The Catholic University takes action, pledging two million euros to guarantee everyone’s right to education

An extraordinary initiative worth around two million euros will enable over 400 students at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore to receive a cash scholarship as well as exemption from university fees. The University confirms its decision to use its own resources to guarantee the right to education even for students who, although eligible for scholarships, would otherwise be unable to benefit from them due to insufficient public funding. Since 2011, the Catholic University has invested more than 25 million from its own financial resources to support students who would otherwise have been unable to access funds for the right to education.

Given that the Lombardy Region is unable to meet the full funding requirements for the award of scholarships using public resources (regional, ministerial and PNRR funds), the University has chosen to guarantee 100 per cent of the funding for these scholarships again this year. In 2025–2026, the public funds allocated for students eligible for University of the Catholic University scholarships will cover the needs of approximately 86 per cent of them. Hence this measure, which, through an extraordinary allocation by the University, guarantees this fundamental right.
With this contribution, the Catholic University, together with the EDUCatt Foundation and in collaboration with the Toniolo Institute of Higher Studies, reaffirms its commitment to supporting over 400 students in need and deserving of a scholarship (58 per cent at the Milan campus, 10 per cent in Piacenza-Cremona, 17 per cent in Brescia, and 15 per cent in Rome).

“Since 1924, University Day – established on the initiative and thanks to the far-sighted vision of Armida Barelli – has established a tradition of supporting students in need and of merit, which continues today in new forms,” says Rector Elena Beccalli. “The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart is firmly convinced of the importance of the right to education, enshrined in Article 34 of the Constitution, and for over a century has been working to ensure that this principle is put into practice. By its very nature, our University is open to everyone: it is not an elite university, but one that makes educational excellence its hallmark. Suffice it to say that in 2025, the University, together with the Toniolo Institute and the EDUCatt Foundation, undertook a total financial commitment of around 2 million euros from its own funds.”

In addition to the right to exemption from university fees, this financial support enables students to receive the cash component of their scholarship and guarantees them the opportunity to have one meal a day at the EDUCatt canteens. Since last year, funds from the ‘Maria Teresa Fabiano’ Fund have also been allocated for this purpose. The bequest from this alumna of the Faculty of Economics, amounting to 2,250,000 euros, will help to fund these scholarships for ten years (225,000 euros per year).

In addition to initiatives promoting the right to education, the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, the Istituto Toniolo and the Fondazione Educatt have introduced a series of measures designed to recognise the academic merit of students. These include the ‘100 Scholarships + 100 Study Awards’ initiative, aimed at all deserving students at the Università Cattolica, which were presented to 236 winners at a ceremony held on campus on 4 June. 100 scholarships are aimed at recent school leavers (START category) and recent first-cycle graduates (RUN category), and 100 study grants (SMART category) to students enrolled at the Catholic University who have distinguished themselves through academic merit (www.borsepermeritouc.it).