The scholarship provides a €10,000 stipend for one year plus a full waiver of tuition and registration charges from the host Irish higher education institution. In practice, many Global Scholarships recipients describe it as fully funded. For example, Elizabeth Biwott, a GOI-IES scholar at Griffith College Dublin, said the award “fully covers tuition and provides a €10,000 stipend.”

As of the 2026 call, applicants must have a domiciliary of origin outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; hold an offer as an international fee-paying student at an eligible Irish higher education institution; apply for a full-time, in-person master’s, postgraduate diploma, research master’s, or PhD lasting at least one academic year; not have previously held a GOI-IES; and not be Russian or Belarusian citizens. Christine, a GOI-IES scholar at the University of Galway, also described the award as being designed for “non-Irish and non-EU students.”

No. Applicants must already have a valid conditional or final offer from an eligible Irish higher education institution when they submit the GOI-IES application.

The scheme is for full-time, in-person study in Ireland: taught master’s degrees, postgraduate diplomas, research master’s, and PhDs that last at least one academic year. Undergraduate and foundation-year programs are not eligible, and fully online degrees are not eligible. Blended programs are only eligible if scholars attend all in-person classes and live in Ireland for the duration of the scholarship. The recipient stories on Global Scholarships show how broad the eligible fields can be, from journalism and media to finance, public health, science, and dispute resolution.

For the scholarship itself, the official FAQ says an English-language proficiency certificate is not required by GOI-IES. However, Irish institutions may still require proof of English for admission, and some recipients also needed English documentation later for university or visa purposes. At Griffith College, Elizabeth Biwott said, “All my classes are conducted in English.” Meanwhile, Nasratullah Taban said he “took the IELTS exam and achieved a score of 7,” and Christine also emphasized IELTS preparation when applying. So applicants should always check both the official GOI-IES guidance and the language requirements of their chosen institution.

Very competitive. The official call describes GOI-IES as a highly competitive scheme assessed by independent reviewers, with scholarships awarded to the highest-scoring candidates. Mustefa Geda Bamuda, a recipient at Independent College Dublin, also described being selected through “a highly competitive process.”

Officially, reviewers look at academic achievement, communication skills, extracurricular involvement, a strong rationale for studying in Ireland, and two references uploaded through the online portal. The recipient stories consistently show the same pattern: clear goals, a focused statement of purpose, and strong alignment between the scholarship’s mission and the applicant’s long-term plans. Thi Ngoc Anh Trinh said many scholarship applications come down to four questions: “Why me? Why this country? Why this university? Why this course?” Elizabeth advised applicants to “Be authentic in your application,” while Mustefa emphasized answering each essay question fully and supporting it with specific examples from your life and career.