Funding, Fees & Costs
Going to college is an expensive enough process in your own country, let alone pursuing an undergraduate education abroad. This is probably the one area of planning that requires the most preparation, so examine carefully your funding options and set yourself a realistic budgetary target
Tuition Fees
Course fees also vary considerably across the various higher education providers in Ireland. The table below is only an approximation of the tuition fees for university undergraduate courses.
Subject Area Annual Fee (EU) Annual Fee (Non-EU)
Medicine €6,500 - €8,000 €25,000 - €42,000
Engineering €6,500 €14,500 - €20,000
Science & Technology €6,500 €14,500 - €20,000
Business €4,500 - €5,000 €11,000 - €15,000
Arts & Humanities €4,500 - €5,000 €11,000 - €15,000
Annual tuition fees are generally less in the case of institutes of technology: €2,250 to €3,000 for EU students, and €7,000 to €11,000 for non-EU students.
These figures are only a guideline; it is essential in every case that you contact the institution in question to ascertain the exact fee for the course that is of interest to you.
The huge differentiation in tuition fees for postgraduate taught and research programmes means that any attempt at estimating average is a pointless exercise; again you need to contact the institution in question for information regarding your course.
Course fees at PLC colleges are currently set at €3,563 per annum.
Free Fees
First time undergraduates in Ireland are entitled to free fees; international students however, must pass three tests – Nationality, Residency, Previous Studies – before they can avail of them.
The Nationality Test: The applicant must be a national of an EU member state.
The Residency Test: The applicant must have resided in an EU member state for at least three of the five years preceding entry to an undergraduate course.
The Previous Studies Test: Free fees are not available to students in the following circumstances: repeating a year, having failed their end of year examinations as a result of changing courses; undertaking a second undergraduate course; or any student who has already attended but did not complete a certificate, diploma or degree programme.
There are no tuition fees for approved PLC courses for EU nationals – check with the college to see if your chosen course has approved status.
The free fees scheme in Ireland does not apply to postgraduate courses.
Funding
Maintenance grants are intended to help students with their costs of living during full time study. The local authorities in Ireland provide maintenance grants to students who are entering undergraduate or postgraduate education for the first time, while the local VEC (Vocational Educational Committee) provides grants for PLC courses. Only EU nationals who have resided in the relevant local authority since the 1st of October of the year previous to starting the course may apply. Candidates for the maintenance grant must also undergo a means test, as your income must be below a certain level before the grant is awarded. Application deadlines are usually in the August of your first year of studies.
Visit www.education.ie - Students & Trainees - Financial Support Schemes for further details.
NB – The free fees and maintenance grant schemes only apply to publically funded institutions and not to private colleges.
International students may also utilise their academic skills to pay the bills – scholarships are another potential source of funding. A small number of scholarships from Irish colleges and the Irish government are available to international students at undergraduate and postgraduate level; contact the provider of the course in question and the Dept of Education (www.education.ie) for details of any possible funding opportunities. You should also contact the Dept of Education in your home country to enquire if there are any government exchange scholarships for which you can apply.
Living Costs
Ireland is unarguably an expensive country to live in, however generations of wily Irish students have managed to live comfortably on a small budget and there is no reason an international student cannot do the same. In addition, the current global economic downturn will inevitably lead to a fall in prices here. Student discounts are available in a wide range of services, ranging from banks and cinemas to hairdressers and buses.
A lot of the costs are dependent upon factors such as your geographical location (Dublin is generally seen as a lot more expensive than other regions), your lifestyle and choice of accommodation.
The following is a rough estimate of the monthly cost of living for students in Ireland:
Rent in shared house/flat (average) €450
Light/heat/power €36
Food €250
Travel (monthly bus/rail ticket) €82
Books and other academic costs €60
Clothes, laundry, medical, etc. €60
Social life €180
Total €1,118
