Italy, Scholarships

🎓 Fully Funded University of Pisa Scholarship 2027 — Complete Guide for International Students (No IELTS Required)

Gradualin

May 28, 2026
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One of Italy’s oldest and most respected universities is opening its doors to the world — and it is bringing a scholarship package generous enough to make your entire degree practically free. The University of Pisa Scholarship 2027 covers tuition fees, accommodation, and provides a yearly stipend of €7,200 — without requiring IELTS. Whether you are targeting a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD programme in Italy, this Gradualin guide walks you through everything: what scholarships are available, exactly how much you receive, who qualifies, and a step-by-step enrolment process for international students.

📋 Quick Info Box

Detail	Information
University	University of Pisa (Università di Pisa)
Country	Italy 🇮🇹
Founded	1343 — one of Europe’s oldest universities
Degree Levels	Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD
Primary Scholarship	DSU Toscana Scholarship (Fully Funded)
Annual Stipend	€7,200 (paid into your bank account)
Tuition	Fully exempt for DSU recipients
Accommodation	Free (or housing allowance if no space)
IELTS Required?	❌ No IELTS Required
Open To	All nationalities worldwide
Max Tuition Fee	€2,900/year (for non-scholarship students)
PhD Annual Stipend	€16,243/year (before tax)
Official Website	unipi.it

🎓 University of Pisa — Overview

Founded in 1343, the University of Pisa is not just old — it is one of the most academically celebrated institutions in Europe. It consistently ranks among the top 300 universities worldwide and holds a firm place in the top four universities in Italy. The institution has over 45,000 students and a global network of researchers, making it one of the most internationally active public universities in southern Europe.

Pisa itself is a compact, student-dominated city in the heart of Tuscany — one of Italy’s most iconic regions. Home to the famous Leaning Tower, world-class museums, and a vibrant academic community, Pisa offers an unmatched quality of life at a fraction of what students pay in Northern European university cities.

What Gradualin finds especially exciting about this opportunity is the combination of prestigious education, generous financial support, and a remarkably accessible application process — all available to students from every country in the world. The DSU scholarship in particular has attracted significant interest from international students because of one very important reason: no IELTS or TOEFL score is required.

For the 2026/2027 academic year, the University of Pisa has officially opened its doors to new international enrolments — and multiple scholarship pathways are available to support you financially from day one.

🎓 Available Scholarships & Funding — What You Can Receive

The University of Pisa offers several distinct scholarship and funding pathways for international students. Here is the full breakdown:

🏆 1. DSU Toscana Scholarship (Most Popular — Fully Funded)

This is the flagship scholarship that Gradualin recommends every eligible international student explore first.

💶 Annual stipend: €7,200 — credited directly into your bank account in instalments throughout the year
🏠 Free university accommodation — if no dormitory space is available, a financial contribution toward private accommodation is provided instead
🎓 Full tuition fee exemption — you pay nothing in university fees
🍽️ Access to subsidised university canteens
No IELTS required — this is a standard regional scholarship, not a language-test-based selection
Open to Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students
Available to all international students, including non-EU citizens

How it works: Once you receive an admission offer from the University of Pisa, you apply for the DSU scholarship through a separate, simple online form. The DSU call is released each year (typically opening in mid-July and closing in early September — verify exact dates for 2026/27 at dsu.toscana.it).

🔬 2. University of Pisa PhD Scholarship 2027 (Fully Funded Doctoral Programme)

For researchers, the University of Pisa’s 42nd-cycle PhD admissions for the 2026/2027 academic year have officially opened. This is a full three-year funded doctoral placement beginning in November 2026.

💶 Annual stipend: €16,243 (before taxes) — paid in monthly instalments
🎓 Full tuition fee exemption
🔭 Additional research funding for academic work both in Italy and abroad
🌍 Open to all nationalities — international applicants welcome across all fields
Three-year structured doctoral programme with institutional research support
Candidates who will complete their Master’s degree by 31 October 2026 may still apply

PhD programmes at the University of Pisa span science, engineering, technology, humanities, and interdisciplinary research. This is one of the most comprehensive funded PhD offers in southern Europe.

📋 3. Standard Tuition Fees (For Non-Scholarship Students)

Even without a scholarship, the University of Pisa remains affordable by European standards:

Maximum all-inclusive tuition fee: €2,900 per year — covering teaching, scientific, and administrative services
Income-based reductions are available — your fee could be significantly lower depending on your family’s financial situation
Additional funding pathways include: MAECI Scholarships (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Invest Your Talent in Italy scholarships (MAECI + UniPi joint programme), and Erasmus+ mobility grants

🎓 Eligibility Criteria

For DSU Scholarship (Bachelor’s & Master’s):

✅ All nationalities — EU and non-EU students both eligible
✅ Enrolled or admitted to a University of Pisa degree programme (admission offer required first)
✅ Income and asset documentation from your home country required — translated into Italian and legalised appropriately (apostille or consular legalisation depending on your country)
✅ No IELTS or TOEFL required — the DSU scholarship does not assess English language test scores
✅ Minimum 12 years of total pre-university schooling, including at least the last two years successfully completed in your foreign education system

For PhD Scholarship:

✅ Master’s degree or equivalent international qualification required at the time of application
✅ All nationalities welcome
✅ Candidates completing their Master’s by 31 October 2026 may still apply

For General Enrolment (Non-EU Students):

✅ Must pre-enrol on the UniversItaly portal before applying for a study visa
✅ Italian language proficiency required if your chosen programme is taught in Italian (assessment test available)
✅ Must hold a valid study visa obtained through the Italian embassy in your country

🎓 Who Should Apply — And Who Should Not

✅ Apply if you:

Are an international student from any country wanting affordable, high-quality European education
Have an admission offer from UniPi and want to secure the DSU scholarship (stipend + free housing + tuition waiver)
Hold a Master’s degree and want a funded PhD position in Italy starting November 2026
Are looking for a scholarship that does not require IELTS or TOEFL
Want to study in one of Europe’s most beautiful and culturally rich cities

❌ Don’t apply if you:

Have already resided in Italy for long periods and want to claim non-EU scholarship benefits (eligibility depends on your residency status)
Cannot provide your home country’s income/asset documentation in the required legalised and translated format for the DSU
Are applying for a postgraduate specialisation or medical specialty school without meeting Italy’s specific entrance requirements for those programmes
Want a programme taught entirely in English without any Italian language exposure — check individual programme language requirements first

🎓 Available Programmes & Fields of Study

The University of Pisa offers a broad and internationally competitive range of programmes across all three degree cycles:

Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle): Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Economics, Law, Humanities, Medicine, Agriculture, Architecture, and more

Master’s Degree (Second Cycle): Advanced programmes across all undergraduate disciplines, including several English-taught programmes such as the Master of Science in Exploration and Applied Geophysics, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Marine Biology, and others

PhD Programmes (Third Cycle): Across Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Humanities, Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, and specialised research fields — 42nd-cycle admissions now open for 2026/2027

Postgraduate & Specialisation Courses: First and Second-Level postgraduate degrees, specialisation schools (including medical), and advanced training programmes

All programmes can be explored on the UniPi courses portal at unipi.it/en/education/courses.

🎓 Required Documents

For DSU Scholarship Application:

University of Pisa admission offer — must be obtained first before the DSU application
DSU online application form — submitted through the DSU Toscana portal (dsu.toscana.it) when the annual call opens
Income and asset documentation from your home country — officially issued, translated into Italian, and legalised (via apostille if your country is an Apostille Convention member, or via consular legalisation otherwise)

For General Non-EU Enrolment:

Pre-enrolment summary from the UniversItaly portal (universitaly.it)
Study visa — obtained from the Italian embassy in your home country using the UniversItaly summary
Foreign academic qualification — official transcripts and degree certificates
Italian language proficiency proof — if applying for an Italian-taught programme (assessment dates available on the UniPi website)
Valid passport and residence permit documents upon arrival in Italy

For PhD Application:

Master’s degree certificate (or proof of expected completion by October 31, 2026)
Research proposal relevant to your chosen PhD programme
Curriculum Vitae and academic transcripts
Additional documents as specified per individual PhD programme call (verify at unipi.it/en/education/courses/phd-programmes/)

🎓 Step-by-Step Application Process

For DSU Scholarship (Bachelor’s/Master’s):

Choose your programme — browse UniPi’s full course catalogue at unipi.it and select a degree programme that matches your background and goals.
Pre-enrol on UniversItaly (non-EU students) at universitaly.it — this is mandatory before applying for a study visa.
Apply for your Italian study visa at the Italian embassy in your country, using your UniversItaly pre-enrolment summary.
Complete enrolment at UniPi through the Alice online student portal once you arrive and your visa is confirmed.
Wait for the DSU call to open (typically mid-July each year — verify the 2026/27 call at dsu.toscana.it).
Submit your DSU scholarship application online — attach legalised and translated income/asset documents from your home country.
Receive scholarship confirmation and your stipend payments begin.

For PhD Applications:

Visit unipi.it/en/education/courses/phd-programmes for the full list of open doctoral programmes and individual call deadlines.
Prepare your research proposal, CV, and academic credentials.
Submit your application through the UniPi PhD admissions portal by the specified deadline for your chosen programme.
Attend the selection process (typically written/oral examination or portfolio review depending on the field).
Receive your admission outcome and begin your funded 3-year placement in November 2026.

Pro tip from Gradualin: Apply for UniPi admission as early as possible. Use the June–July window to gather and prepare your DSU financial documents from your home country — legalisation and translation can take weeks and you do not want to miss the DSU call deadline.

🎓 Important Dates & Deadlines

Stage	Date
UniPi 2026/27 Enrolment Open	Ongoing (verify per programme)
DSU Call Opens	~Mid July 2026 (verify at dsu.toscana.it)
DSU Application Deadline	~Early September 2026 (verify annually)
PhD 42nd Cycle Deadline	Verify per programme at unipi.it
PhD Programme Start	November 2026
Italian Language Assessment (Non-EU)	Dates published on UniPi website for 2025/2026 (check for 2026/27 update)

📌 Bookmark this page and check back for updates — the DSU call is released fresh each academic year, and PhD programme deadlines vary by department. Always confirm dates directly on the official UniPi and DSU Toscana portals.

🎓 Why Apply — Why the University of Pisa, Why Italy

Here’s something most people do not fully appreciate until they arrive: studying in Italy is not just an academic decision — it is a life decision.

Pisa sits in the heart of Tuscany, arguably the most beautiful region in the world. Within a 30-minute train ride you can be in Florence, with its Renaissance art, architecture, and culture. An hour further and you are in the Cinque Terre, the Ligurian coast, or the hills of Chianti. Italy gives you all of this while you earn a globally recognised European degree.

The University of Pisa alumni network includes some of history’s most remarkable minds — Galileo Galilei himself studied and later taught here. Today, the university maintains world-class research programmes, strong international partnerships through the Circle U. European university alliance, and active connections to global industry and innovation ecosystems.

Here is what makes this particularly compelling for Gradualin readers: The combination of a free tuition exemption + €7,200 annual stipend + free accommodation through the DSU scholarship makes the University of Pisa one of the most financially accessible top-ranked universities in all of Europe. Very few institutions at this ranking level offer this level of support to international students without requiring a competitive language test score. That is rare — and worth moving quickly on.

🎓 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is IELTS or TOEFL required for the University of Pisa scholarship? A: No — IELTS and TOEFL are not required for the DSU scholarship itself. The DSU scholarship is awarded based on financial need and enrolment status, not language test scores. However, if you are applying for an Italian-taught programme, UniPi requires proof of Italian language proficiency through their own assessment. English-taught programmes may have their own language requirements — verify per programme.

Q: Can non-EU students get the DSU scholarship at the University of Pisa? A: Yes. Non-EU international students are eligible for the DSU Toscana scholarship. The key requirement is that you must first obtain an admission offer from UniPi, then apply for the DSU through the regional scholarship portal when the call opens. Income documentation from your home country is required, translated into Italian and legalised.

Q: How much money does the DSU scholarship provide per year? A: The DSU scholarship at the University of Pisa provides a yearly stipend of €7,200, credited directly into your bank account throughout the year. On top of this, the scholarship covers full tuition fee exemption and free university accommodation (or a housing contribution if no dormitory space is available).

Q: What is the PhD scholarship stipend at the University of Pisa? A: PhD scholars at the University of Pisa receive an annual stipend of €16,243 before taxes, paid in monthly instalments over the three-year doctoral programme. This is in addition to full tuition fee exemption and research funding for academic activities both in Italy and internationally.

Q: Do I need to know Italian to study at the University of Pisa? A: It depends on your chosen programme. Many programmes are taught in Italian, and the university requires an Italian language proficiency assessment for non-EU students applying to these. However, the University of Pisa also offers several English-taught Master’s programmes where Italian is not a requirement. Check the specific language of instruction for your target programme on the UniPi courses page.

Q: What is the maximum tuition fee at the University of Pisa for 2025/2026? A: The maximum all-inclusive tuition fee is €2,900 per year — covering teaching, scientific, and administrative services. Reductions are available based on family income, and DSU scholarship recipients pay €0 in tuition fees.

🎓 Official Sources

🌐 International Student Enrolment Guide: unipi.it — Enrolment for International Students
🎓 Scholarships & Support Services: unipi.it/en/education/registration/scholarships-and-other-support-services
💶 DSU Toscana Scholarship Portal: dsu.toscana.it
📋 Pre-Enrolment (Non-EU Students): universitaly.it
🔬 PhD Programmes: unipi.it/en/education/courses/phd-programmes
💻 Alice Student Online Portal: studenti.unipi.it
📞 Contact / Student Support: N. Verde Studenti 800 018 600 (toll-free within Italy)
📧 PEC: protocollo@pec.unipi.it
📍 Address: Lungarno Pacinotti 43, Pisa, Italy

🎓 Complete Summary Table

Detail	Information
University	University of Pisa (UNIPI)
Country	Italy 🇮🇹
Founded	1343
Degree Levels	Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD
DSU Stipend	€7,200/year
PhD Stipend	€16,243/year (pre-tax)
Tuition (No Scholarship)	Max €2,900/year
Tuition (DSU)	€0 — fully exempt
Accommodation	Free (DSU recipients)
IELTS Required	❌ No (for DSU scholarship)
Open To	All nationalities
Pre-Enrolment Portal	UniversItaly (non-EU students)
DSU Call Opens	~Mid July (annually)
PhD Start Date	November 2026 (42nd cycle)
Official Website	unipi.it