Italy DSU Alternatives: If Your Income Is Too High, or You Missed the Call
DSU is the biggest source of money for students in Italy, but it is need-based and tied to tight deadlines. If you are over the ceiling or the 2027/28 call does not work for you, these are the realistic fallbacks.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
MAECI Italian Government Scholarships
MAECI guide →The Ministry of Foreign Affairs scholarship (MAECI) is merit-based and selected by nationality, not family income. Our MAECI guide covers it in full: in 2026/27 it paid a €10,800 nine-month grant, and the call closed on 26 March 2026. The 2027/28 call is not yet out.
| DSU regional grant | MAECI | |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Family income and assets | Academic merit, by nationality |
| Who runs it | Region or university | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Deadline | Summer (Jul–Sep) | Spring in recent calls |
| Services | Meals, room, fee exemption | Cash grant |
| Keep it | Minimum credits each year | Renewal on progress |
Because calls such as PoliMi’s bar holding the DSU grant together with analogous public or private aid, plan for one or the other. Applying to both is reasonable — MAECI decides in spring, DSU in autumn — but declare any award you accept.
Over the ceiling? Housing-only routes
Some regions offer cheaper housing to students whose ISEE is too high for the grant. DiSCo Lazio’s 2026/27 call has reduced-rate residence places for ISEE up to €40,000 and ISPE up to €86,956.58. PoliMi lets students who win a reduced-rate room but then miss the grant keep it at the full rate. Check whether your region’s bando has a separate housing category before giving up.
University scholarships and fee reductions
Italian universities run their own non-DSU awards: merit scholarships for international master’s students, fee reductions by income band, and graduation awards. PoliMi, for example, lists these separately on its scholarships page. Because they are not DSU, compatibility rules differ — read each call.
Even without a scholarship, tuition at Italian public universities is calculated by ISEE band, so producing an ISEE parificato can still cut your fees. It is worth getting the documents even if you expect to be just over the DSU ceiling.
Part-time student jobs
Regional bodies and universities offer paid part-time collaborations on campus. ER.GO lists its own thresholds for these (ISEE up to €28,000 for the MUNER part-time work programme in 2026/27). They will not cover living costs alone, but they are open to more students than the grant.
Funded study elsewhere in Europe
Hungary →If Italy is one option among several, compare it with fully funded government programmes that do not depend on family paperwork:
Merit-based Italian grant; spring deadline.
Hungary: tuition, stipend and housing support for nominated countries.
Eiffel and other French government routes.
Joint master’s across several countries, often including Italy.
How to decide
If your family ISEE is comfortably under your region’s cap and you can get the documents legalised in time, DSU is usually the strongest option in Italy because it adds a room and meals to the cash. If you are near or above the cap, or your country makes legalisation slow, put MAECI and university merit awards first and treat DSU as a bonus. Either way, keep the paperwork: an ISEE parificato also lowers your tuition band.
One more practical point: MAECI results usually arrive before the DSU calls close, so you will often know whether you have the government grant before you submit a DSU form. If you accept MAECI, tell the DSU body and withdraw rather than risk a revocation and repayment later in the year.
Return to the guide overview or start with Eligibility.