EDUcatt - Scholarships of merit

What you get

You will receive a comprehensive package covering one academic year at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy: no tuition fees, a financial grant, one free meal a day and a discount if you are allocated a place in an EDUCatt student hall of residence. EDUCatt is the organisation that promotes the right to study at the Università Cattolica and runs the programme. The amount of the financial grant depends on where you live during your studies:

• Living away from home: at least around 7,171 EUR
• Commuting: at least around 4,191 EUR
• Living in the same town as the university: at least around 2,890 EUR

EDUCatt may pay out higher amounts depending on the funds available and your income bracket. For 2026/2027, at least 571 grants are earmarked for first-year students, 1,212 for students in higher semesters and 10 for students on specialisation or PhD programmes.

Who can apply

• University: You are enrolled at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore or are about to enrol. The Bolzano, Campobasso and Potenza campuses are not included.
• Level: You are studying on a Bachelor’s, Master’s, single-cycle Master’s, specialisation or PhD programme. You must not already hold a degree at the same or a higher level.
• Field of study: Any subject.
• Nationality: Italian nationals and EU citizens are eligible to apply. Students from non-EU countries may apply provided they meet the Italian residence requirements. Exchange or visiting students from abroad are not eligible to apply.
• Full-time: You are a full-time student, not a part-time student.
• Income limit: Your household’s ISEE (the Italian income and assets index for student grants) is no more than 26,887.93 EUR, and your ISPE (the corresponding assets index) is no more than 58,452.06 EUR.
• Grades and credits: As a first-year student, you will sit the placement test and, by 10 August 2027, have completed a specified number of credits (CFU). In subsequent academic years, you will already have accumulated a minimum number of credits from previous years. Students with a recognised disability require 40% fewer credits.
• No other scholarship: You are not currently receiving any other scholarship for the same year.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the MyEDUCatt portal. The application deadline is 30 September 2026 at 13:00 Roman time; no extensions will be granted. A provisional result will appear in your account within 48 hours. EDUCatt will then verify your income and academic record and publish the final ranking list.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a means-tested and merit-based scholarship, for which more than 1,700 places are available for 2026/2027, meaning the scholarship pool is large. The main selection criterion is the income threshold. If your ISEE is below the upper limit, you are studying full-time at the Università Cattolica and have achieved the required number of credit points, your chances are good. Make sure you have your ISEE certificate and your credit points in order before the fixed deadline in September, as no extensions will be granted.