Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships 2026
The Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES) programme supports high-calibre international students who wish to study at NFQ levels 9 or 10 (master’s, postgraduate diploma or PhD) in Ireland. The programme is funded by the Government of Ireland in partnership with Irish higher education institutions (HEIs) and managed by the Higher Education Authority. Under the initiative, 60 scholarships are awarded each year for one year of full-time study at NFQ levels 9 or 10.
What is covered by the scholarship:
A Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship consists of a stipend amounting to €10,000 for one year of full-time study at NFQ levels 9 or 10. The awardees’ host higher education institutions are required to give a full fee waiver to the awardees for the year of their scholarship.
Eligibility:
In order to be eligible for a Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship, applicants must have a domiciliary of origin outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Candidates will first need to apply for admission to a master’s, postgraduate diploma or PhD programme offered by an eligible Irish higher education institution as per that institution’s admission procedures. Candidates are advised to make enquiries directly to the relevant higher education institution about the eligibility of their course for GOI-IES.
Applicants must have a conditional or final offer of admission to an eligible Irish higher education institution at the time of applying for a Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship. Proof of admission must be submitted with the GOI-IES application, in the relevant section of the GOI-IES application form. Prospective candidates who have previously held a GOI-IES scholarship are not eligible to apply.
How to apply
Potential applicants should read the call documentation carefully to ascertain whether they are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted via the 2026 GOI-IES online application portal. A maximum of one application per candidate may be submitted in the 2026 cycle of the GOI-IES programme.
All applications require two references to be uploaded by the applicants via the online portal. It is recommended that candidates submit their applications well before the deadline, to avoid technical issues due to heavy server traffic on the respective day. Applications cannot be submitted once the deadline has passed. No alterations can be made to an application once it has been submitted.
Application deadline: 12 March 2026
2026 call outcome: early June 2026
More information: https://hea.ie/policy/internationalisation/goi-ies/