Lake Zurich at golden hour with the Swiss Alps in the background and trees on the shoreline.

Switzerland Applications for the autumn semester typically close in spring; scholarship consideration runs with admission

USI Lugano Bachelor Merit Scholarship

Bachelor-level scholarships for non-EU students are genuinely scarce in Switzerland — most Swiss funding is concentrated at Master's and doctoral level — which makes USI's merit awards worth knowing about. Università della Svizzera italiana sits in Lugano in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, and runs English-taught Bachelor's programmes including Economics, Artificial Intelligence and Communication. Tuition for non-Swiss students is roughly CHF 4,000 a semester, and the merit scholarships take a substantial bite out of that, renewable each year against academic performance. USI is small, internationally mixed and well connected to Milan, an hour away by train, and its Faculty of Informatics has an unusually strong research reputation for a university of this size.

Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Annual Award

CHF 4,000-8,000 (~LKR 1.48M-2.96M)

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Renewable

Yes — on Academic Performance

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Tuition

~CHF 4,000/semester for non-Swiss

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Strong School-Leaving Results

Sri Lankan A-Levels with high grades, the International Baccalaureate, or an equivalent recognised qualification. USI assesses secondary qualifications individually and may set subject conditions for the AI and Economics tracks.

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Admission to an English-Taught Bachelor's

The award applies to USI's English-language Bachelor's programmes. Check the language of instruction per programme — some USI degrees are taught in Italian.

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Renewal Conditions

Continuation into years two and three depends on maintaining the grade threshold set in the award letter. Read those conditions carefully before budgeting the full three years on the assumption of renewal.

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English Proficiency

IELTS 6.0-6.5 or TOEFL iBT 80-90 depending on programme, waived where Sri Lankan A-Levels or the IB were completed in the English medium. Italian is not required but free courses are offered and help enormously in Ticino.

account_tree Application Process

Check programme entry requirements

Confirm your A-Level or IB subject combination meets the specific programme's requirements, particularly mathematics for Economics and Artificial Intelligence.

Submit the admission application

Certified A-Level or IB results and school transcripts
Passport copy and personal statement
English proficiency evidence or Medium of Instruction letter
Application fee

Merit assessment

Scholarship consideration runs with admission for most awards — there is no separate essay round for the standard merit scholarships, though some named awards ask for additional documentation.

Award letter and financial planning

The award reduces tuition but does not cover living costs, which run about CHF 18,000-20,000 a year in Lugano. Plan the full budget before accepting.

Swiss student visa

Apply for the national D visa with proof of accessible funds covering tuition and living costs for the year. Allow eight to twelve weeks from Colombo, and factor the annual renewal of the residence permit.

Why USI Lugano?

Founded in 1996, USI is Switzerland's youngest public university and one of its most international, with over 100 nationalities across a student body of roughly 3,000. Its Faculty of Informatics punches well above its weight in research output, and Lugano's position on the Italian border gives students access to both the Swiss and Northern Italian labour markets.