The 6000 was euro. My money was money I had saved.

I think the confusing thing is the steps you need top take so here is the breakdown.

You need to apply to a school and get accepted. Once you have been accepted you need to apply for a study visa. Once you have this you can come to Italy (the visa gets you in to Italy only).

Once in Italy, take passport with visa stamp, enrollment papers from school, proof of housing etc. to the patronato (they will help otherwise you will have to figure it all out) to fill out the forms to apply for a permesso di soggiorno (the permit to stay, this is what allows you to stay in Italy past 90 days) and then take it to the post office to apply.

Now the wait begins for the actual PdiS. It will take months and months. Once you haev the PdiS you then go to the comune and apply for residency. This takes 30 days or less. From the date of residency the clock starts ticking. Not one daty before 2 years and not one day after 3 years.

Real universities (state run and stranieri) are qualified for residency for students. The harder part is finding a student apt. that the owners will allow you to get residency in. Normally on ads for student housing it says "solo per non residenti".

Uh that puts it into perspective thanks alot. so the hard part is finding cheap accomodation that allows for residency. so universities usually don't provide housing for residents, it sems strange as i know that most people live with their parents but surely there would be at least one italian studying in a university outside his home province? is it difficult to find this if not student housing. i know landlords usually don't like to rent to residents but i mean is it virtually impossible to find an apartment if you are a resident?

Well it's not impossible but leases here, if you are resident in a city, must be 4+4 (ie 4 years plus 4 years). We are both resident here in Rome and have a 4+4 lease. However, we hardly fit the student profile (a couple in our 30s-40s with stable jobs) and our landlord wanted stable tenants rather than students. A lot of the time landlords want to avoid the 4+4 lease so they advertise their flat as a student flat. The reasoning behind this is that students are usually resident in their home city so the landlord is legally able to get away with a shorter lease (say, 1 year). There are also some shonky landlords who want to rent to students under the table and avoid paying taxes.

I know someone who makes these kinds of tips here but she works at the club where they do lap dancing. I have never heard of anyone else making that kind of money in a bar or rest!

So it is not as though the study visa doesn't allow you to apply for residency it is the difficulty in finding a place that will let you reside there as a resident? what would your advice be, try to find a university accomodation that allows for residence or a private rent apartment that allows for residence? Which is rarer?
Is the PdiS i apply just a universal PdiS or are there specific types? Also what is involved in the applying for residency process, is all i have to show is my visa, identity papers and proof of housing, do i need to bring anything else showing that i also want to apply for citizenship through residence?
Also with residency is it an option to take residence for one year, then return home for another year, and then take up residence for a year sometime in the future or is it compulsory to do it all in one go?

It will be close to impossible to become a resident in a student housing situation. Student housing is normally an apartment owned by someone who wants to make extra cash. They have residency at the apartment themseles so they do not allow people to live there as residents as they would lose their residency status.

You apply for a PdiS according to the type of visa you have. Remember, Vsa allows you to enter Italy, PdiS allows you to stay.

To obtain residency, you need to show your PdiS once completed, not your visa (again this just gets you into Italy), and proof of your living arrangement. After about a month, the police will stop by to verify you actually live there.

Everyone in Italy is supposed to have residency. Most students keep their residency from home.

Ah so it is not as difficult as i thought the Pdis is the residency. all i have to do is keep reapply at the questura for 3 years, i assume it would not be difficult to keep the PdiS just keep doing the same course? Thank you again Cristina, you have helped me sooooo much, i really want to do what you did become a student then a citizen. Is there anyway i can make a donation to this site?