Italy's ISEE threshold for free university tuition in 2026-27
By Muntasir • Published Jul 28, 2026 • Updated Aug 08, 2026 • Education Planning, Study in Europe, Money & Budgeting, Education News & Policy
Italy's national No Tax Area sets tuition exemption at an ISEE of about 22,000 euros a year, and universities cut fees on a sliding scale above that up to roughly 30,000-35,000 euros depending on the university and region. Some universities set their own exemption threshold higher than the national floor, up to roughly 26,000-30,000 euros, so confirm with your own institution. Non-EU students need a certified income declaration from an Italian consulate before they can get an ISEE, and that step alone takes 4-8 weeks, so start in June or July for an October filing window.
💶 Full exemption: ISEE at or below the national floor of about 22,000 euros
💶 Some universities set their own exemption threshold higher, up to roughly 26,000-30,000 euros
💶 Partial reduction: ISEE between the threshold and roughly 30,000-35,000 euros
📩 Non-EU students: consulate income certification first, 4-8 weeks to process
⏱️ Most regional DSU windows run from September to the end of October
🎓 Exact bands differ by university and region, confirm with your own institution
What ISEE decides for your tuition
ISEE (Indicatore della Situazione Economica Equivalente) converts your household income and assets into a single number. Italian universities and regional right-to-study bodies use that number to set your tuition band and to decide who qualifies for a DSU (diritto allo studio) scholarship. This applies to EU and non-EU students alike, at bachelor's, master's and single-cycle degree level. A low ISEE score usually means a small fixed regional tax instead of full tuition, and a high score means the full published fee.
The threshold for 2026-27
| ISEE bracket | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Up to about 22,000 euros | Full tuition exemption under the national No Tax Area, only a small fixed regional tax remains |
| 22,000 to roughly 30,000-35,000 euros | Partial tuition reduction, size set by your university and region |
| Above the upper band | Full published tuition fee |
The 22,000 euro figure is the legislated national floor for the No Tax Area tuition exemption. Some universities set their own exemption threshold higher than this floor, up to roughly 26,000-30,000 euros, and every university and region sets its own exact upper band and fee steps on top of it. A separate figure, about 26,306 euros, is the national ISEE threshold for DSU scholarship (borsa di studio) eligibility from DSU scholarship program figures , which is a separate cash grant, not the tuition exemption. Check your specific university's ISEE fee table each year, since the national figure sets only the floor, not the full picture.
Getting an ISEE as a non-EU student
You cannot apply for a standard ISEE from outside Italy the way an Italian resident does. Non-EU students follow a separate route, detailed by This is Locomotive :
Get a certified declaration of your family's income and assets from the Italian embassy or consulate in your home country. This step takes 4-8 weeks, so start in June or July for an autumn filing window.
Get the declaration apostilled or legalized by the consulate.
Take the legalized, Italian-translated documents to a CAF (tax assistance center) once you're in Italy.
The CAF submits your declaration to INPS. Your official ISEE certificate arrives 10-15 working days later.
Enter your ISEE figure in your region's DSU portal alongside your university application.
Which ISEE type applies to you
Italy uses three ISEE variants for students. The Ordinary ISEE applies if you earn over 9,000 euros a year and have lived independently from your family for 2 years or more. The ISEE Parificato applies if your family lives abroad and you remain part of that household, or if you earn under 9,000 euros. The ISEE Corrente is a 6-month update you file if your family's income changed a lot in the past year, useful if your circumstances shifted after your last ordinary ISEE. This process applies to any student whose family lives outside Italy, EU citizens included, not only non-EU nationals. If you're already an Italian resident, or your family lives in Italy, you file the standard ISEE the same way any Italian family does.
One 2026 change affects families who own their home: the primary residence asset shield used in the ISEE formula rose to 91,500 euros, which lowers your calculated ISEE if your family owns the property they live in, per This is Locomotive .
Income is not the only requirement
ISEE decides whether you're financially eligible, but Italy's DSU scholarships and tuition exemptions also require you to meet a minimum number of exam credits each year to stay eligible. Miss the credit threshold and you can lose the exemption or scholarship even if your ISEE stays low, so track your regional agency's exact credit requirement alongside the income threshold. The same ISEE figure also decides whether you qualify for a DSU cash grant (borsa di studio), which can cover housing and living costs on top of the tuition waiver, though the grant follows its own separate application inside the same portal.
Deadlines to track
Build your filing plan around these windows, and start the consulate step first since it takes the longest.
June-July: non-EU students start consulate income certification
August 10: merit credit declaration deadline for continuing (non-first-year) students
September 10 to October 31 (typical, varies by region): main DSU application window
November-January: some regions run a supplementary application round
These windows shift a little each year and differ by region, so confirm exact dates with your university's diritto allo studio office before you build a filing plan around them.
Where to check your regional agency
Italy's regional right-to-study agencies publish the exact ISEE bands and DSU deadlines for universities in their area. Examples include LazioDiSCo for Rome, ER.GO for Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, EDiSU Lombardia for Milan and Pavia, DSU Toscana for Florence and Pisa, and ADISURC for Naples. Search your university's city plus "diritto allo studio" to find the right agency and its current ISEE table.
Why your university's number might not match a friend's
Italy manages the right-to-study system regionally, through bodies such as the ones listed above rather than one national office. Each region sets its own upper income band for partial reductions, and larger public universities in expensive cities sometimes set different steps than smaller ones. A large university in Rome and a smaller regional university can both follow the same national floor and still land on different upper bands, because each region calibrates its scale against local living costs and available DSU funding. Treat the national floor as your starting reference point, and pull your own university's fee table for the number that decides your bill.