DCU University of Sanctuary Scholarships 2024
Applications will open in April/May - join the mailing list to be contacted when scholarships open.
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:
- Registered with the Department of Justice.
- Accepted on a DCU full-time or part-time taught masters postgraduate course.
Application process
- Applicants must be offered a place on a DCU masters programme. Apply online for a postgraduate programme using one of the DCU Student Application Portals. The entry requirements for all programmes can be found on each of the course web pages.
- 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.
- Applicants must make a separate application for a DCU University of Sanctuary scholarship. Complete the online form on the DCU University of Sanctuary web page.
- 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, please prepare the information required before starting to fill in your answers. You can prepare your two 500-word paragraphs in advance, and copy and paste them into your 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 details, 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 that 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 that you would like 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 are required to write 500 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. We would recommend writing your personal statements into a Word document in advance, and pasting them into the form.
Assessment process
- Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee.
- Preference will be given to applicants who do not have a previous postgraduate qualification.
- Applicants will be informed of the outcome of the assessment process by the 30th of July 2023.
For further information on our scholarship process email sanctuary@dcu.ie
In this section, you will find links to useful websites.
Student Support Scheme - 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.
College Connect - this website is useful if you are new to higher education and want to learn more about it.
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.