Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships

Each award is a stipend of 10,000 euros for one year of full-time, in-person study, paid by the HEA through the institution the scholar attends and meant as a contribution to living costs. The host institution must also waive the tuition fee and the registration charge for that year, which is the minimum matched funding every institution commits to.

The scholarship is never extended beyond one academic year. For courses of three semesters, the institution may choose to extend the fee waiver over the whole course, but the stipend stays at 10,000 euros. Scholars must start in September or October and live in Ireland throughout their studies. Blended courses qualify only if the scholar attends every in-person class and lives in Ireland for the whole scholarship.

Applicants must meet four conditions: a domiciliary of origin outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; an offer of a place as a fee-paying international student on a full-time, in-person course of at least a year at an eligible Irish institution; no previous GOI-IES award; and not being a Russian or Belarusian citizen. The course can be a taught master's, a level 9 postgraduate diploma, or a research master's or PhD.

Students already enrolled, such as PhD students or those in the first year of a two-year master's, can apply with a letter from their institution confirming they will continue in the scholarship year. Candidates who deferred admission need a document confirming the deferral. The eligible institutions and their contacts are listed in Appendix 1 of the call.

The HEA's marking scheme gives 40 marks for academic qualifications, achievements and work experience, 45 for the personal statement and 15 for two references. The personal statement is split three ways, 15 marks each: the benefit of the scholarship to the applicant, the institution, Ireland and the home country; how the applicant will get involved in Irish society and promote the programme; and the depth of their long-term interest in Ireland and how they will build links as a scholar and alumnus.

Only applications scoring at least 60 marks can be funded. The 12 highest-ranked applications, the top fifth of the 60 awards, are funded automatically on excellence. No institution can receive more than five awards.