Scholarships for refugees and students from conflict areas

Important. Most of the calls on this page are closed, but most of them come back every year. Use the dates below to know when to look, and always read the current call on the university’s site. Many of these scholarships are only for students who are already in Italy or already enrolled: check the residence conditions in each call. For scholarships for Palestinian students, see our guide on Palestinian students.

1. If you are a refugee or have protection in Italy

These scholarships are for people with international protection (refugee status or subsidiary protection) and, in some cases, temporary protection.

• MUR-CRUI scholarships (Ministry of University and Research and the Conference of Italian University Rectors): 100 scholarships in 2025/26 for students with international protection enrolled at an Italian university. The 2025/26 call closed on 10 August 2025. You applied with an online form and sent the documents to refugees@crui.it.
• Scholarships for art and music students (AFAM): the Ministry funded 300 scholarships of about €7,000 each for students with international or temporary protection at AFAM institutions, with up to 15% more for an ISEE up to €13,974.30. You apply through your academy or conservatory, which publishes its own call.
• University of Brescia, 2026/27: 13 scholarships: €4,800 a year, no university fees, discounted meals and transport, and a few places in university housing. There are also places for the Foundation Year. You must already have protection in Italy, even temporary, when you apply. The call closed on 30 September 2026.
• University of Turin, UniTo for Students at Risk: 10 scholarships of €11,000 (2025/26) for refugees enrolling for the first time, with international, temporary or special protection.

If you lost the documents for your studies

The European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR) assesses your studies through a questionnaire and an interview, with CIMEA, the Italian centre for the recognition of qualifications. It is valid for 5 years. You do not apply on your own: the participating universities choose the candidates, so ask your university’s international office.

2. If you are a refugee outside Italy: UNICORE

UNICORE (University Corridors for Refugees) brings refugees to Italian universities for a master’s degree, with UNHCR.

• UNICORE 8.0 (2026/27): 78 scholarships at 41 universities, for refugees living in 13 countries in Africa and South Asia (for example Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and India). It covers travel, accommodation and university fees.
• Applications were open from 2 March to 17 April 2026, on universitycorridors.unhcr.it. Watch the portal for the next call and its list of countries.

See also our guide on volunteering and other ways to come to Italy.

3. If you come from a country in conflict

You do not always need refugee status for these scholarships.

4. For researchers and PhD candidates

• University of Padova, PhD at Risk: PhD scholarships for candidates at risk, including refugees and asylum seekers (closed 5 June 2026). See our PhD guide.
• Scholars at Risk Italy: universities in this network (for example Trento, Verona, Trieste, Pisa and Brescia) offer research fellowships to academics at risk.
• Sapienza University of Rome, Solidarity in Research and Education: visiting grants of €9,000 for 90 days for scholars from priority countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Good to know

• The Italian Government scholarships (MAECI) have no special conditions for refugees or conflict areas. The only reserved scheme is the Attanasio scheme, for applicants from Morocco, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Universities also have their own funds for students in difficulty. Ask the international office or the right-to-study office of your university.
• See also scholarships and funding and the scholarships directory.

This site gives general information only. Rules change often, so always check the official sources.