🎓 Scholarships — Italy

Italy is one of the most practical destinations for MENA students because public-university tuition can be moderate, many regions offer need-based DSU scholarships, and several national schemes target international applicants. The strongest approach is to combine merit routes such as MAECI or Invest Your Talent with regional right-to-study scholarships where eligible.

Scholarship map

Detailed guide

MAECI Grants - MAECI grants are official Italian Government grants. Applicants must check the annual call carefully because eligible countries, levels and fields can change. The application is usually online, and the scholarship is often paid in instalments after arrival and enrolment.

Invest Your Talent in Italy - This is one of the best Italy routes for eligible MENA applicants, especially Egyptians, Iranians, Tunisians and Turkish applicants in the 2026/27 call. It focuses on courses linked to Italian industry and usually includes a mandatory internship, an Italian language component and a monthly scholarship contribution.

DSU regional scholarships - DSU is essential for non-EU students with limited family income. It can cover or reduce tuition, provide meals, accommodation contribution and cash support depending on region. The difficulty is documentation: income, family composition and property documents often need legalisation and official translation.

University merit scholarships - Italian universities increasingly offer international merit awards. These are easier to understand than DSU but more competitive. They usually reward academic excellence, test scores, motivation and fit with the programme.

Erasmus Mundus - Italy participates in many joint masters. For MENA students, this can be a stronger fully funded option than applying to Italy alone, because the scholarship package is European and usually includes a monthly contribution.

Application strategy for this country

• Create a calendar with three layers: university admission deadlines, national scholarship deadlines and DSU regional deadlines.
• For DSU, start legalisation and translation early; income documents are often the reason strong students lose funding.
• For Invest Your Talent, choose only courses included in the official programme list and prepare the short motivational video carefully.
• Do not assume a university scholarship replaces visa proof. Confirm whether the award letter is sufficient for the Italian consulate in your country.
• Compare cities: northern cities may have more jobs and higher costs, while smaller university towns can be cheaper.

Documents to prepare early

• Passport valid beyond the intended start date, plus scans of any second nationality if relevant.
• Bachelor or master diploma, transcripts and official grading scale. For Italy, Spain and Portugal, plan for legalisation or apostille and sworn translation if requested by the university or visa office.
• English test such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or Cambridge, or proof that the previous degree was taught in English when the programme accepts it.
• CV, motivation letter or statement of purpose, recommendation letters and, for PhD routes, a research proposal and supervisor match.
• Financial and family income documents when applying for need-based regional or university support, especially in Italy and some public-university routes.
• For DSU: family income, family composition, property ownership/non-ownership and bank documents, legalised and translated according to regional instructions.

Official sources to verify before applying

• MAECI 2026/27 call PDF: https://www.esteri.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bando-26-27-ENG.pdf
• Study in Italy portal: https://studyinitaly.esteri.it/
• MAECI - Invest Your Talent in Italy: https://www.esteri.it/en/servizi-opportunita/opportunita/borse-di-studio/per-cittadini-stranieri/progetti-speciali/invest-your-talent-in-italy/
• University of Pisa - Invest Your Talent 2026/27 details: https://www.unipi.it/en/education/registration/enrolment-and-registration/enrolment-for-international-students/invest-your-talent-in-italy-scholarships/
• DSU Toscana - foreign students: https://www.dsu.toscana.it/-/foreign-students
• ER.GO scholarship information: https://www.er-go.it/international-students/benefits/focus-on-scholarship

This is starter guidance and changes often — always confirm on the official source before applying.