Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship
The Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship is the Irish state's flagship award for non-EU students — funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Awards pay €10,000 for one year of study (any level — Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD) plus a full tuition fee waiver at the host institution. Approximately 60 awards are issued per cycle across all Irish universities and IoTs (Institutes of Technology). Sri Lankan citizens are eligible. Ireland is the only English-speaking EU country post-Brexit and offers a generous 2-year Stay Back visa for non-EU Master's graduates — combined this makes the package one of the most attractive in Europe for Sri Lankan applicants.
Higher Education Authority of Ireland
Government-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Stipend
€10,000 (One Year Only)
Tuition
Full Fee Waiver
Annual Awards
~60 Across All Levels
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Non-EU/EEA Citizen
Reserved for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens applying from outside the EU. Sri Lankan passport holders applying from Sri Lanka qualify automatically.
Admitted to an Eligible Irish Institution
You must hold (or be applying for) admission to a full-time Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD programme at an Irish university, IoT, or specialist higher education college. All HEA-funded institutions participate.
Strong Academic Profile
Selection is highly competitive — typically a first-class or equivalent undergraduate degree, strong references, and a compelling personal/career statement. Approximately 1,500-2,000 applications are received for ~60 awards each cycle.
English Proficiency
Programme-specific — typically IELTS 6.5+ overall with no band below 6.0 for taught programmes; 7.0 for some humanities or law programmes. Sri Lankan applicants with English-medium Bachelor's degrees can often request a waiver from the host institution.
account_tree Application Process
Secure or apply for Irish admission
Apply to your target Irish institution via its admissions portal. You can apply for the scholarship in parallel with (or after) admission — but you must hold an admission offer to take up the award. Apply early to give yourself the best chance.
Submit the HEA application
Apply via the HEA scholarship portal when the call opens (typically February). Submit: completed application form, CV, motivation statement, transcripts, English language certificate, and two references.
Institutional + HEA selection
Applications are first screened by the proposed host institution, then submitted to a national HEA panel for final ranking. Selection completes by May for September starts.
Award + study start
Successful awardees receive €10,000 in two instalments and the tuition waiver is automatically applied. The award is for one year only — Master's recipients use it for year 1; PhD recipients for year 1 (further-year funding via host institution / SFI Scholarships).
Why Ireland?
Ireland is the only remaining English-speaking country in the EU, and post-Brexit has become a strategic alternative to UK postgraduate study with full EU work rights. The 2-year Third Level Graduate Programme (Stay Back) visa for non-EU Master's graduates is among the most generous in Europe. Strong tech sector (Google, Meta, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Stripe) actively hires international graduates.
2 yrs
Stay Back Visa for Master's
5
Universities in QS Top 300
EU
Full Post-Study EU Work Rights
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