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Funding, Fees, Scholarships and Grants - A guide for international students

Do I qualify for free fees in Ireland?

Ireland currently operates a system of free undergraduate fees for EU nationals who meet certain criteria. Those with official refugee status and EEA/Swiss nationals with long-term residency in the EU may also qualify. The free fees scheme does not apply to any postgraduate courses. Courses in Northern Ireland and in private colleges in the Republic of Ireland are also excluded. » More information

Where free fees do not apply, students must pay either the EU or non-EU rate. Since this can be determined by residence as well as nationality, non-EU nationals may qualify for the EU fee rate in some circumstances.

 

Must I pay EU or non-EU tuition fees for Higher Education?

According to the Irish Department of Education, you will be considered an EU student for fee purposes if you are either an EU national (i.e. if you hold an EU Passport or Birth Certificate) who is not eligible for free fees (see above) or if you have been ordinarily resident - excluding residency for the purpose of higher education - in an EU member state for at least three of the five years immediately preceding your entry to the course.

If you enter a course as a non-EU student this will be your status for the duration of the course.

More information:

Third Level Student Fees - briefing from the Citzens' Information website

 

Do the same rules apply for Further Education?

No. Qualification through residency is not applied. Persons falling into the following categories must be treated in the same way as Irish nationals for fee purposes when undertaking Post Leaving Certificate courses in Colleges of Further Education:

  • EU nationals and their spouses
  • those with refugee status in Ireland
  • persons (including their dependent spouse and children) who have been granted leave to remain in the state on humanitarian grounds
  • the parent of a child born in Ireland who has been granted 'leave to remain' (this right is not extended to siblings of the Irish-born child)
  • asylum applicants covered by the Government decision of 26 July, 1999 (i.e. those eligible to seek work)

All other categories of student must pay the full economic fee.

 

Can I get a grant to study in Ireland?

The Higher Education Grants Scheme applies to Irish and EU nationals who are resident in Ireland and is administered by the local government authority (County Council or County Borough Corporation) in whose area the applicant ordinarily resides. EU nationals who meet certain conditions, including residency and means-testing requirements, may be able to avail of a maintenance grant. Non-EU nationals are not eligible for local authority higher education grants.

More information:

Higher Education Grants Scheme - briefing from the Citizens' Information website

Grants Scheme 2009/10 - detailed information from the Department of Education and Skills, updated annually (Word Document)

 

Am I eligible to apply for an Irish Aid Fellowship?

ICOS plays a role in managing the Irish Aid Fellowship Training Programme for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland, but is not a funding body itself. The Irish Aid Fellowships awarded by the Department of Foreign Affairs - www.dfa.ie - are targeted at the countries in which Ireland has established development cooperation programmes: Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Timor Leste, Vietnam and the Palestinian Territories. » More on eligibility

 

Are there any scholarships of funding available for international students wishing to pursue third-level studies in Ireland?

Ireland is member of several international exchange scholarship schemes that are listed on the Department of Education and Skills website. You can also contact the Department of Education in your home country to ask if there are any scholarships for which you might be eligible to apply.

Some Irish universities and Institutes of Technology offer a limited number of partial scholarship schemes. Usually you can only apply for such scholarships after the university/institute has offered you a place. You should contact the International Office at an institution directly for more information about this possibility.

Education Ireland also provides a listing of scholarships and other possible funding opportunities for international students.

 

Last updated: March 2010