Ireland International Education Scholarships Verified listing

The programme prioritises academic excellence, strong communication skills, engagement in extracurricular activities such as humanitarian work, politics, arts or sport, and a clear rationale for choosing Ireland that demonstrates alignment between the scholarship and long-term academic and professional goals.

Each scholarship provides a €10,000 stipend as a contribution towards living and study-related costs and is awarded through the host higher education institution (HEI). In addition, the host HEI is required to grant a full tuition fee and registration fee waiver for the scholarship year. While the scholarship duration cannot be extended beyond one academic year, institutions may choose to extend the fee waiver for programmes lasting three semesters, though the stipend amount remains unchanged.

GOI-IES scholarships are awarded to high-calibre international students for one year of full-time, in-person study at NFQ levels 9 or 10, including taught master’s degrees, postgraduate diplomas, research master’s programmes, or PhD studies, across all disciplines subject to the availability of places.

A total of 60 scholarships are expected to be funded for the 2026/27 academic year following an annual competitive call for applications approved by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Successful scholars are expected to commence their studies in September or October 2026 and must reside in Ireland for the full duration of their studies. An official award ceremony for GOI-IES scholars will take place in spring 2027.

Eligibility is restricted to candidates whose domiciliary of origin is outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, who have secured a conditional or final offer as international fee-paying students for eligible full-time, in-person programmes at approved Irish HEIs for the 2026/27 academic year. Applicants must not have previously received a GOI-IES award and must not be citizens of Russia or Belarus. Proof of admission must be submitted with the application, and only one application per candidate is permitted.

Applications are assessed through a multi-stage process beginning with an automated eligibility check, followed by screening by the HEA and shortlisting by relevant HEIs based on institutional strategic objectives. An independent panel of assessors evaluates shortlisted applications using a defined marking scheme that considers academic achievements and work experience, the personal statement, and submitted references. Only applications achieving a minimum score of 60 marks are considered for funding, with final decisions made solely on the basis of submitted materials.

Applications must be submitted through the online system, with no amendments permitted after submission. The deadline for applications is 5pm Irish time on 12 March 2026, and results are expected to be released in early June 2026.

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