DCU University of Sanctuary Scholarships 2025/26

Scholarships are open to:

• International Protection Applicants
• Applicants with refugee status or Permission to Remain who are not eligible for state support, i.e. Free Fees Initiative or Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant

Note: Individuals at deportation order stage are not eligible to apply.

Scholarship eligibility criteria

Applicants must be:

1. Registered with the Department of Justice
2. Have applied for a full-time or part-time taught master's postgraduate course in DCU

Priority will be given to:

• Applicants who have lived in Ireland for more than 12 months
• Applicants who are on the International Protection Priority list
• Applicants who do not have a postgraduate degree

What does the scholarship cover?

The scholarship covers 

1. A full fee waiver
2. An annual stipend of €5,000 for full-time students or €2,500 for part-time students. The stipend is paid in two instalments - at the beginning of each semester.
3. Post-entry support and advice

Note: 

• Successful applicants will be encouraged to contribute to the DCU University of Sanctuary project, but this is voluntary.
• There is no additional funding for accommodation or transport.

Application process

Securing your DCU programme place

1. Before applying for a Sanctuary scholarship, applicants must apply for a place on a DCU master's programme.
2. Apply for a postgraduate programme through the DCU Student Application Portal. The entry requirements for all programmes can be found on each of the course web pages
3. Applicants who meet the criteria for a University of Sanctuary scholarship can request a fee waiver for the course application fee. Email sanctuary@dcu.ie.
4. In the case of all applications, evidence MUST be provided of competence in the English language. Please visit the DCU English Language Requirements page for further information. 

The Sanctuary process

1. The application for a University of Sanctuary application is separate from the programme application.
2. Apply for a Sanctuary scholarship using the form at the bottom of this page.
3. Shortlisted applicants will be requested to supply official written evidence of their legal status.

Guide to completing the application form

There are six sections to the form. As it is not possible to save the form and return to it at a later date, we recommend preparing all the information in advance of completing the form.

Section 1: Privacy statement. You must tick 'yes' to the privacy statement before proceeding with the application.

Section 2: Personal details. In this section, you will be asked to provide your personal information, including your PPS number and Eircode.

Section 3: Previous education. To complete this section, you will need details about your undergraduate degree. You will also need details about any additional qualifications you want to use to support your application.

Section 4: Nationality status. In this section, you will be asked for details about your status. You will be asked to provide the date you lodged your application for international protection and the date you became officially resident in Ireland.

Section 5: Your postgraduate programme. To complete this section, you will need details about the programme you want to study in DCU.

Section 6: Personal statement. There are two parts to this section. In part one, you are required to write 500 words telling us about your past achievements, including any skills and experience that will support your application. 

In part two, you must write 400 words explaining how this scholarship will help you achieve your long-term career or life goals.

Note: It is not possible to edit your application once it has been submitted. Therefore, we recommend writing your statements in a Word document in advance and pasting them into the form.

Assessment process

1. The application process closes on the 20th of June 2025 at 5 pm.
2. An assessment committee will assess applications.
3. Shortlisted applicants may be required to attend an interview.
4. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of the assessment process on Monday, the 30th of June.

For further information on our scholarship process, email sanctuary@dcu.ie

In this section, you will find links to useful websites.

International Protection Student Scheme for FE/HE Students-  The student grant scheme for people seeking asylum who are in the Protection System or at the Leave To Remain (but not deportation order) stage and who are pursuing an approved Post Leaving Certificate course or an approved Undergraduate course.

Universities of Sanctuary Ireland (UoSI) is an initiative in Irish universities and colleges to foster a culture of welcome and inclusion for protection applicants and the refugee community.

StudentFinance.ie. Applicants who have been residents in Ireland for three of the past five years and have acquired refugee status or Permission to remain may be entitled to state support.