If you need help with school expenses in 2026/2027, start with two facts: where the student lives and which cost you need to cover. This guide helps you distinguish textbook grants, primary-school vouchers, school fees, transport and scholarships, prepare the right application and check its outcome.
As of 30 October 2026, Lombardy's Buono Scuola fee scheme is about to open; Sicily's textbook grant is closed to families and Tuscany only allows corrections or changes to existing applications. The verified examples help you find the right route; they are not a complete list of every regional and municipal scheme.
Before preparing your documents
- Starting point
- Student's residence, school attended and type of expense
- ISEE
- The indicator and threshold in the specific notice; no shared limit for all support
- Lombardy, fees
- Buono Scuola: 3 November–10 December 2026, both at 12:00
- Sicily, textbooks
- Family applications closed on 16 October; 20 November is for municipalities
- Tuscany, Libri Gratis
- 28 October–10 November: corrections and changes to existing applications
- Application and payment
- Receipt, eligibility, funding and use are separate stages
Section 1
Which type of school support should you look for?
The phrase bonus scuola can refer to different schemes. First identify the expense and school level.
| Your need | Scheme to look for | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary-school textbooks | Contributo libri, buono libri or free/partly funded textbooks | Regional notice and municipal or school instructions: eligible costs, ISEE and receipts. |
| Primary-school textbooks | Cedole librarie or free textbook provision | Municipality of residence and school: issuing vouchers, participating shops and pupil details. |
| Tuition fees | Buono Scuola or school-fee assistance | Eligible schools and activities; separate from meals, nurseries and teaching materials. |
| Travel to school | Reduced fares, travel passes, reimbursement or dedicated transport | Registration for the service and financial assistance may require separate applications. |
| Support for studying | Regional school scholarship or Fondo unico/IoStudio | School level, relevant year, financial conditions and any academic-performance criteria. |
National funding may be implemented through Regions and municipalities; it does not imply one ministry application form. University scholarships and Bonus nido follow their own procedures, outside the school route covered here.
- MIM — IoStudio scholarships and card use (Italian)
- Sicily — Textbooks, vouchers, transport and school scholarships (Italian)
- Lombardy — Formal Buono Scuola 2026/2027 notice (Italian PDF)
- Rimini — Primary-school digital textbook vouchers 2026/2027 (Italian)
- Rome — School transport fee reduction 2026/2027 (Italian)
Section 2
2026/2027 schemes: opening, closing and correction windows
Position checked on 30 October 2026. All times are Italian local time; each row applies only to the named scheme.
| Area and scheme | Status and deadline | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Lombardy — Buono Scuola, 2026/2027 fees | Not yet open: 3 November 12:00 → 10 December 2026 12:00 | Prepare ISEE and digital access; submit during the application window. |
| Lombardy — Materiale Didattico 2026/27 | Closed on 7 May 2026 at 12:00 | If you already applied, check the decision and instructions for use. |
| Sicily — textbook contribution 2026/2027 | Family deadline expired on 16 October 2026 | Follow the application already handed to the school; 20 November is a municipal reporting deadline. |
| Tuscany — Libri Gratis 2026/2027 | Corrections/changes: 28 October 09:00 → 10 November 2026 18:00 | Open your existing application if you need to respond to the office or amend details. |
A page labelled in progress may refer to processing, rankings or payments. Read the latest update and its intended audience before treating it as open to new applicants. None of the dates in this table is a national deadline.
Section 3
Lombardy's Buono Scuola: eligibility
Call RLW12025050894 supports school fees for 2026/2027. It is not the textbook grant.
- The student must live in Lombardy and be under 21 when the application is completed.
- Enrolment and attendance on an ordinary primary, lower-secondary or upper-secondary course at a state or recognised non-state school (scuola paritaria) charging tuition fees.
- The school must be in Lombardy or a neighbouring Region, with the student returning home daily.
- A valid ISEE no higher than €40,000 when applying. The notice refers to ordinary ISEE or ISEE minorenni where applicable to unmarried/non-cohabiting parents.
- A parent, eligible legal representative or adult student may apply. For children in foster care, the notice provides a dedicated application, an exemption from ISEE certification and supporting foster-care documents.
Eligible fees cover curricular activities, including enrolment. Exclusions include meals and accommodation, extracurricular activities, evening schools, catch-up school-year courses, home education and courses abroad. Ask the school to separate the fee items before declaring the amount.
Section 4
Buono Scuola amounts and ranking
Amounts depend on ISEE and school level. A voucher cannot exceed the eligible fees actually paid.
| ISEE in euros | Primary | Lower secondary | Upper secondary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 8,000.00 | €700 | €1,600 | €2,000 |
| 8,000.01 to 16,000.00 | €600 | €1,300 | €1,600 |
| 16,000.01 to 28,000.00 | €450 | €1,100 | €1,400 |
| 28,000.01 to 40,000.00 | €300 | €1,000 | €1,300 |
If eligible applications exceed the budget, awards for ISEE above €16,000 may be reduced proportionally; the notice preserves primary-school awards in full. Allocation remains conditional on available resources. Assessment must finish within 120 days of closing: this is not a bank-transfer payment deadline.
Illustrative example: an ISEE of €8,000 and primary-school attendance place the student in the €700 band. If eligible fees actually paid are €500, the voucher must be reduced to that expense. This example does not determine individual entitlement.
Section 5
Submitting and using Buono Scuola
Apply online from 3 November 2026 at 12:00 to 10 December at 12:00. A saved draft is not a submitted application with a protocol number.
Prepare access and information
Open call RLW12025050894 on Bandi e Servizi. Use SPID, CIE or CNS/CRS; check ISEE, contact details, school and its codice meccanografico, student details and fees.
Complete and check
The ordinary application is a self-declaration and retrieves ISEE data from INPS services. You normally do not upload the certificate, but it must exist and be available for checks. Foster-care cases require specific documents.
Submit to the protocol system
Confirm the details and complete Invia al protocollo before closing. Keep the number, date and receipt, and check your email. The manual is announced for opening day and has not been verified in advance.
Follow assessment and voucher instructions
Respond to requests for additional information by the stated deadline. Once awarded, follow the provider's instructions to authorise the virtual voucher for the school, which validates it and receives payment.
Use the voucher online by 30 June 2027 at the school where the student finishes the school year. It is not unrestricted money paid into the family's account. Report a school change promptly as instructed; moving to a state school with no tuition fees makes the voucher unusable.
Before closing, a submitted application can be corrected through the withdrawal and resubmission procedure in the notice: withdrawing alone does not submit a replacement. After closing, use the specified channels for contact-detail changes and withdrawals. Keep evidence of eligibility for ten years, as Annex A requires.
Section 6
Textbooks: Sicily, Tuscany and Materiale Didattico
Sicily: family applications closed on 16 October. Tuscany: only corrections or changes to existing applications until 10 November. Lombardy's Materiale Didattico is closed.
Sicily
The regional page specifies ISEE up to €15,000 and submission to the school office by 16 October 2026. The 20 November deadline applies to municipalities. If you applied, ask the school or municipality about processing; do not treat the scheme as open to new applications.
Tuscany
Libri Gratis covers residents under 24 with ISEE up to €15,800 attending secondary schools in Tuscany or neighbouring Regions. The current window covers office-requested corrections, IBAN, school/class, contacts or cancellation without a new application. The IBAN must be in the applicant's name or jointly held by them.
Lombardy — Materiale Didattico
The 2026/27 scheme closed on 7 May and required ISEE up to €15,748.78. The same call includes state scholarships for 2025/26: a payment made this year does not turn that scholarship into a new 2026/27 application.
Elsewhere, find the secondary-school textbook notice and any municipal instructions. Check whether used books, digital texts, loan arrangements or other materials qualify, the eligible spending period and required evidence. Not every scheme reimburses receipts: some use vouchers or amounts set by the notice.
Section 7
Cedole librarie: the primary-school route
Free primary-school textbooks have their own procedure. Do not automatically apply secondary-school grant ISEE limits.
Ask the municipality of residence and school who issues the voucher and where it can be used. In Rimini for 2026/2027, resident families with a child enrolled in primary school collect books at a participating bookshop using the pupil's codice fiscale; the voucher is digital.
If the school and home are in different municipalities, establish which authority provides the books before buying them expecting reimbursement. Check the book list, participating shop and any collection authorisation. A portal for schools or booksellers is not necessarily an application form for parents.
Section 8
School transport: registration, reductions and refunds
A school-bus place and a reduced fee may require two separate applications.
Check whether the local scheme provides a service, price reduction, travel pass or reimbursement. Read residence, school, distance or route conditions, ISEE if required, attendance and payment evidence. For disability-related transport, look for the specific service and responsible authority.
Rome illustrates the distinction: the ordinary 2026/2027 fee-reduction deadline was 30 September. Transport registration reopened on 27 October for existing routes and stops, subject to available places. This reopening does not establish that fee-reduction applications have reopened: ask your municipal school office about your circumstances.
Section 9
School scholarships and IoStudio
Fondo unico scholarships support upper-secondary students from low-income households; Regions identify the beneficiaries.
Check the regional notice, school year and whether existing rankings are used. Some scholarships have academic-performance conditions and others do not: read the specific scheme. University and AFAM scholarships follow different calls.
The ministry's IoStudio portal describes the Carta Postepay Borsa di Studio and its restricted use, with no cash withdrawals. Collecting a minor's card requires the specified documents for both student and representative. Wait for the availability and collection notice for your school year; historical deadlines on the portal are not 2026/2027 deadlines.
Section 10
Eligibility, ISEE and documents: preparation checklist
ISEE measures household financial circumstances; the DSU is the declaration used to obtain it. This checklist helps you prepare, without imposing identical attachments on every application.
- The correct school-year notice, responsible authority and student's residence. Check any age, nationality/residence-status conditions if specified, school, class and course type; do not import requirements from another benefit.
- Applicant and student tax codes and details; the eligible parent's, guardian's or representative's authority. Check whether a separate application is needed for each child.
- A valid, relevant ISEE certificate, not just the DSU receipt. Check household, year, omissions/discrepancies and required indicator; ask a CAF which certificate applies to minors or separated parents.
- School, class, school code, enrolment and attendance; spending or travel-pass evidence only where required. Keep readable receipts and separate eligible items.
- Working digital identity and contact details; an IBAN held as required only where the scheme pays by bank transfer. SPID does not establish your right to represent someone.
- Final receipt, protocol number, application copy and subsequent correspondence. Record submission, additional-information, appeal/reconsideration and use deadlines separately.
ISEE corrente is not automatically available for every scheme: check whether it is accepted and whether you meet its conditions. For foreign income or assets, ask the CAF and authority which documents are needed; university ISEE parificato does not automatically replace the indicator required for school support.
Section 11
Finding and submitting the application in your area
Start with your municipality of residence's official website and the Region's Diritto allo studio section. Your school may collect applications or direct you to the office.
Find the relevant notice
Search the official website for the scheme name and 2026/2027. Read the notice, annexes and updates, distinguishing family applications from school and municipal administrative deadlines.
Check conditions and dates
Compare residence, school, ISEE, expenses and rules on combining aid. Record the closing time. If the deadline has passed, look for an explicit reopening; a page update alone is insufficient.
Use the stated channel
This may be a regional or municipal portal or the school office. If you need help, contact official support before closing and ask about available assistance; do not assume an email replaces submission.
Keep evidence and follow the outcome
Download the complete receipt and check the application status. Monitor your account and messages, including after the call closes.
Section 12
Rankings, awards and payments
Submitted does not mean eligible; eligible does not necessarily mean funded or already paid.
| Status | What to check |
|---|---|
| Received/submitted with protocol | Keep the reference number and check that submission is complete. |
| Suspended or information required | Read the reason, required documents, response channel and deadline. |
| Eligible or admitted | Check whether funding has been awarded or depends on resources and later ranking movements. |
| Excluded | Read the reason and the decision's appeal/reconsideration procedure; do not assume one deadline applies to every scheme. |
| Funded | Check the amount, payment recipient, IBAN or voucher activation, and use deadline. |
A reimbursement may require receipts; a voucher may only work with participating providers; a reduced fee applies to the service. Do not always expect a bank transfer. If payment is missing, first check requests for additional information, then contact the office through its channels using the application reference.
Document-retention requirements and duties to report school changes or withdrawal depend on the notice. Incorrect declarations or undue payments can lead to revocation and recovery: correct errors through the official procedure without creating unrequested duplicates.
Section 13
If something goes wrong or the scheme is closed
Identify the problem before submitting again. Technical support and the office deciding the award have different responsibilities.
| Problem | Next step |
|---|---|
| ISEE missing or showing discrepancies | Check the certificate with INPS/CAF and ask the authority how to correct it within the applicable time limit. A draft does not automatically preserve entitlement. |
| School or student not recognised | Check tax codes, school code and year; contact the school office and official helpdesk. |
| No receipt | Check the portal status as well as email. In Lombardy, submission to the protocol system is decisive. |
| Family deadline has passed | Check for formally published reopenings. Municipal reporting, rankings or correction windows do not authorise a new application. |
| Exclusion or unexpected award | Read the decision and request clarification from the responsible office, observing the specific challenge deadlines. |
Section 14
Frequently asked questions
Questions that can otherwise lead you to the wrong procedure.
Is there one school bonus for all of Italy in 2026/2027?
There is no single procedure covering all school support. Textbooks, primary-school vouchers, fees, transport and scholarships follow different routes. Start with your municipality of residence and Region, then check the scheme, school year and eligible applicants.
When does Lombardy's Buono Scuola 2026/2027 open?
Call RLW12025050894 opens on 3 November 2026 at 12:00 and closes on 10 December 2026 at 12:00, Italian time. It has therefore not yet opened as of 30 October. It covers school fees, requires a valid ISEE no higher than €40,000 and the notice's other conditions, and is separate from the closed Materiale Didattico scheme.
Can families in Sicily apply for textbooks until 20 November?
No. The family deadline for 2026/2027 was 16 October 2026, with applications submitted to the school. The 20 November deadline is for municipalities to report to the Region: it is not an extension for families.
Does Tuscany's window until 10 November accept new applications?
The window from 28 October at 09:00 until 10 November 2026 at 18:00 is for corrections or changes to existing Libri Gratis applications. It is not a general reopening. The previous window for new applications closed on 22 October at 18:00.
Is ISEE always required, including for primary-school textbook vouchers?
Do not apply secondary-school textbook grant requirements to primary-school cedole librarie. Check the municipal free-textbook procedure: Sicily explicitly states that ISEE is not required for these vouchers. Other schemes may require different indicators and thresholds.
Is Buono Scuola paid into the family's bank account?
Lombardy's notice provides a virtual voucher for the school: the family authorises its use, the school validates it and the provider pays the school. It is not a personal bank transfer. For other schemes, check whether payment uses an IBAN, voucher or restricted-use card.
Does a protocol number guarantee payment?
No. The receipt proves submission, not eligibility or funding. Read the decision, any requests for additional information, ranking, awarded amount and instructions for use. Payment times are not the same across all schemes.
Can I claim several grants using the same receipts?
Check each scheme's rules on combining support and declare existing assistance when required. Do not assume the same expense can be funded twice. Tax deductions follow a separate process: ask a CAF or qualified professional about expenses actually borne by you.
Section 15
Official sources and verification limits
Relevant source passages checked on 30 October 2026. This is not a check of every municipality or of your individual eligibility.
- Lombardy — Buono Scuola 2026/2027, RLW12025050894 (Italian)Notice published on 27 October: opens 3 November at noon, closes 10 December at noon, digital access and receipt. The summary's first-come wording conflicts with section C.2 of Annex A: selection and conditions follow the formal notice. No authenticated access; manual announced for opening day. Relevant passages consulted on 2026-10-30.
- Lombardy — Formal Buono Scuola 2026/2027 notice (Italian PDF)A.3, B.1, C.1–C.4 and D.1–D.3 read: age, residence, ISEE, foster care, costs, submission, ranking, amounts, use and checks. Lombardy's 2026/2027 fee scheme only; neither Materiale Didattico nor a national rule. Amounts remain subject to the notice's limits and adjustments. Relevant passages consulted on 2026-10-30.
- Lombardy — Materiale Didattico 2026/27 and scholarships 2025/26 (Italian)Closed status, 7 May 2026 noon deadline, ISEE up to €15,748.78 and different school years for the two components. Publishing decisions or payments does not reopen applications. Do not transfer this ISEE limit to Buono Scuola. Relevant passages consulted on 2026-10-30.
- Sicily — Textbooks, vouchers, transport and school scholarships (Italian)Page updated on 5 October: family deadline 16 October, municipal deadline 20 November; textbook ISEE up to €15,000, primary vouchers without ISEE and municipal transport procedures. Regional page read; Circular 27's attachment was not retrieved. The municipal deadline is not treated as a family extension. Relevant passages consulted on 2026-10-30.
- Tuscany — Libri Gratis 2026/2027 and updates (Italian)26 October update, corrections 28 October–10 November, previous 22 October closing, eligibility, IBAN and 23 October decisions read. In progress also covers administrative processing: it does not establish that new applications are open. No individual case checked. Relevant passages consulted on 2026-10-30.
- MIM — IoStudio scholarships and card use (Italian)Upper-secondary recipients, regional selection, restricted-use card and instructions for minors and adults read. The page includes previous school years: historical collection dates are not transferred to 2026/2027. Relevant passages consulted on 2026-10-30.
- Rimini — Primary-school digital textbook vouchers 2026/2027 (Italian)Residence, primary-school enrolment and collection using the pupil's tax code at participating bookshops read. Municipal example, not a procedure required in every town. Check school and residence before collection. Relevant passages consulted on 2026-10-30.
- Rome — School transport fee reduction 2026/2027 (Italian)30 September deadline, 2026 ISEE, fee-reduction application separate from registration and decision checks read. Ordinary deadline has passed; transport registration reopening does not imply a fee-reduction extension. Relevant passages consulted on 2026-10-30.
- Rome — Transport registration reopens on 27 October 2026 (Italian)22 October notice: online registration on existing routes and stops, subject to available places. Concerns service access, not a cash grant or automatic reopening of fee reductions. Relevant passages consulted on 2026-10-30.
MIM Decree 452/2026 and the attachment to Sicilian Circular 27/2026 could not be retrieved. This guide uses the ministry's IoStudio portal and the regional pages read, without claiming a full check of those attachments or every Italian scheme. No personal application was accessed.
This guide provides general information. For individual eligibility, combining benefits and challenges, consult the responsible authority and a qualified professional where needed. Italian scheme names and portal terms are retained to help you recognise the official procedures.