If you are a student living out-of-town (studente fuori sede) and wish to enrol at the University of Padua, below you will find essential information to help you navigate accommodation, canteens and scholarships.
1. Accommodation
The allocation process for university accommodation is managed by the ESU in Padua and is reserved primarily for students living out-of-town and, secondarily, for commuters (pendolari).
– Eligibility criteria: The income limits for the 2026/2027 academic year are currently being finalised by the Veneto Region. For reference, last year’s thresholds were set at €26,306.25 for the ISEE and €42,530.50 for the ISPE. Please note that, for non-EU students enrolling in the first year of a three-year or master’s degree programme, there are around 70 places available, allocated via a single ranking list based on income criteria (ISEE Parificato). Information regarding the procedure for obtaining the ISEE Parificato is available at the link below. For students enrolling in years after the first, the second requirement is academic ‘merit’.
– Allocation criteria: The ranking is drawn up in ascending order of ISEE for students enrolling in the 1st year and in order of merit coefficient for those enrolling in years after the first.
– Timeline: The call for applications is published in early July, with the deadline for submitting applications usually set for the end of August. The 2025/2026 Call for Applications and other materials are now available; we recommend reading them, as many details remain unchanged from one year to the next.
– Access to the portal: Applications are submitted via the ESU Student Desk (Sportello Studente).
Here you will find information on ESU halls of residence and on the Housing Competition.
If you do not meet the requirements set out in the call for applications, we suggest you look for private accommodation. In Padua, there are many university halls of residence run by private organisations and many flats rented to students. You will need to sort this out yourself; ESU cannot assist you in finding accommodation on the private market.
2. Canteen Service
All students who are properly enrolled have access to the university canteens.
– Activation: in the second half of September, we will begin activating the canteen service for those enrolling for the 2026/2027 academic year. Activation is automatic, within approximately 48–72 hours of enrolment, thanks to data exchange between the University and ESU.
– Initial rates: Until 31 December 2026, first-year students will be charged the ‘Rate B’ (€4.70 for a full meal; €3.50 for a reduced-price meal).
– Updates from 2027: From 1 January 2027, the rate will be updated based on the results of the UNIPD scholarship competition. Scholarship recipients will be entitled to one free meal per day until 31 December 2027, with the dining contribution deducted directly from the scholarship grant. Students not meeting the eligibility criteria will retain Rate B.
Here you will find information on the canteen service.
3. Scholarships
The administration of scholarships for students enrolled at the University of Padua is the exclusive responsibility of the University of Padua and not of ESU.
ESU manages scholarship assignments only to students enrolled at the Conservatories of Music, the Schools of Linguistic Mediation and the Italian School of Design.
– Call for Applications: Expected around mid-July on the University of Padua website.
– Application Procedure: Applications must be submitted exclusively online via Uniweb, the reserved area on the University of Padua website.
– Financial Requirements: An ISEE is essential for eligibility for university study.
– Income thresholds: The financial criteria (ISEE/ISPE) required are the same as those for the Accommodation Competition
Click here for information on scholarships.
What should you do now?
To ensure you are prepared when the calls for applications are published, we recommend:
– Apply promptly for the University ISEE certificate.
– – Monitor the official websites of UniPD (for scholarships) and ESU Padova (for accommodation and canteens) from the start of July.
– Read the calls for applications (and other material) relating to the 2025/2026 academic year, available on the ESU Padova and University websites.
For further details, please consult the relevant sections on the institutional portals of the University of Padua and ESU.