The saga of privileges granted to the Church and members of the clergy continues. The latest chapter concerns the University of Bologna, which has decided to grant an exemption from tuition fees to permanent members of religious orders. Want to earn a degree in Bologna for free? Join a congregation affiliated with “Vatican Inc.” and you won’t have to pay any tuition. The Alma Mater appears to be the only public university in Italy to grant fee waivers to those supported by religious orders. This preferential track first appeared in 2021 and has since been reaffirmed by the board of the oldest university in Italy.
According to the new University of Bologna regulations, full exemption from student contributions for permanent members of religious orders “is granted in analogy with what Ergo [the regional agency for the right to higher education] provides for scholarships, regardless of the submission of an ISEE [the Italian Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator].” The university argues that a student’s ISEE cannot accurately reflect their economic condition and therefore allows exemptions to be granted “on the basis of appropriate documentation proving that the applicant is fully supported by the religious order for their living expenses.” At the University of Bologna, the ISEE threshold for full tuition exemption (the “no-tax area”) has been raised to €27,000.
The University of Bologna’s special attention to the Church does not stop at exemptions for members of religious orders. In the 2022/23 academic year, the Theological Faculty of Emilia-Romagna launched a joint master’s degree program in Religions, Histories, and Cultures. The program, strongly supported by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, was later discontinued due to low enrollment—apparently without even informing the cardinal.
But why shouldn’t religious orders also pay university tuition for those they already support with room and board, just as families do while tightening their belts? In Bologna, religious institutions appear to hold extensive property and significant financial resources, with a notable impact on the real estate market through ownership of shops, cinemas, offices, and hundreds of apartments. The criterion under which students belonging to religious institutions are exempt from paying tuition therefore does not seem justified.
“It almost seems”, says Roberto Grendene, secretary of the Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics, “as if the University of Bologna considers them destitute individuals abandoned with no one to support them (whereas they likely have both a family and a religious order). In reality, these are privileged students who, being supported by their order, could easily pay tuition. And if they lack financial means, they could still find a job.”
“These are individuals selected for their obedience to leaders of non-democratic and male-dominated structures—namely influential religious orders with substantial financial resources”, comments Adele Orioli, head of UAAR’s legal initiatives. “Not exactly a good reason for a public university to grant them benefits.”
In total, 11 exemptions have been granted from the 2021/2022 to the 2024/2025 academic years, for a total value of about €22,000 in lost revenue for the University of Bologna. After the bishop’s recommendation to be hired by the state as Catholic religion teachers, now comes the prior’s recommendation to avoid paying university tuition.
Press release