[ITA]
Are you an asylum seeker or a beneficiary of international protection who would like to continue their studies in Italy by enrolling at university? It can be done!
Studying is not easy for anyone, even more so for a foreign citizen and for a beneficiary of international or temporary protection. It takes a lot of motivation and a good grasp of the Italian language. In addition, you need a secondary school qualification to enroll at university. If you obtained a diploma in a foreign country, your qualification must be assessed and recognized as valid for enrollment.
Qualifications recognition
If you have been forced to flee your country, you may not have the original copies of your school certificates. Furthermore, it may be impossible or too dangerous to request those documents from the authorities of your country of origin.
For this reason, Italian law allows beneficiaries of international protection to obtain a qualification assessment “even in the absence of certification from the State in which the qualification was obtained, where the person concerned proves that he or she cannot acquire said certification”.
Depending on the case, the procedures may vary:
“Statement of Comparability”, issued by CIMEA to beneficiaries of international protection, free of charge.
“Statement of validity“, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a specific request service for beneficiaries of international protection.
EQPR (European Qualifications Passport for Refugees): the Council of Europe has developed an assessment procedure for cases where the documentation is incomplete or even absent.
To understand which procedure is best suited for your situation, we recommend that you contact the university where you would like to enroll.
How to finance your studies
“How do I support myself while attending university?”
To help beneficiaries of international protection, most Italian universities provide an exemption from tuition fees. Furthermore, there are two main scholarship programmes in Italy:
CRUI scholarships
Since 2016, every year, the Ministry of the Interior, in collaboration with the Conference of Italian Universities Rectors (CRUI), offers 100 scholarships for students beneficiaries of international protection.
When: the call for applications is usually out at the beginning of July.
How: you can find the call for applications here https://borsespi.laziodisco.it/, on the CRUI website, or Fondazione CRUI.
DSU scholarships
The Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), through the “Single Fund for Student Welfare and the Right to Study”, offers grants for the Right to University Study (DSU) on a yearly basis.
These scholarships are accessible to all students (Italian and foreign citizens), on the basis of income and merit requirements.
Simplified income certification procedures are foreseen for students who are beneficiaries of international protection.
The grants are managed by Regions, in ways that may vary from one region to another.
When: calls for applications are usually out in the beginning of June and stay open throughout the summer.
How: to find the call for applications of your region or university, you can check the DSU website.
Opportunities in Italy or other countries
If you are looking for opportunities to study in Italy or other countries, visit UNHCR Opportunities, where you can find academic programmes or scholarships verified by UNHCR to continue your studies.