1. What the ERSU Catania Scholarship Is
Every Italian region runs its own right to study body — in Italian, Diritto allo Studio Universitario. In Lazio it is DiSCo. In Catania, Sicily, it is ERSU Catania. These agencies exist to make sure a student's finances do not decide whether they can study.
ERSU Catania awards three things through one single application:
A cash scholarship
A place in a university residence (or money towards private rent)
Access to university canteens
The scholarship covers students of:
University of Catania
Academy of Fine Arts of Catania
ABADIR Academy, Sant'Agata li Battiati
"Vincenzo Bellini" Music Institute of Catania
Note: If you are heading to a different Italian university, the concept is identical but the agency, amounts, and deadlines differ. The principles in this guide will still orient you.
2. Why the Italian Government Funds This
Article 34 of the Italian Constitution states that capable and deserving students have the right to reach the highest levels of study even if they lack the means. Regional scholarships exist to deliver on that.
Funding comes from the regional study tax paid by students, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, and European Union funds under NextGenerationEU / PNRR, specifically earmarked for university access.
Important: This is not a loan. There is no interest and no repayment. It is a public benefit awarded on financial need and academic progress.
3. Who is Eligible
Financial Requirement
Two indicators decide this:
ISEE measures household income.
ISPE measures household assets.
To be eligible for AY 2026/27, you need an ISEE of €25,000 or less and an ISPE of €60,000 or less.
Because an Indian family's income and property sit outside Italy, a normal Italian ISEE cannot be issued. You need the equalised version, the ISEE / ISPE Parificato, and it must come from a CAF on ERSU Catania's approved list. A certificate from any other CAF is not accepted.
Merit Requirement
First-year students need no credits to apply. Merit is assessed later, once you have begun studying and passed exams. Students in later years must already hold a minimum number of CFU credits, which varies by course and year.
An honest clarification most sources get wrong: ERSU Catania reserves 40 scholarships for students from countries on the official list of particularly poor countries. India is not on that list. Indian students therefore compete in the general international ranking, which is ordered by ISEE. Scholarships are absolutely available to Indian students — just not through the reserved quota.
Who is Excluded
Students already holding a degree of the same or a higher level.
Part-time students, or those enrolled for individual courses only.
Students holding another scholarship for the same year who did not declare it.
Students previously expelled from a university residence.
4. Which Year's Family Income Counts
This single detail decides which documents your family collects, and it is where a lot of preparation goes wrong.
For academic year 2026/27, the ISEE is calculated on family income earned in 2024 and on property and savings held as of 31 December 2024. The ISEE always looks two years back — not at current income.
There is one exception: If your family's income has fallen substantially since 2024, an ISEE corrente can be used to reflect more recent income. Your approved CAF will confirm whether you qualify and which documents apply.
5. How to Estimate Your ISEE and ISPE Yourself
Before investing months in paperwork, you can sanity-check whether you are in range. This is an estimate, not the official figure — only an approved CAF can issue that.
Rough ISEE
Add the total 2024 gross income of every earning member of the household, converted to euro.
Add 20% of the household's total savings and investments.
Divide by the family-size factor:
2 members $\rightarrow$ 1.57
3 members $\rightarrow$ 2.04
4 members $\rightarrow$ 2.46
5 members $\rightarrow$ 2.85
If the result is under €25,000, you clear the income test.
Rough ISPE
Take total property value plus savings, and divide by the same family-size factor. If it is under €60,000, you clear the asset test.
Clearing both rough tests means it is worth proceeding. The official ISEE Parificato is then prepared through an ERSU-approved CAF.
6. How Much You Actually Receive
The most common misunderstanding: The headline figure is a total bundled value — cash, housing, and meals combined. It is not a cash payment with free housing and a €1,700 allowance added on top of it.
Amounts depend on your ISEE band. Lower household income means a higher award. Figures below are for out-of-town students, the category most Indian students fall into.
Out-of-town scholarship value by ISEE band, AY 2026/27
| Your ISEE | Band | Total value per year |
| €12,500 or below | Top band (115%) | $\approx$ €8,247 |
| €12,500 – €16,666 | Full scholarship (100%) | $\approx$ €7,171 |
| €16,666 – €25,000 | Progressively reduced | €7,171 down to $\approx$ €3,585 |
| Above €25,000, or ISPE above €60,000 | Not eligible | — |
Commuter and on-site students receive lower amounts. Source: ERSU Catania bando 2026/27, Art. 21 and Tables 6, 9.1–9.4.
What the Bundle Contains
Cash scholarship: Paid in two installments, roughly 50% by 31 December 2026.
Housing: A free bed in an ERSU residence, or a €1,700 housing allowance if no bed is available and you rent privately. One or the other, never both.
Meals: Free or subsidised canteen meals via the ERSU Catania app.
Regional study tax: Refunded to scholarship recipients.
Increases
Some students receive more: +20% for female students in STEM courses (Medicine included), +40% for students with disabilities, and +15% where ISEE is at or below half the limit. These do not stack — only the highest applicable increase is applied.
7. How to Apply, Step by Step
Start in India, early: Collect parents' 2024 income documents and assets as of 31 December 2024. Obtain apostille and certified Italian translation. Budget months, not weeks.
Get the ISEE / ISPE Parificato: Get this from a CAF on ERSU Catania's approved list.
Submit the online application: Apply on the ERSU Student Portal at
ersucatania.itby 2:00 PM, 10 August 2026. Students not resident in Italy register with institution-issued credentials at first access — SPID is not required. Tick housing on the same form if you need it. Validate with the OTP and save the receipt.Check the participant list: Check the list published on 11 September 2026, and use the correction window (12–22 September) if your status is suspended or rejected.
Upload documents: Upload documents in the Fascicolo section by 2:00 PM, 30 November 2026. This is a hard deadline.
Accept housing: Accept housing, or file a Rental Declaration if you are renting privately.
Submit your IBAN: Submit your IBAN once the recipients ranking is published by 11 December 2026.
There is no edit button. To change a submitted application you must cancel it and resubmit before the 10 August deadline. The last submission is the one that counts.
ERSU never emails you. All lists, rankings and status updates appear only on the student portal, and publication there counts as official notification. Check it regularly during the season.
If You Do Not Get a Hostel Bed
Beds are limited and many first-year students rent privately. To keep out-of-town status and the €1,700 allowance you must file a Rental Declaration, with a contract in the student's name, registered with the Revenue Agency, covering at least 10 months.
If you miss it — because a visa arrived late, or the contract was not registered in time — your scholarship is not cancelled. But you are reclassified as a commuter: the base falls from about €7,171 to about €4,190, and the €1,700 allowance is lost. Securing a registered contract should be your first task on arriving in Italy.
8. Every Deadline in One Table
| Date | What happens |
| 24 June 2026 | Applications open |
| 10 August 2026, 2:00 PM | Application deadline — miss it and you lose the full year |
| 11 September 2026 | Participant list published |
| 12–22 September 2026 | Correction window (existing applications only) |
| By 30 October 2026 | Scholarship rankings published |
| 30 November 2026, 2:00 PM | Final document upload deadline — no extension |
| 30 Nov 2026 – 31 Jan 2027 | Rental Declaration window |
| By 11 December 2026 | Recipients ranking (the award list) |
| By ~31 December 2026 | First installment (50%) paid |
| 31 March 2027 | Last date to upload the registered rental contract |
9. Six Mistakes That Cost Students the Scholarship
Starting late: Apostille and certified translation take months.
Using a CAF that is not on ERSU's approved list: The certificate will be rejected.
Bringing the wrong year's documents: It is 2024 income, not 2025 or 2026.
Waiting for SPID: Non-residents do not need it.
Never checking the portal: That is the only place updates appear.
Under-declaring income, or hiding another scholarship.
On honesty: This is not advice — it is the law of the bando. Under Article 14, a false declaration means the benefit is revoked, an administrative penalty of three times the amount received applies, the right to further benefits is lost for the entire duration of the course, and the case may be referred to judicial authorities. Failing to declare another scholarship is itself grounds for exclusion under Article 10 and Article 5.
Where Most Families Need Help
The scholarship itself is straightforward. The documentation is not. The ISEE Parificato chain — collecting the correct year's income and property records in India, apostille, certified Italian translation, and an ERSU-approved CAF — is where most applications fail, and it runs on a timeline of months.
KALINGAEURO handles this end to end: document collection in India, apostille, certified translation, ISEE Parificato through an approved CAF, the portal application, deadline tracking, housing and the Rental Declaration. We do this work every season, so the nuances that confuse a family once are routine for us.
WhatsApp: Https://wa.me/9937382331
Office: +91 6742354331
Mobile: +91 9937023631, +91 9937382331
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalingaeuro
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ERSU Catania scholarship a loan?
No. It is a right-to-study benefit funded by the regional study tax, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, and EU NextGenerationEU funds. There is no interest and no repayment.
Can first-year students apply without any credits?
Yes. First-year students, including first-year MBBS students, need no CFU credits to apply. Merit is verified later, after you begin studying.
Which year's income is used?
For AY 2026/27, income earned in 2024, and property and savings held on 31 December 2024. If income has since dropped substantially, an ISEE corrente may apply.
Do I need SPID?
Not if you are applying from India and are not resident in Italy. You register on the ERSU Student Portal with institution-issued credentials and validate with an OTP.
Can I edit my application after submitting?
No. You must cancel the application and submit a fresh one before 2:00 PM on 10 August 2026. The last submission counts.
What if I do not get a hostel bed?
Rent privately and file the Rental Declaration to keep out-of-town status and the €1,700 housing allowance. Miss it and you are downgraded to commuter, losing roughly €2,000–3,000 in value.
Do female medical students get extra?
Yes. Female students in STEM courses, which include Medicine, receive a 20% increase. Increases do not stack; only the highest applicable one is applied.
Are Indian students eligible for the reserved scholarships?
No. India is not on the official list of particularly poor countries. Indian students compete in the general international ranking.
Comments (0)
Login or Register to leave a comment.