At UCD, we offer a variety of scholarships specifically for international students. To be eligible for a scholarship, you must hold an offer to study at UCD so it’s important to apply to your chosen UCD programme as early as possible, through the UCD Application Portal. Once you receive an offer for an eligible programme, you can then apply for the scholarships that interest you.
To explore all the scholarships available for international students, simply scroll down and select your country from the drop-down menu. You will also find a helpful, step-by-step guide to assist you in the scholarship application process.
If you are a current student at UCD or EU Student, you can explore the range of scholarships available on the UCD Scholarships and Awards page.
The scholarships administered by UCD Global are for students who will be charged non-EU fee rates only. If a student is charged EU fees following an assessment, they are not eligible for the scholarships advertised through UCD Global (though they may still be eligible for other UCD scholarships). For queries on this, please contact UCD Global.
There are two scholarships administered directly by UCD Global.
To explore all the scholarships and funding opportunities available for international students, select your country from the drop-down menu below.
All successful applicants to eligible full-time programmes are invited to apply to our prestigious Global Excellence Scholarship. Applications are open to international applicants who already have an Offer or a Conditional Offer for an eligible programme.
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The Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA) runs an annual competition to select 60 Government of Ireland International Education Scholars across Ireland. Applications are open to postgraduate applicants who already have an Offer or a Conditional Offer to study at an Irish institution.
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In recognition of the value of UCD’s exchange and Study Abroad programmes, UCD Global offers a tuition fee scholarship for past students of these programmes. Eligible candidates should contact Admissions or the below email for further information.
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The UCD International Foundation Year Scholarship is awarded to students entering UCD through the International Foundation Year pathway programme. The scholarship is awarded at entry to the Foundation Year and lasts for the duration of the student's programme, subject to meeting certain criteria.
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Students starting a PhD within the UCD School of Politics and International Relations are invited to apply for the UCD Iseult Honohan Doctoral Scholarship. Applications from all areas of the discipline, including political science, political theory, international relations, European governance, computational social science, development and international political economy are welcome. Click on the Terms and Conditions for more information.
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Students at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School are invited to apply for a range of scholarships for international students. All scholarships are advertised on the UCD Smurfit Scholarships website.
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As a member of the prestigious Universitas 21 Network, UCD offers alumni of Universitas 21 partner universities a tuition fee scholarship. Eligible applicants with the following statuses (Offer, Conditional Offer, Accept or Conditional Accept status) on their application should contact UCD Admissions or the email address below for further information.
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The Aryabhata Science Scholarship is a newly established competitive award offered by the College of Science to high achieving students from India, seeking to study at undergraduate level in UCD. This scholarship offers a tuition fee waiver of 50-100%. For further details, please contact the email address below.
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Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) and University College Dublin (UCD) Scholarship Programme is jointly funded by the Indonesian Government and UCD, designed to attract high-achieving Indonesian students to pursue Master's programmes at UCD.
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The UCD Brian Mullins Ambassador Award for Gaeilc Games, introduced in 2024, has been developed in honour of Brian's contributions to Gaelic Games and UCD. Recipients receive a stipend per year of study, subject to certain criteria.
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The HRH Scholarship (HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand Scholarship Programme) aims to attract excellent Thai candidates to UCD, and to develop closer relations between Thailand and UCD. The scholarship is open to those interested in studying a one-year Master's programme at UCD.
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BECAL (Programa Nacional de Becas “Carlos Antonio López”) is Paraguay’s flagship scholarship initiative, launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It finances master’s, doctoral, postdoctoral, and undergraduate mobility abroad—favouring academic excellence and strategic fields like science, education, and innovation—and mandates returning scholars to Paraguay to contribute to national development.
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FUNED (Fundación Mexicana para la Educación, la Tecnología y la Ciencia) offers scholarships and grants for high-achieving Mexican students to study postgraduate masters degree programmes.
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The Fulbright U.S. Student Program expands perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue. Awards are open to U.S. students interested in coming to UCD to pursue a one-year Master’s programme.
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The Naughton Fellowship for Master's students provides the opportunity for an aspiring graduate student from the University of Notre Dame to experience an immersive year abroad at University College Dublin. Students at the University of Notre Dame can choose from a diverse number of STEM-related Master's programs.
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Irish Aid Fellowships are awarded to one-year Master's students in line with Ireland’s Sustainable Development Goal strategies. Irish diplomatic missions in targeted regions recruit prospective students to these programmes through a competitive scholarship process. Irish Aid Fellows receive continual support through the International Council for International Students (ICOS) during their time in Ireland.
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The Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme offers candidates from Türkiye the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies in a university in an EU member state. Scholarships are allocated to studies of up to 12 months on EU-related issues within the framework of Türkiye’s EU harmonisation process.
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The Bolashaq Programme provides fully funded scholarships for high-achieving students from Kazakhstan to study masters or PhD courses at selected universities in other countries before returning to work in Kazakhstan.
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UCD and the China Scholarship Council (CSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2007, renewed in 2011, for the purposes of providing high-quality research training to qualified Chinese students from Chinese universities/research institutions. This is an exciting opportunity for Chinese students to benefit from studying in one of Europe’s leading research-driven universities.
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UCD has been successful in securing funding through the Ellucian Foundation’s PATH Scholarship Programme in both 2023 and 2024. This allowed UCD to offer international undergraduate students facing financial difficulties a once-off award to help them successfully complete their studies. We hope that we will continue to be successful in securing funding in future to continue supporting students in financial need.
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COLFUTURO is a Colombian non-profit foundation established in 1991 to support Columbian professionals pursuing master’s and doctoral studies abroad through its Scholarship-Loan Programme.
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FIDERH is a federal fund administered by the Bank of Mexico, and its purpose is to finance postgraduate studies for Mexican students.
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University College Dublin is approved by the U.S. Department of Education to certify loans under the ‘William D. Ford Direct Loan’ Program. Under this Program, eligible students can obtain federally supported Subsidized & Unsubsidized Direct loans and Direct PLUS loans. Federally supported loans are made by the US Department of Education rather than by a private lender/bank.
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Students of UCD who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents may be eligible for loans funded by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Student Loan Program.
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Sallie Mae is a U.S. private loan provider offering education loans to US students at UCD. Students must meet certain eligibility criteria to qualify.
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The World Bank’s Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC) provides scholarships to students and young researchers, contributing to the World Bank’s mission of forging new dynamic approaches to capacity development and knowledge sharing in the developing world.
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The Qalaa Holdings Scholarship Foundation was created in 2007, out of a strong will to contribute to national development through creating high caliber professionals to help enhance Egypt’s growth in all sectors.
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Not sure where to start with international scholarships? This guide walks you through each stage.
Apply for your UCD programme at least three weeks before the scholarship’s closing date. Only applicants who have received an offer for an eligible UCD programme can apply for an international student scholarship.
All UCD and UCD Global Scholarship terms are online. Ineligible applications will be disregarded. If awarded multiple offers, the higher-value scholarship applies. Some are for self-funded students only. Apply with your first-choice course only.
Once you receive an offer for an eligible UCD programme, you can apply for scholarships via SISWeb. Eligible students are automatically considered for the International Student Scholarship. You may apply for multiple scholarships if eligible.
Scholarship applications cannot be edited once submitted, and only one submission is allowed. Please review your application carefully before submitting. With your permission, we can delete your application so you can start again if needed.
You’ll receive an update about your application within 7 weeks of the deadline. To check the status, log into UCD SISWeb, go to ‘UCD Applications’, and click ‘My Applications’ to view your submission status.
If offered a full or partial scholarship, you must accept it by the specified method within two weeks. Non-response is treated as a decline. Scholarships are not retained if you defer or accept your programme offer after the scholarship deadline.
Most UCD Global scholarships are tied to a specific programme and start date. If you plan to change your programme or defer entry, let us know as it may affect your scholarship. Always check the scholarship terms for any restrictions.
The terms and conditions will vary depending on the scholarship you are awarded. Please note that there are some general conditions that apply to all UCD Global's scholarships including, but not limited to, the following:
University College Dublin is approved by the U.S. Department of Education to certify loans under the ‘William D. Ford Direct Loan Program. Under this Program, eligible students can obtain federally supported Subsidized & Unsubsidized Direct loans and Direct PLUS loans. Federally supported loans are made by the US Department of Education rather than by a private lender/bank.
