The Reichstag building in Berlin with the German flag flying above the glass dome at dusk.

Italy The 2026/27 call is open now. Applications close 7 September 2026 at 13:00 for bachelor's, master's and single-cycle students, and 16 November 2026 at 13:00 for doctoral and specialisation students. Students at institutions in other regions have a later window running from 1 February to 1 March 2027

DSU Toscana Regional Right-to-Study Scholarship

DSU Toscana is the Tuscan region's right-to-study agency, and its annual borsa di studio is the single largest source of funding available to an international student in Florence, Pisa or Siena — larger, for a low-income family, than any merit scholarship those universities offer. It is a regional public scheme, not a university prize: it covers students at the universities of Florence, Pisa and Siena plus the region's other higher education institutions, art academies and conservatories. The package combines a cash grant that varies with your economic situation and your student status, exemption from tuition and the regional study tax, and access to subsidised or free accommodation and canteen meals. Reported figures for the top band put the cash element in the region of EUR 7,184 a year for an off-site (fuori sede) student, roughly LKR 2.5 million, though the exact schedule sits in the annual bando and you should read it rather than trust a summary. Understand how this differs from the merit awards Sri Lankan applicants are used to. Entry is on need — the 2026/27 call has been reported as confirming economic thresholds of ISEE up to EUR 27,000 and ISPE up to EUR 60,000 — and merit only comes in later, as a credit requirement you must hit by fixed dates to keep receiving the full payment. The decisive obstacle for a Sri Lankan applicant is not the assessment but the paperwork: every income, property, family-status and movable-asset document must be translated into Italian and legalised by the Italian diplomatic authorities serving Sri Lanka. That takes months. Start it before you have an offer, not after.

DSU Toscana (Azienda Regionale per il Diritto allo Studio Universitario della Toscana)

Government-funded

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Cash Grant

Up to ~EUR 7,184/yr reported (LKR ~2.5M)

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Tuition

Exemption from fees and regional study tax

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Services

Subsidised housing and canteen meals

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Tuscany Only — Florence, Pisa, Siena and Beyond

The scheme funds students enrolled at higher education institutions in Tuscany: the universities of Florence, Pisa and Siena, plus art academies, conservatories and other regional institutions. If your offer is from Milan, Bologna or Rome, this is the wrong agency — each Italian region runs its own.

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Need-Based Entry, Merit-Based Renewal

Eligibility rests on family income and assets measured through Italy's ISEE and ISPE indicators. The 2026/27 call has been reported as keeping thresholds at ISEE up to EUR 27,000 and ISPE up to EUR 60,000. You then have to earn a set number of credits by fixed dates to receive the full grant and to renew it.

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Legalised, Translated Sri Lankan Documents Are Mandatory

Every document on family status, income, real estate and movable assets must be translated into Italian and legalised by the Italian diplomatic authorities in your country of origin. This is the step that defeats most applicants — it involves Sri Lankan authorities, sworn translation and the Italian mission, and it cannot be rushed.

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A Simpler Route If Sri Lanka Is on the Ministerial List

Students from countries named in the annual Ministerial Decree on developing countries may substitute a certificate from the Italian diplomatic mission or from their own country's embassy confirming they do not belong to a notably high-income, high-status family, instead of the full financial dossier. The list is revised each year, so check the current decree's annex before assuming Sri Lanka appears on it.

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Your Award Depends on Where You Live

The cash amount differs for in sede (living at the university's location), pendolare (commuting) and fuori sede (off-site, living away from home) students. An international student who has moved to Tuscany normally falls into the fuori sede band, which pays the most — but you must be able to evidence paid accommodation for the required number of months.

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Hard Deadlines with Times Attached

The call closes at 13:00 on the stated day, not at midnight. Applications and the supporting documentation must both be in by then. Late or incomplete files are excluded outright — there is no discretionary extension.

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Start the document legalisation months in advance

Gather Sri Lankan proof of family income, property, movable assets and household composition, have them officially translated into Italian and legalised through the Italian diplomatic authorities serving Sri Lanka. Budget several months and check whether the ministerial developing-country route applies to you, which reduces the paperwork significantly.

Apply for admission to a Tuscan institution

Secure your place at Florence, Pisa, Siena or another Tuscan institution and complete Universitaly pre-enrolment. You can apply for the DSU grant as an incoming student — you do not have to be already enrolled when the call closes, but you must be admitted or enrolling for that academic year.

Submit the DSU Toscana application online within the window

Apply through the DSU Toscana portal by 13:00 on 7 September 2026 for bachelor's and master's routes, or 16 November 2026 for doctoral and specialisation programmes. Upload your legalised documentation as instructed in the bando.

Watch the rankings and accept your services

DSU publishes provisional and final rankings. If you are awarded, confirm any accommodation place and canteen entitlement promptly — housing places are limited and released on a schedule.

Keep your credits up

The full grant depends on reaching the merit thresholds in the regulations by the dates set. Track your credits (CFU) from the first semester; falling behind can cost you part of the payment and the renewal.

Why the Tuscan route matters

Italy's right-to-study system is a genuine mechanism for turning an unaffordable European degree into an affordable one, and Tuscany runs one of its better-resourced versions. The region hosts three substantial universities — Florence, Pisa and Siena — alongside art academies and conservatories, with a growing English-taught offering at master's level. Public tuition in Italy is already income-assessed through the ISEE process, so a DSU award stacked on top of a low ISEE assessment can reduce a Sri Lankan student's direct education cost close to zero, leaving living costs and the legalisation paperwork as the real burdens. This is a need-based system: it rewards honest, complete financial documentation far more than it rewards a polished personal statement.