The Government of Ireland will start accepting applications for the 2026 cycle of its International Education Scholarship program from January 29. This will provide financial assistance to international students who are applying for postgraduate education in Ireland.
The program will provide 60 scholarships to outstanding students who are not from Europe. Each scholarship includes a €10,000 stipend for one academic year, while the participating Irish higher education institution will waive the full tuition fee for the duration of the award.
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The programme is funded by the Government of Ireland in partnership with Irish higher education institutions and is administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
Who can apply and what the scholarship covers
The scholarship is open to international students enrolling in postgraduate programmes at National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Levels 9 and 10. These include master’s degrees, postgraduate diplomas and doctoral programmes offered by recognised Irish higher education institutions.
Applicants must be domiciled outside the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As per the 2026 call, Russian and Belarusian nationals are not eligible to apply. Students who have previously received a Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship are also excluded.
Candidates are required to apply separately for admission to an eligible Irish institution and must hold either a conditional or final offer at the time of submitting the scholarship application. Proof of admission is mandatory.
The list of participating institutions is provided in Appendix 1 of the 2026 GOI-IES call document and may be updated by the HEA.
Application timeline and selection process
Applications for the 2026 cycle will close at 5 pm (Irish time) on March 12, 2026. Selected candidates are expected to be informed of the results in early June 2026.
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Applications must be submitted through the official online GOI-IES portal once it opens. Only one application per candidate is permitted, and changes cannot be made after submission. Each application must include two references uploaded through the portal.
The criteria for selection will include academic achievement, communication skills, engagement with extracurricular activities, and a strong motivation for pursuing education in Ireland, which will help the applicant achieve his or her long-term career objectives. The applications will be reviewed by the institutions first and then by an independent review panel.
