply

Apply online through the Sportello Studente portal run by DSU Toscana rather than through the university, at https://sportellostudente.dsu.toscana.it. The call is published annually and the 2026-2027 deadline fell on 7 September 2026 at 1pm. Provisional rankings are usually confirmed by the end of September and final rankings approved by the end of November, so a decision arrives well after enrolment begins.