Sapienza University of Rome is one of the oldest and best known universities in Europe, and for the 2026-2027 academic year it is offering a wide range of fully funded and partly funded scholarships. These awards are open to both Italian and international students, and they cover study at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level. In other words, wherever you are in your academic journey, there is likely a Sapienza scholarship built for a student in your position.

Sitting right in the centre of Rome, Sapienza hands out funding based on three broad things: financial need, academic merit, and a set of special tracks. Those special tracks include programs that exist to push for gender equality in STEM, so the support is not only about grades or income, it also targets specific gaps the university wants to close. Most of the awards cover full tuition waivers and living stipends, and some go further by adding travel and housing on top of that. That mix is what makes the difference between a scholarship that simply lowers your bill and one that genuinely makes studying abroad possible.

Deadlines for these scholarships fall between March and October across the 2026-2027 cycle, and the exact date depends on which grant you are chasing. Because the window is that wide and the programs are that varied, the smart move is to look at the official scholarship portal early, see what is open, and line a specific award up against your own academic goals and financial situation. Students of every nationality are encouraged to apply, so this is not a list reserved for a narrow group.

Below is the full list, with what each one offers and who it tends to suit.

Why study in Italy?

Before getting into the individual scholarships, it is worth understanding why Italy keeps pulling in international students in the first place. The country combines top-notch education, deep cultural immersion, and living costs that come in reasonably priced compared with many Western countries. You are not trading affordability for quality here. You get both, and that balance is rare.

Italy is also home to some of the oldest universities in the world. The University of Bologna, for example, was founded all the way back in 1088, which gives you a sense of how long higher education has been part of the country’s identity. That long history feeds into a system that is widely respected, and Italian universities are especially well regarded for engineering, fashion, design, the arts, and the humanities. If your field sits anywhere near those areas, you are studying in a place that takes them seriously.

Then there is the day-to-day experience. Studying in Italy means living La Dolce Vita firsthand, surrounded by historical sites, vibrant art, and the famous cuisine the country is known for around the world. It is the kind of environment that shapes you outside the lecture hall as much as inside it. Learning Italian along the way enhances both your cultural integration and your job prospects, but here is the part that surprises people: you do not need the language to start. Many universities now offer programs taught entirely in English, which makes them accessible even if you arrive without any Italian.

Finally, location works in your favour. Italy sits in the centre of Europe, which turns it into a launchpad for affordable travel and easy exploration of neighbouring countries. A student weekend can take you across borders without much cost or planning, and that kind of access is part of what makes the whole experience feel bigger than a single degree.

How Sapienza’s scholarships work

The awards on this list are not cut from one mould. Some are fully funded, some are partial, and they are awarded against different criteria. Financial need drives some of them, academic merit drives others, and a handful exist as special initiatives aimed at particular groups of students. Understanding which category an award falls into helps you target the ones you actually have a strong case for, rather than spreading yourself thin across every option.

On the coverage side, the typical Sapienza scholarship includes a full tuition waiver and a living stipend, and the more generous ones layer travel and housing support on top. A few of the programs below are structured as paid internships or collaboration roles rather than straight grants, and others are mobility scholarships that fund a period of study or training somewhere other than your home campus. Read each description with that in mind, because the shape of the support is just as important as the amount.

Scholarship details at a glance

• Scholarship name: Multiple scholarship programs
• Host country: Italy
• Provider: University and government funded
• Degree levels: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral

Deadlines vary between March and October 2026-2027 depending on the grant, and students of every nationality are welcome to apply.

List of Sapienza University scholarships

1. Italian Erasmus

The Italian Erasmus program is built to promote student mobility between Italian universities. Through it, you can study or take part in training activities at another Italian institution for a period of three to six months. The key thing to understand is that this is the domestic version of Erasmus. The larger Erasmus+ program supports international exchanges throughout Europe, but Italian Erasmus refers specifically to mobility that stays inside Italy.

Funding is available for qualified students, and the support is assessed on financial indicators. For students who meet those criteria, the program can provide financial support of up to €50,000, which makes it one of the more substantial figures on this list. If you are already studying in Italy and want to spend a semester or two at a different Italian university, this is the route designed for exactly that.

2. Scholarships Polo University

This program awards five three-year scholarships, each worth €7,098.62 gross per year. The selection runs as a competitive process that was established by Rectoral Decree, so places are limited and awarded on merit through a formal route. The stated amount is gross of legal withholdings, which is worth keeping in mind when you plan your budget.

One detail sets this award apart: it is only available to non-Italian citizens living overseas. That makes it a clear target for international students who are based outside Italy and want a multi-year scholarship rather than a one-off grant. If you fit that description, the three-year length here gives you a stability that shorter awards cannot.

3. Regional scholarships and accommodation

Recipients of these regional scholarships receive a comprehensive package rather than a single payment. That package includes complete exemption from all university fees and local taxes, on top of direct financial aid. The idea is to remove the recurring costs that quietly drain a student budget over the course of a degree.

There is also a practical, everyday element built in. Scholarship holders get access to free or heavily discounted catering services, which exists to make sure their basic needs are met while they study. For students who are managing tight finances, that combination of fee exemption, financial aid, and subsidised meals can be the thing that makes day-to-day life in Rome sustainable.

4. Student collaboration scholarship

These are special internships aimed at students who have completed more than their first year, and they offer a genuine chance to work closely with different university departments. Chosen interns help with things like event promotion and stage operations, and they interact with important university spaces such as libraries, labs, interactive areas, and student information centres. It is hands-on involvement in how the university actually runs.

On the money side, these paid internships come with a grant of €1,295.00 and last for 150 hours, usually arranged in flexible shifts of two to four hours per day. That flexibility matters, because it lets you fit the work around your studies rather than the other way around. There is also a separate, tax-free fee of €1,500.00 available for specialised support activities that assist students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties, so the program recognises and rewards that particular kind of work.

5. Worthy students’ scholarship for Italian and international students

This is a competitive program whose whole purpose is to draw in top talent, both Italian and international. It gives exceptionally talented people a rare chance to pursue postgraduate studies, take on innovative research, or step into esteemed positions within the university’s thriving academic community. The framing here is ambition: the program is openly looking for the best minds.

If you have a strong academic record and you want to contribute to and grow within a serious research environment, this award invites exactly that. It is less about meeting a baseline and more about standing out, so it suits students who are confident their work can compete at a high level.

6. International thesis scholarship

Sapienza actively encourages international educational opportunities, and the international thesis scholarship is one of the clearest examples of that. It provides special scholarships for dissertations that are completed overseas, which means your thesis work itself becomes the reason for the funding and the trip.

These financial benefits are only open to students who are enrolled in a degree program, so it is tied to your active studies rather than offered as a standalone grant. The support is there to facilitate international mobility and to enrich your academic journey with a study-abroad chapter. For research students whose dissertation would benefit from time spent in another country, this removes a major barrier.

7. International post-degree scholarship

This award is designed to help Sapienza graduates keep building after they finish. Specifically, it supports graduates who hold a Master’s, a single-cycle, or an old-system degree and want to take their education further. It is a continuation route for people who have already earned a serious qualification at Sapienza.

The scholarships last between six and twelve months and pay a sizeable monthly grant of €1,290.00. That money is intended especially to support enriching internship experiences, so this is the path for graduates who want structured, funded practical experience rather than another classroom year. The length gives you enough time to get real depth out of an internship.

8. 100ragazzeSTEM scholarship

The 100ragazzeSTEM scholarship offers all-encompassing support to exceptional female students pursuing degrees in STEM fields. Recipients receive full tuition waivers along with valuable mentoring opportunities, so the support pairs the financial side with guidance from people already established in the field.

The point of the program is to encourage success in areas that have historically been dominated by men. By combining a full tuition waiver with mentorship, it tackles both the cost barrier and the lack-of-support barrier at the same time. For talented women heading into science, technology, engineering, or mathematics at Sapienza, this is a track built specifically with them in mind.

9. 100 scholarships for students with care responsibilities or in vulnerable circumstances

Sapienza is offering 100 scholarships worth €1,000 each per academic year, and they are aimed at students who are carrying responsibilities or circumstances that make studying harder. The eligible group is defined broadly and includes parents, caregivers, care leavers, victims of gender-based violence, and victims of terrorism or organized crime.

The thinking behind this one is straightforward: students in these situations often face obstacles that have nothing to do with their ability, and a targeted grant can keep them in education when life is pulling in other directions. If you fall into any of those categories, this scholarship exists to give you financial support while you study, and applying is the way to access it.

10. Scholarships for study and training abroad

These mobility scholarships are for students who want to study or complete a traineeship abroad. The funding comes from one of two sources: either through the Erasmus+ programme or directly from Sapienza University itself. Either way, the goal is to put money behind a period of international experience so that cost is not the thing that stops you.

For students who want their degree to include time outside Italy, whether that is academic study or a hands-on traineeship, this is the dedicated route. International experience tends to pay off both academically and professionally, and this award is structured to make that step financially realistic.

Who can apply and how to approach it

Across the board, students of all nationalities are encouraged to apply, and that openness is one of the most appealing things about Sapienza’s offer. That said, the list above shows that individual awards have their own rules. Some, like the Polo University scholarships, are reserved specifically for non-Italian citizens living abroad. Others, such as the international thesis scholarship, require you to be enrolled in a degree program. The post-degree scholarship is for graduates of specific Sapienza degree types, and the 100ragazzeSTEM track is for female STEM students. Matching your profile to the right award is half the work.

The practical approach is the one the university itself points to. Explore the official scholarship portal, find the opportunities that align with your academic goals and your financial situation, and pay close attention to the deadline attached to each one, since they are spread across March to October. Because there are fully funded options, merit-based awards, and mobility programs all sitting side by side, it is worth giving yourself enough time to compare them properly rather than rushing the first one you see.

Frequently asked questions

Are Sapienza University scholarships fully funded? Some are. The programs range from full to partial funding. Most cover full tuition waivers and living stipends, and some also include travel and housing.

Can international students apply? Yes. Students of all nationalities can apply, and a few awards, such as the Polo University scholarships, are reserved specifically for non-Italian citizens living abroad.

What degree levels are covered? Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs.

When are the deadlines? They run between March and October 2026-2027, depending on the grant. Check the official portal for the exact date of the one you want.

Do I need to speak Italian? Not always. Italian helps with daily life and work, but many programs are taught in English.

Is there support beyond tuition? Yes. Depending on the award, support can include living stipends, travel, housing, fee and local tax exemptions, discounted catering, mentoring, and paid internship or collaboration roles.

Final thoughts

Sapienza packs a lot into one university here, from STEM awards for women to support for students with caring duties to mobility grants that send you abroad. There are also many more scholarships beyond this list, including additional fully funded options, merit-based awards, and mobility programs, all available for 2026-2027. Find the one that fits your situation. Then check its deadline and apply through the official portal.

Official links

• Italian Erasmus: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/italian-erasmus
• Scholarships Polo University: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships#scholarships-polo-universitario-interateneo-di-rieti
• Regional scholarships and accommodation: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships#regional-scholarships-and-housing
• Student collaboration scholarship: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships#student-collaboration-scholarships
• Worthy students’ scholarship: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships#student-collaboration-scholarships
• International thesis scholarship: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships#international-thesis-scholarships
• International post-degree scholarship: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships#international-post-degree-scholarship
• 100ragazzeSTEM scholarship: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships#-100ragazzestem-new-sapienza-scholarship-for-outstanding-women-in-stem
• 100 scholarships for students with care responsibilities or in vulnerable circumstances: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships#100-scholarships-for-students-with-care-responsibilities-or-in-vulnerable-circumstances
• Scholarships for study and training abroad: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships#scholarships-for-study-and-training-abroad
• All Sapienza scholarships: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/scholarships