Can I study in Ireland for Free

Ireland is no doubt one of the favorites among international students for pursuing higher education due to its world-class universities and education. The Republic of Ireland is one of the countries in Europe, so if you are an EU citizen, you have the benefits of studying free in Ireland. However, non – EU students have to pay tuition fees along with other expenses for their studies in Ireland. But there are always options like scholarships, universities with affordable tuition costs, and other conditions with which you can apply for tuition-free education in Ireland. 

Firstly, we will discuss the universities in Ireland which provide affordable tuition costs. Other factors like ethnicity, immigration status, residence details, and course demands play an important role in qualifying you for free tuition in Ireland.

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#Affordable universities in Ireland for International students

- Dublin Business School

Overall Average Tuition fees are around $7600/ year

- Trinity College Dublin

Overall Average Tuition fees are around $8900/ year

- University of Limerick

Average Tuition fees are $8500/ year

- National University of Ireland

 Average Tuition fees are $7000/ year

- Griffith College Dublin

Average Tuition fees are $14,000/ year

- Cork Institute of Technology

Average Tuition fees are $14,000/ year

- University College, Cork

Average Tuition fees are $9500/ year

- St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth

Average Tuition fees are $8000/ year

#Scholarships

Another feasible option for international students to fully or partially fund their studies is applying for scholarships. There are many scholarships from the Ireland government and other organizations that offer financial support for their abroad studies. The following are some of the famous scholarships from the government of Ireland and other organizations. 

Scholarships from the government of Ireland: -

- Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship program sponsored by the Higher Education Authority.

- The government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship program.

- Scholarships presented by Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences.

#Scholarships from Universities: -

- NUI Galway

- University College Cork

- University College of Dublin

- Maynooth University

- Dublin Institute of Technology

- Trinity College Dublin

Scholarships from other sources: -

- Kader Asmal Postgraduate fellowships 

- UCD Michael Smurfit Business School MBA Scholarship 

- RCSI FutureNeuro two Fully-Funded Ph.D. Scholarships

- Claddagh Postgraduate and Undergraduate Scholarship Programme (Chinese Students)

- Irish Aid funded Fellowship Training Programme

- The Walsh PostGraduate Scholarships 

#Crucial aspects to avail free education in Ireland

Residence: - You must have completed residing for at least 3 of the five years in an EEA state or Switzerland before starting your course. This gives the benefit of the EU/EEA citizen while applying for free tuition in Ireland. 

Nationality and Immigration Status: - You must fulfill one of the following criteria: 

1. Must fulfill official Refugee Status or
2. Must be a family member of a Refugee and permitted to live in the state or
3. Must be a family member of an EU national and must have the permission to live in the state with a ‘4EUFAM’ stamp on your residence card or
4. Must receive the ‘Humanitarian leave to remain in the State’ grant or
5. Must have permission to remain in the state from the Minister for Justice and Equality. 

Course requirements: - 

You must be pursuing a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years. Also, this must be your first full-time course. But there are exceptions to this requirement that you can cross-check with the university you are applying to. So, you must not be repeating the program or year due to failing or changing the program.

 #Cost of studying in Ireland

Tuition fees

In Ireland, tuition costs are mostly free for EU/EEA and Switzerland citizens/ students. So tuition costs for non-EU /international students are in the range of $11,500 - $65,000 /year for undergraduate courses. While the tuition costs for postgraduate and doctoral degree courses are in the range between $12,000 - $42,000. A student contribution fee of approximately $3500/year is also required to pay for all students for academic services. Also, note that not all public universities have free tuition costs at the undergraduate level. For this, check the university study program on their official website to check tuition fees for your country. 

Accommodation 

Institutions that provide higher education also offer accommodation for international students at student residence halls at reasonable costs of $230 - $350. However, living out of the campus in a single room can cost around $470 - $1100/month, living in a shared apartment with students or colleagues can cost $530 - $650/ month. Within the campus, accommodation cost varies with your location and university and goes in the range of $350 - $700/Month. 

Food and other expenses

Food may not cost high in Ireland. Still, you will have to spend around $300 - $400 / month in grocery shopping and food ingredients. Eating out in a regular restaurant can cost $18 for one meal. Other expenses like gas, electricity can cost $35 - $60/ month, mobile and internet charges can cost around $25 - $70/month. Transportation cost includes a monthly bus ticket pass for students of $65 - $75 with a discount. Books and stationery costs can go up to $90/ month. Other personal expenses like social activities and entertainment can go up to $170 - $200/month or less depending on your lifestyle. Medical insurance is an essential norm for international students which can cost $55/month which goes up to $650 - $750 annually.