The Italian government has launched a nearly €10 million scholarship fund designed to support university students balancing high-level competitive sport with academic pursuits, with explicit eligibility extended to elite archers competing under the Italian Archery Federation (FITARCO).
Published jointly by the Department for Sport and the Ministry of University and Research, the initiative provides a total funding pool of €9,820,978 for the academic year 2025/2026. According to official government notices, the program aims to solidify the “dual career” path for student-athletes enrolled in state universities and official art, music, and dance high-formation institutions (AFAM) who maintain an equivalent economic indicator (ISEEU) of no more than €40,000.
Eligibility Criteria for FITARCO Archers and Student-Athletes
To qualify for financial backing under the national scheme, student-athletes must be registered with sports associations recognized by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) or the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP). Applicants must also meet the specific athletic benchmarks outlined in the technical annex of the ministerial decree.
For the Italian Archery Federation, the Federal Council established a targeted standard. Participation is restricted to archers active within the National Target Groups (Gruppi Nazionali Targa) or the Para-Archery rosters as officially designated each year by the FITARCO governing body. This inclusion ensures that top-tier archers representing national interests can pursue academic degrees without abandoning demanding training schedules or international competition calendars.
Funding Distribution and Application Deadlines
Financial allocations within the program are structured to mirror national student welfare systems, scaling awards according to the recipient’s residential status while studying. Grants are distributed in differentiated amounts for out-of-town students (fuorisede), commuters (pendolari), and local students living at home (in sede).
Applications must be submitted exclusively through the official digital portal managed by the Department for Sport at avvisibandi.sport.governo.it. The online submission window opened at 12:00 local time on September 24, 2026, and closes strictly at 12:00 local time on October 26, 2026. The platform handles ranking generation and resource allocation, backed by random administrative audits to ensure compliance.
Official Statements on Dual Careers
Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi emphasized that the initiative fulfills a policy commitment established by the administration in 2022. “Merit deserves opportunity, all the more so when it combines with the right to study and sport, pillars upon which we want to build the future of our nation,” Abodi stated in the ministerial announcement.
Echoing that sentiment, Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini stressed that higher education and elite competition should function as complementary pillars rather than mutually exclusive paths. “Studying and practicing sport at a high level must not be alternative paths,” Bernini noted, adding that the measure makes the right to study more inclusive for young competitors.
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