Photo courtesy: Trinity College, Dublin. Credit: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0

Ireland is emerging as a top destination for Indian students for higher education. The reasons are many: the cost of higher education in Ireland is lower than in many other international destinations; Indian students also have the advantage of applying for a stay-back visa for 24 months after completing their course, which gives them a chance to look for jobs; Ireland is also a safe country with a strong diaspora – the Indian community in Ireland is over 25000 strong.

Barry O’Driscoll, Senior Education Advisor for India & Sri Lanka, Education in Ireland, spoke to BrainGain Magazine about the financial aspect of studying in Ireland – the costs incurred, scholarships, and work opportunities.  In the first of this two-part series, he discusses expenses and scholarships. Edited excerpts are below:
 

• On how much it costs to study in Ireland
  
  On an average, a student will spend between €7,000 and €12,000 per year. However, these depend on the following factors:
  • - Where they are studying in Ireland
  • - Type of accommodation they choose
  • - Their personal lifestyle
  
  
  There are also certain one-off expenses which a student will incur:
  
  • - Visa application
  • - Travel insurance
  • - Medical insurance
  • - Post/baggage to/from Ireland
  • - Registration with police
  • - Television
  • - Mobile phone
  • - Deposit for Accommodation
     
  A table for average monthly and annual expenses is given below:
  
  

  Cost	Monthly (€)	Annual (€)
  Rent	€427	€3,843
  Utilities	€28	€252
  Food	€167	€1,503
  Travel	€135	€1,215
  Books  & Class materials	€70	€630
  Clothes/Medical	€41	€369
  Mobile	€31	€279
  Social life/Misc	€75	€675

  
  There are two ways students can supplement personal investment in education – 1) with scholarships, and 2) working while  studying.
   

• On scholarships and financial aid for international students
  
  There are around 200 scholarships available for Indian students ranging from €1,000 off on course fees to up to 25% and 50% reduction in total fees. There are hundreds of scholarships available from a wide variety of sources such as the Government of Ireland, the Irish higher education institutions, and other organizations.
  
  These scholarships are awarded solely at the discretion of the individual organization which sets down its own criteria for eligibility.  However, they are awarded purely on merit.
  
  4 scholarships offered to Non –EU students are listed below:
  • - The Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship Call 2018
  • - Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Centenary Scholarship Programme 
  • - Max Arthur Macauliffe Special Merit Scholarship
  • - Sir Peter Freyer Special Merit Scholarship
     
  In the next part, we will talk about working while you’re studying as an international student in Ireland.
  
  You can find a lot more information at: click here.

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