It’s no secret that studying abroad can get expensive fast. At the University of Bologna, for example, the fees for international students can be as high as €2,000-3,000+ a year, depending on your financial situation. Add to that living costs like rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, and €700 in SSN fees, and you’re looking at a hefty annual bill.
Luckily, universities offer financial aid to international students, and the University of Bologna is no exception. Here’s what you need to know about International Talents @Unibo, a University of Bologna scholarship.
International Talents @Unibo: Your Crash Course
If you’re planning to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Bologna, you should look into International Talents @Unibo. It’s one of the more generous Italy scholarships for international students: it combines a full tuition fee waiver with an annual study grant of €6,500.
Of course, since you’d be applying to a master’s program, you’ll have to prove you already have a bachelor’s degree. Be warned: it has to come from a non-Italian institution. In other words, if you earned your bachelor’s degree in Italy, even as a foreign student, you won’t qualify.
What Does the Program Cover?
For the 2025/26 cycle, International Talents @Unibo offered 30 scholarships, each amounting to €6,500 per year for two years. That’s a study grant that you can use for any expenses like rent or groceries.
On top of that, scholarship winners don’t have to pay tuition fees, save for the minimum of €157.04. If you come from “particularly poor and developing countries”, that amount can be reduced.
Be warned: you can’t combine this scholarship with other University of Bologna awards.
Note: the grant is paid in installments, and you have to meet certain requirements to maintain the scholarship. Those requirements amount to the number of university credits (CFU) you should earn by the next installment deadline.
Everything to Know About Eligibility Criteria
For the 2025/26 call, the University of Bologna accepted applications from candidates who:
- Earned or were earning a bachelor’s degree outside of Italy and San Marino
- Were admitted to a master’s program at the University of Bologna
- Were never a student at the University of Bologna before
- Never received a Unibo Action 2 student grant
- Had an ISEE score of €16,000-€35,000 (it essentially reflects your financial need)
- Were under 30 years old at the time of the application deadline
Note: The program is open to all international students regardless of their nationality.
How Does the University Pick Winners?
Financial need alone isn’t enough to get this scholarship. In fact, the University of Bologna has a clear award criterion: your GRE score.
GRE is a general test that evaluates your verbal and quantitative reasoning and analytical writing skills. All applications are ranked based on the GRE score; if there’s a tie, the university gives preference to the younger applicant. The ranking is published on the student portal.
How to Apply: Documents to Submit
Let’s not mince words: you’ll have to spend quite a bit of time preparing the documents required for the International Talents @Unibo application. Here’s the list the university published for the most recent call:
- A filled-out online application on the Studenti Online portal (studenti.unibo.it)
- Copy of a valid passport (IDs accepted for EU citizens)
- Copy of your unofficial GRE score report
- Your official GRE score report submitted through ETS
- Financial documents, translated into Italian and authenticated by Italian authorities or apostilled, to calculate your ISEE
Financial documents should reflect:
- Your family’s composition
- Professional activity of every family member over a year
- Gross income earned over a year
- Real estate assets
- Outstanding mortgage balances
- Movable asset values
- Your disability status (if applicable)
Note: Students from certain areas can submit fewer financial documents.
Ready to Apply? Follow These 10 Steps
Here’s how the application process typically works, based on the 2025/26 International Talents @Unibo cycle:
- Pick a master’s program at the University of Bologna you qualify for.
- Take a GRE test and save the unofficial report.
- Create an account on studenti.unibo.it (Register -> International students registration for applicants without an Italian tax ID number).
- Go to Calls and locate the call for the International Talents @Unibo scholarship.
- Check your contact details and complete the online form.
- Upload a scan of your passport (or ID for EU citizens).
- Upload the unofficial GRE report.
- Submit the official GRE report via ETS.
- Submit financial documents to ER.GO online.
- Wait for the ranking to be published on the university’s portal.
5 Tips for a Winning Application
As with many things in life, preparation is key if you want to secure this scholarship. Here are five tips for making sure this preparation pays off:
- Start early. As you’ve seen, financial documents have to be translated and authenticated. That takes time. The same goes for taking the GRE test and getting the official score.
- Choose the master’s program wisely. Keep in mind that each program has its own set of eligibility criteria. Make sure you meet them before applying.
- Keep an eye on deadlines. Nothing is more frustrating than not getting a scholarship just because you didn’t upload a document on time. So, set reminders for those deadlines.
- Always check official sources. Don’t rely on last year’s requirements or deadlines. Get your information from the University of Bologna’s website directly.
- Be realistic about finances. Even a study grant this generous won’t cover all of your expenses. So, plan for living expenses.
Before You Go
International Talents @Unibo is one of those scholarships you absolutely have to apply for if you qualify. Yes, the application process is relatively complicated and can take a lot of time. But it is a generous scholarship for international students in Italy that can make your life a lot easier.
