Italian student scholarship and aid expansion

In mid‑July 2026 Italy’s regions rolled out a wide‑scale scholarship programme for the 2026‑27 university year, adding thousands of university residences in Tuscany and merit‑based awards in Milan, Molise, Piemonte and Sirmione. A few days later the national government unveiled a complementary support package for the 2025‑26 school year, covering newspaper and periodical subscriptions for roughly 1,040 schools, introducing €500 cultural‑merit cards, regional book‑purchase bonuses, transport discounts and tuition exemptions for low‑income university students, with an extra 40 % scholarship supplement and a €500 one‑off grant for students with disabilities. On 22 July 2026 the Department for Information and Publishing approved the newspaper‑subsidy scheme, confirming reimbursement of up to 90 % of subscription costs for about 1,040 schools and emphasizing media‑literacy goals.

On 27 July 2026 the municipality of Canneto sull'Oglio announced a merit‑based study grant for the 2025‑26 school year: pupils scoring a perfect 10/10 in the middle‑school exam receive €200, while those earning 95‑100 points on the state exam or a professional qualification receive €300, with applications due 19 September 2026. The Campania regional authority also launched its 2026‑27 scholarship scheme, offering tuition waivers, accommodation and mobility grants to students whose household ISEE is below €25,500 or ISPE below €54,000 and who meet academic merit criteria, with applications open until 10 September 2026. These municipal and regional initiatives extend the earlier wave of university‑level support, reinforcing a layered, merit‑based aid system that spans primary, secondary and higher education across Italy.