At an event in New Delhi this afternoon, the National College of Ireland (NCI) marked its 75th anniversary by announcing scholarships worth ₹7.5 million (about €83,000) for high-achieving Indian students starting taught master’s programmes this September. The initiative complements Ireland’s Graduate Route, which allows up to two years of post-study work and is viewed by many Indians as an alternative to tightening Canadian and UK visa regimes.
The new awards—ranging from 50% tuition waivers to full-fee coverage—will be allocated based on academic merit, professional experience and a personal statement outlining how the candidate intends to contribute to Ireland’s innovation ecosystem. Priority fields include data analytics, fintech, cybersecurity and HRM, all areas where Dublin employers report acute skills shortages.
Education consultants say enquiries for Irish programmes have spiked since Canada slashed its 2026 study-permit cap by 49%. NCI’s move is therefore both altruistic and strategic: Indian students are the second-largest non-EU cohort in Ireland, and their presence feeds directly into Critical Skills Employment Permit pipelines.
![National College of Ireland unveils ₹7.5 million scholarship fund to lure Indian post-graduates]()
For applicants wondering how to streamline the paperwork, VisaHQ offers a one-stop Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) with step-by-step checklists, document reviews and real-time status alerts, taking much of the guesswork out of visa processing for students, sponsoring employers and mobility teams alike.
For corporate mobility teams, the scholarship may widen the talent pool of graduates already work-authorised for two years, easing recruitment of tech and finance professionals. Employers that co-sponsor tuition can stack the award on top of in-house education budgets, lowering relocation costs.
Visa experts remind applicants that while Indian nationals need pre-clearance for study in Ireland, processing times have stabilised at 4-6 weeks. Successful candidates will still pay the standard €60 single-entry visa fee, with online application windows opening in March.
The new awards—ranging from 50% tuition waivers to full-fee coverage—will be allocated based on academic merit, professional experience and a personal statement outlining how the candidate intends to contribute to Ireland’s innovation ecosystem. Priority fields include data analytics, fintech, cybersecurity and HRM, all areas where Dublin employers report acute skills shortages.
Education consultants say enquiries for Irish programmes have spiked since Canada slashed its 2026 study-permit cap by 49%. NCI’s move is therefore both altruistic and strategic: Indian students are the second-largest non-EU cohort in Ireland, and their presence feeds directly into Critical Skills Employment Permit pipelines.
For applicants wondering how to streamline the paperwork, VisaHQ offers a one-stop Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) with step-by-step checklists, document reviews and real-time status alerts, taking much of the guesswork out of visa processing for students, sponsoring employers and mobility teams alike.
For corporate mobility teams, the scholarship may widen the talent pool of graduates already work-authorised for two years, easing recruitment of tech and finance professionals. Employers that co-sponsor tuition can stack the award on top of in-house education budgets, lowering relocation costs.
Visa experts remind applicants that while Indian nationals need pre-clearance for study in Ireland, processing times have stabilised at 4-6 weeks. Successful candidates will still pay the standard €60 single-entry visa fee, with online application windows opening in March.
