Third-level student fees and charges

Information

Most undergraduate students attending publicly funded third-level courses do not have to pay tuition fees.

Fees

Free fees

In order to qualify for free fees:

• You must be an EU national or have official refugee status and
• You must have been living in the EU for at least 3 of the 5 years before starting your course and
• You must be undertaking a full-time undergraduate course of at least 2 years' duration (or certain 1-year courses in an institute of technology) and
• You must not have a previous qualification to the same level (but students who hold a National Certificate or Diploma and are progressing to degree courses may be eligible) and
• You must not be repeating the year because of failing your exams or changing course. (This exclusion may be waived if you have to repeat a year due to certified serious illness.)

The undergraduate courses for which the free fees arrangements apply are courses in:

• Universities
• Institutes of technology
• Publicly funded colleges of education
• National College of Ireland
• A number of religious education institutions

Free fees do not apply to courses in private colleges, whether they have Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) approval or not.

The fact that a course is listed by the Central Applications Office (CAO) is not, in itself, enough to make it a free fees course.

Students may also be eligible for means-tested maintenance grants.

Detailed information about assistance with tuition fees is available on studentfinance.ie.

EU fees

If you are not an Irish national and you do not qualify for free fees the third-level institution may charge you EU fees if you are either:

• An EU citizen or have official refugee status and you have received all your post-primary education in the EU but have not been resident in an EU state for 3 of the 5 years before beginning third-level education you will qualify for EU fees or
• Not an EU citizen but you have been residing in an EU country for 3 of the last 5 years before entering third-level education you may be eligible for EU fees.

If you are not an EU citizen and you do not qualify for EU fees you may be charged non-EU fees. Each third-level educational institution sets its own fee rates. You should contact the ones you are interested in to find out more about their fees - see 'Where to apply' below.

Postgraduate fees

Fees are payable for most postgraduate courses. However, for postgraduate courses subsidised under the Graduate Skills Conversion Programme, a reduced fee is charged. This fee is €2,500 for the year 2010/2011.

Student services charge

Most colleges charge an annual student services charge. It is also known as a registration fee and it covers student services and examinations. The amount of the charge varies from one institution to another. The maximum rate of the student services charge for the year 2010/2011 is €1,500. If you have qualified for a maintenance grant, you will not have to pay the student services charge.

Exemptions from fees and charges

If you do not qualify for the Free Fees Initiative, you may still qualify for full or partial payment of fees if you satisfy the conditions of the Higher Education Grants Scheme. You may also qualify for exemption from the student services charge.

If you are getting Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) you may qualify for exemption from the student services charge.

See 'How to apply' for details of how to get these exemptions.

How to apply

There is no separate application for the Free Fees Initiative. Your eligibility will be assessed on the basis of the information you give when applying for a college place. 

Use the student grant application form to apply for exemption from the student services charge and any fees that may apply to you. There are detailed guidance notes to help you when filling this form.

Where to apply

For information about fees contact the third-level educational institution of your choice.

If you are applying for a grant, or for exemption from the student services charge or fees, send the completed application form to your local authority.