The DSU scholarship is one of the more generous need based options for studying in Italy, and it is worth understanding clearly because it does not come from the University of Pisa itself. It is funded by DSU Toscana, the regional agency for the right to university education (Azienda Regionale per il Diritto allo Studio Universitario), which supports students at the universities of Pisa, Florence and Siena. If you enrol at the University of Pisa, this is the scholarship that can make studying there genuinely affordable.
What makes it stand out for African students is that it is built around financial need rather than academic ranking, at least at the start. In your first year of application, the ranking is based only on your family income. Academic merit only enters the picture from your second year onward. That means a talented student from a low income family has a real, structural advantage here, which is not true of most merit scholarships.
It is also close to fully funded in practical terms for a student who wins the grant, because it bundles free accommodation, free meals, a cash contribution and a tuition exemption into one package. The figures and deadlines below are drawn from the current 2026/2027 call, which DSU Toscana published in July 2026. Because the scholarship runs on a fresh annual call, always confirm the live figures on the official DSU Toscana site before you apply.
Scholarship benefits
- Exemption from university tuition fees, and exemption from the regional tax for the right to university study.
- Free accommodation in a DSU residence for eligible out of town (fuori sede) winners, for as long as places are available. For the 2026/2027 year there are 1,705 accommodation places at Pisa.
- Free access to the university dining halls (mensa) for both winners and eligible non winners on the ranking list.
- A cash contribution toward extra costs such as books and sporting activities. Where accommodation places run out, eligible out of town students with a valid rental contract can instead receive a housing contribution of up to 3,150 euro for the annual grant, or up to 1,575 euro for a semester grant.
- A possible top up for students admitted to international mobility programmes, added to the base grant.
- The grant covers one academic year, so you reapply each year you want support.
One point to keep in mind on the cash value. The exact scholarship amount depends on your income bracket and on whether you are classed as living at home or away from home, so the figure varies from student to student. Treat the housing contribution ceilings above as the clearest published numbers, and check the official call for the amount that applies to your situation.
Eligibility checklist
✔ You are enrolling in, or already enrolled in, a degree programme at the University of Pisa (bachelor’s, master’s or single cycle master’s), and you do not already hold a qualification at the same level.
✔ You meet the economic requirements for the 2026/2027 call: an ISEE (household economic indicator) of up to 27,000 euro and an ISPE (household asset indicator) of up to 60,000 euro.
✔ You meet the academic merit requirement from your second year of application onward. In the first year, only family income is assessed.
✔ If you are a non EU student from a developing country, you can certify that you do not belong to a high income, high status family. This certificate must be issued by an Italian diplomatic mission in your home country, or by your country’s embassy or consulate in Italy, and then legalised by the Italian Prefettura.
✔ You can provide the required proof of your family’s economic status, identity, and (for some non EU applicants) documents on family status, income, real estate and movable assets, translated into Italian and legalised as required.
✔ You will submit a fresh application for this specific academic year, since the grant does not roll over automatically.
Application tips for African students
- Work to the exact 2026/2027 deadline for your level. For bachelor’s, master’s and single cycle master’s programmes, applications run from 20 July 2026 to 1:00 pm on 7 September 2026. For PhD and specialisation school applicants, the window is 25 September 2026 to 1:00 pm on 16 November 2026. These are hard cut offs at 1:00 pm, not midnight, so do not leave it to the final hours.
- Start the income certificate early, because it is the step that traps applicants. As a non EU student from a developing country, your proof that you are not from a high income family has to be issued by an Italian diplomatic mission or your embassy, then legalised by the Italian Prefettura. That chain of stamps can take weeks, so begin it the moment the call opens.
- Get every document translated into Italian and legalised. Non EU applicants must submit family status, income and asset documents translated into Italian and legalised through the competent Italian diplomatic representatives. Plan for professional translation time on top of the legalisation.
- You can apply before you are formally enrolled. The application can be submitted even if you are not yet enrolled at Pisa, so a pending admission is not a reason to wait. Line up your DSU application in parallel with your university admission.
- Apply online through Sportello Studente and keep your receipt. Foreign students with income earned abroad apply online, then print the receipt from their personal area and send it in with the required economic and identity documents, exactly as the call instructs.
- Understand how the ranking works so you pitch correctly. Because the first year list is built on family income alone, your economic documentation is effectively your application. Make it complete and accurate rather than relying on grades that will not be counted yet.
- Track the results yourself. DSU does not send personal letters about outcomes. Provisional rankings are usually confirmed by the end of September and final rankings by the end of November, published on the DSU Toscana site and in your personal area, so diarise those dates and check.
How to apply
The scholarship is administered by DSU Toscana, not by the University of Pisa, and the whole process is online. Follow these steps:
- Step 1. Wait for or open the annual call (bando), published in mid July each year on the DSU Toscana website. The current call covers the 2026/2027 academic year.
- Step 2. Log in to the Sportello Studente portal and complete the online application for your programme level, within the deadline that applies to you.
- Step 3. As a foreign student with income from abroad, print the receipt generated in your personal area, and prepare the documents certifying your family’s economic status along with a copy of a valid identity document.
- Step 4. Obtain the required income certificate and legalisations, translated into Italian where needed, and send everything according to the instructions in the call.
- Step 5. Check the provisional ranking (usually by end of September) and the final ranking (usually by end of November) on the DSU Toscana site and in your personal area. No personal written notification is sent.
Full details of benefits, eligibility and the current call are on the University of Pisa’s DSU scholarship information page, which links to the official DSU Toscana call. Applications are submitted through the DSU Toscana Sportello Studente portal.
Frequently asked questions
Is the DSU scholarship fully funded?
In practical terms it comes close for a winner. It combines exemption from tuition fees and the regional study tax, free accommodation for eligible out of town students, free meals at the university dining halls, and a cash contribution for extra costs. The precise cash value depends on your income bracket and whether you live at home or away, so it is best described as need based comprehensive support rather than a fixed sum.
Who funds it, Pisa or the region?
DSU Toscana, the Tuscany regional agency for the right to university education, funds and administers the scholarship. The University of Pisa is where you study and enrol, but the grant, accommodation and dining benefits come from DSU Toscana and are shared across the Pisa, Florence and Siena universities.
What are the income limits?
For the 2026/2027 call, the thresholds are an ISEE of up to 27,000 euro and an ISPE of up to 60,000 euro. Non EU students from developing countries additionally certify, through an Italian diplomatic mission or their embassy, that they are not from a high income, high status family.
When is the deadline?
For the 2026/2027 year, bachelor’s, master’s and single cycle master’s applicants apply from 20 July 2026 until 1:00 pm on 7 September 2026. PhD and specialisation applicants apply from 25 September 2026 until 1:00 pm on 16 November 2026.
Does academic performance matter?
Only from your second year of application onward. In your first year the ranking is based solely on your family income, which favours students from low income backgrounds. From the second year, the list also takes academic merit into account.
Do I have to reapply every year?
Yes. The grant is valid for a single academic year, so you must submit a new application for each year you want support, meeting the economic and, from year two, merit requirements each time.
What happens if the residences are full?
If accommodation places run out, eligible out of town students who hold a valid rental contract can receive a housing contribution instead, worth up to 3,150 euro for an annual grant or up to 1,575 euro for a semester grant.