ERSU Palermo Right to Study Scholarship 2026/27: Full Guide

The ERSU Palermo Right to Study Scholarship (in Italian, the borsa di studio per il diritto allo studio universitario) is the main regional support for university students in western Sicily, funded through Regione Siciliana and the EU social fund. It pairs a yearly cash grant with tuition exemption, free or subsidised meals, and the chance of a university residence place, and it is open to Italian and international students alike. The 2026/27 call is open now, and the deadline is 14:00 on 22 July 2026. You can see the amounts and apply link on our ERSU Palermo Right to Study Scholarship 2026/27 listing.

Deadline alert: applications opened at 09:00 on 5 June 2026 and close at 14:00 on 22 July 2026, submitted online at studenti.ersupalermo.it. International students should book their parified-ISEE appointment at the partnered CAF immediately, because the income documents from your home country take time to gather.

At a glance

In this guide

• What is the ERSU Palermo scholarship?
• Which universities and institutions it covers
• What you get: the full benefits package
• Who can apply: eligibility in depth
• The international student playbook
• Key dates for 2026/27
• How to apply, step by step
• After you apply: rankings and payments
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Glossary of key terms
• Frequently asked questions

What is the ERSU Palermo scholarship?

ERSU Palermo is the regional body for university right-to-study in western Sicily. On behalf of Regione Siciliana, and with support from the EU social fund (PR-FSE 2021/2027), it runs a need plus merit based programme for capable students who lack the means to study. Winners receive a yearly cash maintenance grant, exemption from university tuition fees, free or subsidised canteen meals, and the option of a place in a university residence, with extra support for students who go on international mobility.

Which universities and institutions it covers

The scholarship is not tied to one university. It covers students enrolling at any of the higher-education institutions in the ERSU Palermo territory, including:

• The University of Palermo (Universita degli Studi di Palermo)
• LUMSA Palermo
• UniCamillus Cefalu
• SSML CIELS Campus Palermo
• The Academies of Fine Arts in Palermo, Trapani, Agrigento, and San Martino delle Scale
• The Music Conservatories in Palermo, Trapani, Caltanissetta, and Ribera

What you get: the full benefits package

1. The cash maintenance grant

The grant is paid yearly and scales by where you live relative to your institution and by your income band. In the 2025/26 cycle the amount ranged from about EUR 1,425 at the lower end to about EUR 8,133 at the top.

Honesty note: the euro range is from the 2025/26 cycle. The exact 2026/27 amounts and the per-category figures are set in the new bando and its tables; use this range to gauge the scale and confirm the current figure on the official documents.

2. Tuition exemption

Scholarship winners are exempt from paying university tuition fees. For students at the University of Palermo and the other covered institutions, this fee saving sits on top of the cash grant and is a major part of the package.

3. Free or subsidised meals

Winners get meals at the university canteen free of charge or at reduced prices, a steady saving for students living away from home.

4. University accommodation

You can request a place in an ERSU residence as part of the same application. Accommodation typically runs from October to July for the academic year.

5. International mobility support

Students who take part in an international mobility programme can keep or adjust their benefits, and there is specific guidance for proving off-site status when you hold rental contracts both abroad and in your course town.

Who can apply: eligibility in depth

There are three tests, enrolment, income, and merit, plus a residency category that sets your amount.

Enrolment

You must enrol, or intend to enrol, at one of the covered institutions in the ERSU Palermo area, in a bachelor’s, master’s, single-cycle, or eligible AFAM programme. You also need an Italian tax code (codice fiscale).

Income

The award is income tested. In 2025/26 the limits were an ISEE of up to EUR 22,750 and an asset indicator (ISPE) of up to EUR 52,000, both lower than some mainland regions, so check your figures carefully. You must hold a valid university-type ISEE attestation. ERSU reads the ISEE and ISPE values from the national INPS database. International students and Italians with family abroad use a parified version, the ISEEU/ISPEU, covered below.

Merit

First-year students apply on income alone. Students past the first year must have earned a minimum number of credits (CFU) by 10 August, with the exact target depending on course type and year as set in the bando’s tables. Credits you earn after applying but before the deadline can be counted if you update your request correctly.

Residency category

Your category sets your grant size: in sede (living in the institution’s town), pendolare (commuting in from nearby), or fuori sede (relocating, with a valid rental contract). Relocating international students typically fall into the off-site tier, the top of the range.

The international student playbook

Read this twice. The income side works differently when your family lives abroad, and the deadline is firm.

Step 1: get your Italian tax code (codice fiscale)

You cannot apply without one. Request it early through the relevant Italian authorities or your local Italian consulate.

Step 2: how you log in

Applications are made on the ERSU Palermo portal at studenti.ersupalermo.it. Students who have SPID or a CIE electronic ID card use those. Students who do not, including many international students, can access the portal with a codice fiscale and password account, validating actions with an SMS one-time code.

Step 3: the parified ISEE (ISEEU/ISPEU)

If your family income is produced abroad, you cannot use a standard Italian ISEE. Instead you have a parified indicator calculated at a CAF that has an agreement with ERSU. For ERSU Palermo this is the CAF UIL in Palermo (Via Giuseppe Mancino 34), and the service is free for students applying for benefits. Book an appointment in advance, by phone or WhatsApp, and bring your home-country income and asset documents. Because gathering and translating those documents takes time, this is the first thing to organise.

Step 4: visa-delay safety net

In past cycles ERSU extended the document deadline for students who applied on time but were held up by visa procedures. If your visa is delayed, apply anyway by 22 July and watch the official ERSU notices for any extension that applies to you.

If you have a disability

Where the disability increase applies, upload certification of a disability of 66% or more through the portal.

Key dates for 2026/27

The submission deadline is fixed. The exact correction and ranking dates are set each year in the bando and published on the ERSU portal, so check there for the binding 2026/27 calendar.

How to apply, step by step

1. Access the ERSU Palermo portal at studenti.ersupalermo.it (SPID or CIE, or a codice fiscale and password account if you do not have SPID).
2. Complete the benefits request (richiesta benefici): select your institution, course, and year, and tick the benefits you want (scholarship, accommodation, meals).
3. Get your income indicator: a university-type ISEE, or the parified ISEEU/ISPEU at the partnered CAF UIL if your family is abroad.
4. Upload any required documents to your “Fascicolo” and submit before 14:00 on 22 July 2026. The last valid submission is the one that counts, so if you redo the form, transmit it again.
5. If you are off-site, declare your rental contract through the dedicated procedure and upload the registration receipt.

After you apply: rankings and payments

ERSU publishes participant lists and then the rankings on its institutional website, which counts as official notification. The agency does not send results to your home address and does not reply on social media. Outcomes and any notes (for example a request for clarification) appear in your personal area of the portal under your request number. Where extra funds are allocated, the ranking is extended to admit more eligible students. The scholarship is paid in instalments across the year.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving the parified ISEE too late. Book the CAF appointment and gather home-country documents in June, not July.
• Missing the income ceilings. Palermo’s limits (ISEE EUR 22,750, ISPE EUR 52,000 in 2025/26) are lower than some regions; check your numbers.
• Not transmitting the final request. An un-submitted draft does not count, and redoing the form means you must submit again.
• Wrong residency category. Off-site status needs a valid registered rental contract.
• Waiting for an email. ERSU communicates through the portal and its website, not by post or social media.
• Trusting last year’s figures. Confirm the 2026/27 amounts and limits in the official bando.

Glossary of key terms

• Bando: the official call for applications, with the binding rules, amounts, and deadlines.
• Borsa di studio: the scholarship, that is the cash maintenance grant.
• ISEE / ISPE: the Italian income and asset indicators used for means testing.
• ISEEU / ISPEU parificato: the parified versions for students whose family income is produced abroad.
• CAF: a tax assistance centre; the ERSU-partnered CAF UIL in Palermo calculates the parified ISEE for free.
• SPID and CIE: Italy’s digital identity and electronic ID card, used to log in to the portal.
• Codice fiscale: the Italian tax code, required to take part; also the basis of the alternative portal login.
• In sede, pendolare, fuori sede: the on-site, commuter, and off-site categories that set your grant amount.
• CFU: university credits; a minimum number is required to keep the grant past the first year.
• Fascicolo: the document folder in your portal account where you upload attachments.

Frequently asked questions

Can international students apply?

Yes. ERSU Palermo is open to international students and to Italians with family abroad, who use a parified ISEE (ISEEU/ISPEU) calculated at the partnered CAF instead of the standard ISEE.

What is the 2026/27 deadline?

Applications opened on 5 June 2026 and close at 14:00 on 22 July 2026, online at studenti.ersupalermo.it.

How much is the scholarship?

In 2025/26 the grant ranged from about EUR 1,425 to about EUR 8,133 depending on your residency category and income band, plus tuition exemption, meals, and the option of housing. Confirm the 2026/27 figures in the bando.

Which institutions are covered?

The University of Palermo, LUMSA Palermo, UniCamillus Cefalu, SSML CIELS Palermo, and the Academies of Fine Arts and Music Conservatories across western Sicily.

I do not have SPID. Can I still apply?

Yes. You can access the ERSU portal with a codice fiscale and password account, validating with an SMS code, which is the route many international students use.

Are tuition fees covered?

Yes. Scholarship winners are exempt from university tuition fees, in addition to the cash grant.

What income limits apply?

For 2025/26 the limits were an ISEE up to EUR 22,750 and an ISPE up to EUR 52,000. Check the 2026/27 bando for the current figures.

How will I find out the result?

Through the ERSU website and your personal portal area, which counts as official notification. ERSU does not send results by post or reply on social media.

Ready to apply, or want a hand with it?

ERSU Palermo is one of the most practical ways to make studying in Sicily affordable, especially for international students who organise their parified ISEE early and submit well before the deadline. The window is open now and closes at 14:00 on 22 July 2026.

For the amounts, eligibility, and the apply link in one place, see our full ERSU Palermo Right to Study Scholarship 2026/27 listing. You can also browse more fully funded options on our scholarships page. And if you would like help getting your application and documents right the first time, our team is one message away.

Sources: official ERSU Palermo bando, FAQ, and portal pages at ersupalermo.it (2025/26 and 2026/27), the University of Palermo international-students page, and the 2026/27 opening notice. Amounts and income limits shown for 2025/26 should be reconfirmed against the 2026/27 bando.