Doppia Carriera Studente-Atleta (Dual Career for Student-Athletes recognition)

Benefit

You get 1,500 EUR per year (gross) plus practical support to combine top-level sport with your studies at the University of Padua. The money is paid once a year, by April of the following year. Alongside the cash you get a study tutor to help plan your timetable and exams, the right to move exam dates within the same session when they clash with a competition, excused absences for official matches, and the option to pause your studies to prepare for a major event such as the Olympics. Your dual career is noted in your Diploma Supplement (an official document describing your degree). The university's SCUP service also offers psychological support.

Eligibility

• University: You are enrolled at the University of Padua, within the normal length of your course or at most two years beyond it.
• Level: Open to bachelor's, master's, single-cycle and specialisation degrees, PhDs, postgraduate master's and advanced courses.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Nationality: All nationalities welcome, Italian and international students alike.
• Sport level: You compete in an Olympic or Paralympic sport at a high level. You must meet at least one of these: called up to a national team, a podium finish at national, European or world championships, selected to represent your country at the Olympics or Paralympics, or playing in a national league for a club that has a partnership agreement with the university.
• Recent results: Your results must be from roughly the 12 to 18 months before the deadline. University-only competitions and EUSA Games do not count.
• Study progress: First-years must pass at least 6 ECTS credits by the February exam session. From the second year on, you need at least 20 ECTS in the previous academic year.
• Household income (for the cash only): To get the 1,500 EUR, your ISEE must be under 70,000 EUR. ISEE is an official Italian measure of your household's income and assets. PhD students who already hold a paid scholarship keep the other benefits but not this payment.

How to apply

You apply online only, through the Uniweb portal, by 30 October. Upload PDF proof of your results, such as rankings, official call-ups or certificates, plus a club confirmation if you qualify through a partner club. A committee led by the vice-rector for welfare and sport reviews applications, and you hear the outcome by 30 November.

How realistic are your chances?

The sport requirement makes this narrow: you must compete in an Olympic or Paralympic discipline at national-team or podium level, which rules out most students straight away. The university recognised 132 athletes for 2025/26 and numbers have grown each year, so it is not a single-winner prize. If you genuinely meet the sporting bar and keep up your credit targets, your prospects are good.