Scholarships / Funding

Wondering how to fund your studies at NCAD? Funding programmes are available to support your studies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE FUNDING

STUDENT UNIVERSAL SUPPORT IRELAND (SUSI)

For information on eligibility criteria please CLICK HERE.

All new Higher Education Student Grants are administered through a single agency called SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).  Applications are made online and students who wish to apply for a student grant are advised to start the process as early as possible.  You can start the application process before you receive your CAO place offer and have confirmed your acceptance.

The key changes to the Student Grant Scheme for the 2023/24 academic year are set out below with the new €500 student contribution grant being the most significant as more students than ever before may now be eligible for a form of support:

  •      New student contribution grant of €500 for incomes between €62,000 and €100,000
  •      Increase in income limit from €55,240 to €62,000 for the 50% student contribution grant 
  •      Increase in maintenance grant rates (which took effect from 1 January 2023)
  •      Postgraduate fee grant increased by €500 on 2022 levels from €3,500 to €4,000
  •      Eligibility for second chance mature students reduced from 5 to 3 years 
  •      Exclusion of rental income up to €14,000 earned under the Government’s Rent-a-Room Relief Scheme from reckonable income
  •      Increase in student earnings allowable to be earned outside of term time without being counted towards income from €4,500 to €6,552

UVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS

The application portal for UVERSITY Scholarship for Adult Learners will open on 1st February, 2024. Uversity’s Scholarships are for adult learners who wish to complete a Bachelor’s (Ordinary or Higher) Degree, for the first time, that will help transform their lives and the lives of those around them. Scholarships enable successful candidates to pursue a degree, in any discipline, in selected institutions on the island of Ireland. Preference is given to candidates enrolling on full-time programmes. Part time or blended programmes will also be considered.

The Scholarships comprise financial support and programming throughout the course of the degree

Scholarships are not limited to particular subject areas and will enable individuals 23 years or older to complete a Bachelor’s degree in one of the participating institutions (NCAD is one of the participating institutions).

To find out more about Uversity Scholarships you should visit the following website: https://www.uversity.org/

1916 BURSARIES

The 1916 Bursary is a financial award to encourage the participation and success of students from sections of society that are significantly under-represented in higher education.

The 1916 Leaders and Learners’ Bursary is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS),and aims to encourage participation and success by students who are most socio-economically disadvantaged and from groups most under-represented in higher education. 

For more information and to submit an application please CLICK HERE.

UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

China Merit Undergraduate Scholarship

Building on the success of the Claddagh Scholarship Programme initiative for Postgraduate Students, Education in Ireland will launch a new independent scholarship scheme in 2025 - The China Merit Undergraduate Scholarship. This initiative aims to highlight the unique strengths of Ireland’s undergraduate education and further support undergraduate recruitment among Irish HEIs from 2025.

NCAD will offer 2 scholarships for our BA in Interaction Design programme. The recipients of these scholarships will receive a €2,500 reduction in non-EU tuition fees. 

Please find more information about the scholarship, and how to apply here.

 

POSTGRADUATE DEGREE FUNDING

HUMAN CAPITAL INITIATIVE

NCAD is delighted to announce a new funding opportunity for postgraduate students.

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI), a five-year project, investing €300m of National Training Fund (NTF) funding commenced in 2020. HCI aims to increase capacity in higher education to provide skills-focused programmes designed to meet priority skills needs.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) announced the launch of the Micro-Credentials Learner Fee Subsidy under the Human Capital Initiative, Pillar 3.

Micro-credential courses are small, accredited courses designed to meet the demands of learners, enterprises and society. The NCAD courses award between 5 and 20 ECTS and provide awards at Level 9 on National Framework of Qualifications.

Funding is available for the below courses:

Course  Funding Amount
Professional Diploma in Fashion Communication €1100
Professional Diploma in Art and Health €1100
Professional Certificate in Circular by Design €480
Professional Diploma in Art and Ecology €1760
Professional Certificate in Design for Transformation €1100
Professional Diploma in Art and Design Research €1100
Professional Certificate in Design for Climate Action €480
Professional Certificate Art and Ecology €480
Professional Certificate Sustainable Exhibition €480
Professional Certificate in Creative Diversity €300
Professional Certificate in Typographic Futures €300
Professional Certificate in Digital Art and Contemporary Contexts €300

 

Eligibility Criteria

Please CLICK HERE to view the eligibility criteria. 

 

MA SCHOLARSHIPS and RESEARCH DEGREE SCHOLARSHIPS

MA Scholarships

NCAD offer a number MA scholarships and PhD studentships to incoming students each year. These scholarships will recognise excellence, outstanding achievement and potential in Art, Design and Visual Culture.

A full EU tuition fee scholarship will be awarded on academic merit to one student for each of the following programmes:

  • MSc Medical Device Design - worth €8100
  • MA Design History and Material Culture - worth €7600
  • MA Art in the Contemporary World - worth €6840

A half EU tuition fee scholarship will be awarded on merit to one student for each of the following programmes

  • MSc Medical Device Design - worth €4050
  • Master of Research - worth €2650
  • MA Circular by Design - worth €4500
  • MA Service Design - worth €4500
  • MA Art and Social Action - worth €4050

Postgraduate Scholarships for International Students Only

Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships

The Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES) programme supports high-calibre international students who wish to study at NFQ levels 9 or 10 (masters, postgraduate diploma or PhD) in Ireland. The programme is funded by the Government of Ireland in partnership with Irish higher education institutions (HEIs) and managed by the Higher Education Authority. Under the initiative, 60 scholarships are awarded each year for one year of full-time study at NFQ levels 9 or 10.

Please find more information on these scholarships, and how to apply, here.

The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) Ireland Fellows Programme

The Irish Government offers a number of fellowship programmes to students from developing countries to undertake full-time study at Master's level at an Irish higher level institution, with a focus on courses that are relevant to Irish Aid's development objectives.

Almost 4,000 Ireland Fellows have studied in Ireland over the past 50 years as part of the Ireland Fellows Programme. Fellows bring a unique perspective which enriches the educational experience in higher education institutions in Ireland as they address global challenges. In the course of their studies in Ireland, participating Fellows are provided with opportunities to learn more about Ireland.

For more information about The Ireland Fellows Programme, please go here.

Claddagh Scholarship Programme for Chinese Students

NCAD is delighted to offer 2 postgraduate scholarships for Chinese nationals under the Claddagh Scholarship Programme. These scholarships are available for students who have received an offer for our MSc in Medical Device Design programme. 

The scholarships will be to the value of €2,500 towards non-EU tuition fee for the MSc in Medical Device Design. 

This scholarship is for applicants who are normally resident in China, who have non-EU status and who will pay non-EU tuition fees. 

The scholarship will be assessed based on academic achievement, and evaluation of the applicants’ potential to contribute to the overall NCAD community.

For more information on the Claddagh Scholarship Programme and how to apply, please go here.

Research Degree Scholarships

Each year NCAD offers a number of Research Student Scholarships to meet the cost of fees for PhD and MLitt students commending study in the autumn. (Living costs are not covered by the scheme). 

Five scholarships will be available for students commencing study in 2024-5.

The Scholarships are intended to support new doctoral research in key fields where we have specialist interests and expertise. Listed below:

  • Sustainability, Circular Economies & Environmental Futures
  • Healthcare, Wellbeing and Medtech Innovation
  • Collaborative Practices
  • Material Cultures, Physical & Digital Making: Heritage & Futures 
  • Future Teaching Practices, Student Culture/s and Pedagogies 
  • Critical Technologies, Human Interfaces & Hybrid Objects
  • Structures, Systems & Power
  • Gender, Identities & Cultures

Follow the LINK for more information.

 

NCAD Fees

Brexit Update - Important information on NCAD Tuition Fees for UK and Northern Ireland students

The Irish and UK Government have signed a memo of understanding on the Common Travel area between Ireland and the UK (May 2019). The MoU acknowledges the importance of education noting that “the CTA affords Irish and British citizens the right of access to all levels of education and training, and associated student support in each other’s State on terms no less favourable than those for citizens of that State.”  This means that notwithstanding Brexit, UK students will continue to be eligible for the same fee structures and grants as EU students in Ireland.  

 

More information:
admissions@ncad.ie / feesandgrants@ncad.ie