The commitment to guaranteeing the right to university study. First step today in the Culture Commission of the Legislative Assembly for proposal to update the amounts of the scholarships and the ISEE access threshold for the right to university study for the academic year 2024/2025, which has already received unanimous favorable opinions from the Region-University Conference and the Regional Council of University Students. Now it will be up to the Council in the next meeting on Monday 24 June to approve the criteria so that ER.GO can prepare the tenders.
“This year too the Region confirms its commitment to supporting the right to university education – underlines the University Councilor, Paola Salomoni-. We have further increased the ISEE threshold and this will allow us to broaden the range of beneficiaries. From 2020 to today, the resources we have invested for the right to university study have increased from 97 million to 163 million estimated for the next Academic Year. With the collaboration of the universities, which contribute one million euros, and the unanimous favorable vote of the students on the Region’s proposal. Furthermore, the data confirms that more and more students outside the region are choosing Emilia-Romagna for their study paths. Scholarships and other incentives to support female and male students away from home are the first lever in attracting talent that this region has.”
In detail, the proposal, which intends to continue to guarantee the priority of the total coverage of students eligible for the scholarship and on the basis of the state resources that may be available, provides updating the unit amounts of the scholarship (7,015.97 euros for off-site students and independent students, 4,100.05 euros for commuter students, 2,827.64 euros for on-site students) and the increase in the economic threshold for ISEE access from the current 24,335.11 to 25,000 euros. Compared to last year, an increase of is estimated financial need for the scholarships of 13.6 million euros.
Confirmed again this year contribution of one million euros on the part of University of Emilia-Romagnain proportion to the number of scholarship beneficiaries enrolled in each University and the related expenditure, demonstrating how the right to study is a value shared between local institutions.
In the academic year 2023/2024 in Emilia-Romagna the eligible students were found 27,876, almost 3% more than the previous year. Granting was once again guaranteed to 100% of eligible students, with a expenditure increase of 14.7 million euros mainly due to the increase in scholarship amounts made as a result of the ministerial update to the inflation rate (+8%).
In Emilia-Romagna in the last decade there has been a increase in eligible numbers of over 47% with over 63 million euros of increase in spending: a strong investment that demonstrates the Region’s commitment, also in collaboration with the Universities, in guaranteeing the right to university study and granting a benefit to all students who meet the eligibility requirements.
In the three-year period 2021-2023 (from the AY 2020/2021 to the AY 2022/2023) the increase was 37.9 million euros of expenditure for the granting of benefits determined primarily by the increase in the number of non-resident students and by the increase in the grant amounts and related increases, in addition to the updating of the economic access thresholds as envisaged by the PNRR starting from 2022.
For the next academic year 2024/2025 the MUR has foreseen, at the request of the Regions, in addition to the 250 million per year allocated starting from 2022, the year in which the PNRR provisions start, further 288 million euros of PNRR – of which 40% will be destined for the South.
The university student population
Almost 188 thousand students enrolled in the Universities of Emilia-Romagna (for all courses activated by
Regional universities, including masters, doctorates and specialization schools) in the 2022/2023 academic year
represent the 9% of students enrolled in universities in the national territory (over 2 million).
At a national level, Emilia-Romagna confirms its position compared to the three-year period preceding fourth place by number of students enrolled in universities, after Lombardy, Lazio and Campania. At a regional level, considering only degree courses, the off-site students (coming from a province other than the course location) represent the majority of enrolled students (on average in the regional territory 76%) and in the 2022/2023 academic year increase by over 6% compared to the 2018/2019 academic year. At a regional level, analyzing the students enrolled in a degree course in Emilia-Romagna, almost 48% come from outside the region.
This represents the highest figure among the regions with the largest number of university students: the incidence of students from other regions is 30% in Piedmont and 28% in Lombardy, 26.5% in Veneto.
Emilia-Romagna attractive region
Considering the relationship between entrances and exits of enrollments in the various universities, Emilia-Romagna ranks as first region (4.3) followed by Lazio (3.1), Lombardy (2.2) and Tuscany (1.75). For every enrolled student residing in Emilia-Romagna who goes to study outside the region, there are 4.3 students from other regions who enroll in ER universities (source Anvur Report 2023).
The scholarships awarded
The Region has always guaranteed a benefit to all eligible students, despite the increase in spending on scholarships. The highest increase in eligible students (11%) occurred in the 2020/2021 academic year (26,709 eligible) compared to the 2019/2020 academic year (23,983 eligible). The 2020/2021 academic year was predominantly affected by the negative effects related to the pandemic.
From the AY 2020/2021 to the AY 2022/2023 spending increased by 37.9 milliondetermined primarily by the increase in the number of non-resident students and the scholarship amounts with the related increases, in addition to the updating of the economic access thresholds resulting from the innovations introduced by the PNRR measures.
In Emilia-Romagna over 15% of students enrolled in universities receive the scholarship and total exemption from university fees. The national average incidence is almost 13% and there are values from 7% to 13% in regions with a high number of students, such as Lombardy, Lazio and Campania (MUR data – AY 2022/2023).
The Region has guaranteed the total coverage of 100% of those eligible for grants also in the last three academic years. At a national level, the coverage of eligible students has increased in most regions compared to previous years (Source Mur).
In addition to the scholarships, which represent the priority regional intervention, ER.GO has provided further benefits: training allowances to reduce the costs of enrollment and attendance at master’s degrees and advanced training and specialization courses abroad (over 41 thousand euros spent in the three-year period), contributions (over 1.8 million euros spent in the three-year period) for participation in academic-training courses connected to specific regional development objectives; supplements to the scholarship for participation in international mobility programs; to students with disabilities, with a disability greater than 66%, aimed at purchasing teaching aids and other equipment; extraordinary for exceptional and proven reasons, for students who have recorded a delay in achieving the merit requirements./
