Ireland is a neighboring country of the UK. This country is one of the wealthiest countries and has emerged as a country where students from different parts of the globe wish to study and avail a high-quality lifestyle. The list is countless when it comes to writing down the advantages of pursuing higher education in Ireland. With the majority of the population speaking English, candidates from all across the globe found it very simple to get themselves intermingled in their culture. Ireland has some of the top-ranking universities with plenty of scholarship opportunities to help aspiring students pursue higher study from Ireland. The opportunity to earn during the course is an added advantage for financially weaker students. Another prime reason why Ireland is on this wish list of students now is the post-study visa benefits. Search for job opportunities post-completion of the course and thereafter applying for a green card and work permit is an added advantage of pursuing higher education in Ireland. Ireland is a home for big international businesses. Potential companies from having offices around the globe often look to the universities in Ireland for hiring candidates for working with them.
Ireland is ranked consistently in the top 20 countries for its human development, the standard of living, and peace culture. This is the reason why it is becoming one of the most sought out country for Indian students. Ireland offers a lot of entrepreneurial and professional opportunities to its people and will teach you life lessons that are beyond any class curriculum.
Because of all the features and opportunities, studying in Ireland can be a bit expensive. So a student who is planning to study in Ireland must plan their budget effectively and well in advance. Still, Ireland does offer a lot of scholarships to help their students cope with the fee structure of their universities and colleges. These scholarships can be partially or fully paid depending upon the caliber of the student, criteria, course, and the university to which they have applied. Most scholarships are government-funded but private and public institutions also do have their own scholarship as well.
The most important criterion for any scholarship is the academic score of a candidate. However certain other factors like course, level of education, and location also play some in determining the availability of scholarships. Extra-curricular activities also have some weightage on the whole scholarship platform. These activities can certainly give you an edge over other applications if the academic score does not suffice. So the student should be proactive and apply for these scholarships well in advance as there is cut-throat competition in this particular area.
The amount available through scholarship varies according to the institution. There are some programs that even offer a 100% waiver on the tuition fee. It has been observed that students face a lot more competition for government scholarships than university scholarships.
Here’s an overview of some of the common scholarships programs available for Indian students in Ireland:
| S.No. | Name of the Scholarship | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship | Awarded to academically sound students from non-EEA countries applying to undergraduate and graduate programs. |
| 2 | The Walsh Fellowship | This scholarship is given to postgraduate students who are working on projects related to Teagasc Research and Knowledge Transfer Program. This program mainly focuses on fields relating to food, crops, animal and grasslands, rural development, economics, and the environment. The fellowship is given to honour the late Dr. Tom Walsh whose contribution to agriculture and food research was commendable. |
Ireland is known to offer internationally acclaimed qualifications, immense growth and employment opportunities, and vibrant campus life.
The education system in Ireland has very resemblance to the UK education system. That is why the quality of education can be shown in colleges and universities. The education system in Ireland is mainly bifurcated into four levels.
The standards for Irish education qualifications are specified and decided by the National Framework of Qualifications. One of the important functions of this governing body is auditing and advising educational institutions for maintaining the standards set by them. They also facilitate the transfer of students from one study level to another as per their visa requirements. The degrees awarded by NFQ are accepted and recognized globally as they correspond to the European Qualification Framework.
Even though the education standards in Ireland are too high but the fee here is still reasonable. With careful and effective management of the budget, things will turn out to be pretty easy for you. The tuition fee for any student will depend on the type and duration of the course they are willing to pursue. The average cost however will land between €10,000 and €25,000 a year.
Universities, institutes of technology, and colleges provide higher education in Ireland which are mostly funded by the Irish government. The following are the number of educational institutes in Ireland:
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Level 6 | • Higher Certificate (mostly offered by IoTs) • Duration: 2 years |
| Level 7 | • Higher Diploma • Duration: 1 year |
| Level 8 | • Graduate Diploma • Duration: 1 year |
| Level 9 | • Postgraduate Diploma • Duration: 1-2 years |
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Level 7 | • Bachelor’s degree • Duration: 3 years (medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, and architecture programs maybe for 5-6 years) |
| Level 8 | • Honours bachelor’s degree • Duration: 3-4 years |
| Level 9 | • Master’s degree • Duration: Mostly 1 year with exception of certain courses that may extend to 16-24 months |
| Level 10 | • Doctoral Degree • Duration: 3 years of research followed by a dissertation |
There are usually two-semester in the higher education format of Ireland.
| Semester | Duration |
|---|---|
| First semester | Starts in September and runs till December |
| One-month Christmas break | December/January |
| Second semester | Starts in late January and runs till May |
| Summer break | May till early September |
After graduation:
As per the Irish Government, there is a provision for students to stay in Ireland for up to 24 months for employment purposes once they have graduated from an Irish institute. This opportunity is given as per the revised Third Level Graduate Scheme Permission.
For any student who wants to study abroad, the first requirement is to have a valid student visa. The same applies to Ireland as well. The type of study and the age will determine what kind of visa you will be eligible for in order to pursue your education in Ireland.
Overview of the types of study visas and their application requirements:
| S.No. | Duration of study | Visa type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Less than three months | C Study visa |
| 2 | More than three months | D Study visa |
Note: The student may also have to appear for a personal interview in front of the Ireland Embassy or Consulate.
To get your Ireland Study Visa, the Ireland Immigration Authority dictates that the applicants need to prove that they are proficient in English Language both in communication and correspondence skills. The most widely taken test to prove English Language proficiency is IELTS which is recognized by almost 10,000 organizations inclusive of educational institutes in over 140 countries.
A student is required to provide their biometric information to the Irish Authorities. For biometrics, students are required to provide their fingerprints to the recognized authorities.
Studying abroad can be an expensive affair. But with proper and effective budgeting things can turn out to be in your favor. But before an applicant decides to study in Ireland, they must look at the various expenses other than the tuition fee and plan their budget accordingly. Thanks to the Ireland Education system, the tuition fee is considerably low as compared to other countries. This is because of the duration of graduation in Ireland which is 12 months rather than 16-24 months in other countries. Now let’s look at the expensive in a more detailed manner.
The primary expense while studying abroad is the tuition fee of the institute. The tuition fee of an institute depends on the university and the course the applicant has applied for. The average fee required in Ireland is approximately €10,000 and €25,000 per year. Post-graduate programs usually have a higher tuition fee than normal programs and may vary depending on the specialization. Given below is the overview of tuition fees along with the corresponding programs.
| S.No. | Study program | Average fees (in Euros*) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undergraduate Program | €10,000 to €25,000 annually |
| 2 | Postgraduate master’s degree | €9,000 to €35,000 annually |
| 3 | Doctoral Degree | €9,000 to €30,000 annually |
Canadian universities offer an on-campus residence facility to their students but the students also have the option to opt for off-campus residency. The average cost for students who opt for living outside the campus in a shared accommodation is around €427 per month depending upon the location of the accommodation.
The first step towards studying in Ireland is securing a valid Study Visa. The study visa for Ireland usually costs approximately €60. These charges are subject to change as per government norms and exchange rates.
Living expenses are day-to-day expenditures like groceries, social activities, emergency situations, etc. A student studying in Ireland spends an average of €7,000 to €12,000 for all their personal expenses. So students should monitor and plan their expenses from time to time for effective budgeting.
As it is said that health is everything. So a student studying in Ireland should definitely consider medical insurance. As life is so uncertain and living in a foreign country away from your known relative can be a bit difficult to manage. Medical insurance should cover all these uncertainties. Medical insurance in Ireland ranges from around €500 – €800 annually.
Traveling charges either by bus, train, or subway for a long or short distance in Ireland costs approximately €135 per month which can be reduced by up to 40% if you opt for a Student Travelcard.
Students studying are allowed to work for 20 hours per week during their academic session and can work full-time on vacations. As you will be a registered paid workforce, you will be entitled to pay taxes. Hence don’t ignore taxes in order to lay down the unwanted hassle.
If you are willing to know more about the Ireland Study Visa process, you can certainly contact us by writing us an email at mail@pioverseas.com and one of our experts will help you out in every possible way. Call us at +91-9310-10-6988 or you can also receive a call back from our expert once you fill out the inquiry form. You can also talk to our experts directly through our live chat feature and clear your doubts instantaneously.
We at Pi Overseas have a team of dedicated experts that cater to every need of the clients. We have a proven track record in the immigration industry which was achieved in a very short span of time. Our experts will help and guide you through every step of the filing process and keep you posted throughout the whole cumbersome process of visa filing.
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