Student Guide to Ireland
Education in Ireland is free at all levels for Irish nationals and resident of the European Union. The top universities in Ireland are Trinity College, National College of Ireland, University College Dublin, Griffith College, National University of Ireland Galway, Waterford Institute of Technology, IBAT College Dublin, Maynooth University, Cork Institute of Technology, and Dublin City University . Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Dublin, Limerick, and Galway. Language and Literature, Business Studies, Medical Courses, Nursing, and Social Sciences are the popular courses Indian students pursue in Ireland.
Safety in Ireland: Travelling through Ireland is not dangerous at all. The biggest danger you might face could be pickpockets who would simply snatch your bag, which is a risk anywhere in the world. Other than that the country is safe for people of Indian origin, as "racist-hate" crimes are uncommon.
Weather: Ireland's climate is heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, so the warm ocean currents keep temperatures mild. In the spring and summer (May to July) the average temperature is between 64°F and 68°F (17°C and 20°C). During the autumn season (August to October), the temperature varies from 57°F and 64°F (13°C and 17°C), with September being a mild month with sunny and warm atmosphere. In winters (November to March beginning), the temperature reaches 46°F (7.78°C) with January and February as the coldest months. Apart from a few cold weeks, snow is scarce in Ireland.
Accommodation
First, you need to decide whether you want to live in university-managed accommodation, or with a private landlord. Choosing university-managed accommodation can also give you a catered or self-catered option. Catered accommodation offers the benefits of your meals being cooked for you and a degree of certainty with meal costs.
If you have an idea about what you prefer, the accommodation office at your university will be able to tell you what accommodation they have available, so that's the place to start. If you are thinking of renting from a private landlord or if your chosen university can't offer you anything on its own residential premises, the accommodation office should be able to provide you with a list of private properties and landlords in the area.
Requirements
For each course, a minimum academic score of 60% and above in Standard XII is required. Foundations and Diploma programmes are available for students who have secured around 50%. The student should have completed 18 years of age before joining a degree program. It is important to remember that even though entry requirement is lower at Irish universities, the education standard is not. Hence, you should carefully enhance your ability to cope with the high standard of education through the course of next few years beforehand.
The documents to be submitted are:
Academic Transcripts: Mark Sheets of Standard X, XII, and the bachelor’s degree (if applicable)
Internet-based TOEFL or IELTS scores
If you have work experience then two letters of recommendation (LOR) from the employer/manager who knows you well and can comment on your professional abilities
Statement of Purpose (SOP)
Academic Resume
Portfolio (in case of students applying for art and design courses or architecture programs)
Others (Certificates/achievements at the state and national level and extracurricular activities)
Proof of funds
Health insurance
A copy of your passport
Photocopies of these documents should be translated in English and certified by the educational institution or by notary.
Admission Process: For undergraduate courses, the Irish universities accept applications through Central Applications Office (CAO) an online enrolment system.
You will have to create an account on the CAO website to provide your basic information, submit the scanned version of your documents, a score of TOEFL/IELTS and pay application fees. You will be informed about the application process and its stages through this account.
Application Fee: All colleges require you to pay the application fee while applying, the amount of which may differ depending upon the college and course being applied to, so check with individual colleges about their application fee.
Steps: The common steps to applying for admission are as follows:
Search for colleges and courses
Contact schools and visit websites for information
Narrow down your list of schools
Take the language exams like TOEFL or IELTS
Write Statement of Purpose, and ask for Letters of Recommendation
Register at Central Applications Office
Apply to the colleges which fit your interests
Appear for video interviews of the colleges that shortlisted you (if applicable)
If accepted, apply for Study Visa
Statement of Purpose: A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is your introduction to the college and admission officers. It is always written in the first person and describes the reason for applying to a particular college. It needs to highlight why you are a perfect fit for the college and why the college should accept you. The style of writing could differ from formal to casual, but it is important to remember that it should reflect your personality as well.
Essay: College essays are also required to be submitted by a prospective student. Essays are an important part of the university admissions process. Students may be required to write one or two essays, along with a few optional essays too. Common topics include career aspirations, strengths and weaknesses, skills, experiences, and reasons for considering a particular school.
LOR: A Letter of Recommendation (LOR) is a reference letter written by a third party describing the qualities, characteristics, and capabilities of the prospective student to recommend him to the college in terms of that individual’s ability to perform a particular task or function. The third-party could be a professor, direct manager etc.
Intake Seasons
Irish universities have one major enrolment season, which is the autumn intake in September. Some universities admit students for January sessions as well.
Education Loan
Student Eligibility Criteria: The first thing is to be aware of whether you are eligible to apply for the loan or not. The general eligibility criteria that are followed by all the banks are:
You should be an Indian residential citizen
You must have a strong academic record
You must be seeking admission to a professional, technical, or other courses of study, most banks maintain that the selected course should be job-oriented
You must have secured admission to a foreign university/institution
You need to be 18 or above 18 years of age to avail the loan, else your parents can avail the loan
Course Eligibility Criteria: Not every course offered abroad is eligible for an educational loan. The kinds of courses that qualify for the education loan are as follows:
Graduation: Job-oriented professional or technical courses offered by reputed universities
Post-Graduation: MCA, MBA, MS, or even Diplomas
These courses could be offered by foreign universities/institutes approved by the state and central government.
Loan Amount: If your total fee is INR 10 lakh, the bank may offer to give a loan of 80% of the amount and you will have to put in the balance 20%. This is called the margin amount. The maximum loan amount for studies abroad is generally around INR 20 lakh by the bank. If your tuition fees amount is INR 30 lakh, you will have to manage the rest of the funds by yourself. Some banks charge a processing fee, while others do not. It may be a fixed amount or a percentage of the total loan amount. So, if the bank charges you 1% as processing fee, that will be an additional cost you will have to cover.
Documentation Required: You will have to provide the acceptance letter sent by the university reflecting that you have been selected for the course and the schedule of fees. You would also need to show the mark sheet of the last qualifying examination to show your academic record.
All banks have different requirements for documentation, so you need to confirm with the bank first.
Repayment: Repayment starts only after the course period. If the student gets employed within one year after completion of the course, the repayment should start immediately after the expiry of one month from the date of employment.
If you do not secure a job within a year of completing the course, then repayment starts irrespective of whether or not you are employed. The loan is generally to be repaid in 5-7 years after commencement of repayment. If the student is not able to complete the course within the scheduled time extension for completion of course, he may be permitted for a maximum period of two years. Generally, you will get up to a maximum number of 10 years to repay the loan.
Conditions
You will need a study visa to be able to study in Ireland. Remember before applying that you need to show funds of at least €7000 in your bank account at the time of applying for the study visa. This amount equals the cost of living in Ireland for an international student for one academic year. Also, you need to be able to prove that you or your parents/sponsor will be able to provide at least €7000 for each year of your studies, in addition to the course fee.
Process
To apply for a study visa, you’ll need to:
Pay your first tuition fee installment to the University
Prepare your documents and their copies. (See below for a list of required documents for the visa)
Submit the online application
Pay the application fee of €60
You should provide the following documents for the study visa:
A recent passport sized photograph
Letter of acceptance from a recognized Irish university confirming that you have been accepted for a full-time course.
Scores of either IELTS or TOEFL
Proof of payment of tuition fees
Bank statement as proof of enough funds (€7000) required to cover the cost of living for the first year of stay in Ireland.
Evidence that you or your parents/sponsor have access to at least €7000 for the following years of study as living costs.
Private medical insurance papers
Work permit
Students who are pursuing a full-time course and are in possession of the GNIB (Garda National Immigration Bureau) registration card can work for 20 hours part-time per week. There are two standardized periods when international students are allowed to work full-time, which is for up to 40 hours per week. The periods are from 15th December to 15th January and 1st May to 31st August. These dates correspond to the traditional summer and winter holidays. Note that these dates are fixed for all international students, regardless of the actual teaching calendar for their course.
Visa for spouse
As a general rule non-EU international students studying in Ireland have no right to bring their family with them. Spouses and children of international students can apply to live in Ireland separately, but not on the basis of their relationship to a student.
The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Authority (INIS) might consider an exemption for certain cases from this policy. For example, if a student is pursuing Ph.D. studies (Level 10) and will be required to complete their doctorate within four years might be allowed to be joined by their partners and children.