From scholarships to awards to State funding, there are ways in which you can cut the cost of your MBA. Be warned, though, each comes with a list of deadlines and requirements –– so get thinking early.
Southeast Technological University
SETU Waterford provides five annual scholarships through their business school with scholarships available for the Master of Business Studies, the MSc in Digital Marketing and the Executive MBA programme as well as the Masters by Research (considered on a case-by-case basis).
SETU, the Gaelic Players Association and the Women’s Gaelic Players Association have also announced that they will be extending their Graduate Business Scholarship agreement for GPA & WGPA members for another three years. The partnership has seen ten members of both associations receiving scholarship awards to facilitate their participation in the exclusive suite of Graduate Business programmes at SETU. As per the university’s website, scholarship competition dates for the 2025/2026 academic year will be announced in early 2025.
WEB setu.ie/global/scholarship
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University of Limerick
UL has several scholarships associated with each faculty, including the Judge Michael Reilly Scholarship, which awards two 33 per cent fee waivers to members of An Garda Síochána partaking in the LLM/MA (Human Rights in Criminal Justice). The faculty of science and engineering also offers 10 taught postgraduate fee waiver scholarships to the value of €2,000.
WEB ul.ie/gps/scholarships-and-bursaries
University College Cork
UCC offers an array of scholarships across most departments, including the Moss Keane Rugby Scholarship, consisting of a value of €5,000, awarded annually. Another is the O’Connor scholarship, a €10,000 award available for one postgraduate student per year whose parent had the surname O’Connor at birth. Other than that, postgraduate students undertaking research programmes may also be supported by research grants held by individual supervisors. As per the university, inquiries should be directed to individual supervisors.
Technological University Dublin
Alumni of TU Dublin or any of its previous affiliations –– DIT, IT Tallaght and IT Blanchardstown –– can avail of a 10 per cent discount on all Graduate Business School courses, except for those funded by external bodies. A small number of MBA partial scholarships are also available. For more information on those, anyone interested is recommended to email mba@tudublin.ie.
Another scholarship exists for the MSc in Fashion Buying and Management course, covering fees and an allowance for living expenses. Supported by The Maria Wallace Foundation, this scholarship is for someone with “exceptional potential to succeed” but would only be in a financial position to complete the MSc programme with the support of the scholarship.
As well as this, TU Dublin’s Graduate Business School and TU Dublin’s Enterprise Academy are each also offering two 50 per cent scholarships for part-time female students in partnership with the 30% Club. The 30% Club is a collaborative business-led effort to make real change in Ireland, aiming towards 30 per cent female representation in senior management. Interested candidates are invited to apply for a place on either the Executive MBA or the MBA in Life Sciences Leadership at TU Dublin. These scholarships are open to all successful female applicants. As scholarships are limited, early application is recommended. To apply, contact maria.k.fitzgerald@tudublin.ie.
University College Dublin
A number of scholarships are available to prospective UCD students each year. They cater to a variety of students: from mature to school-leavers to those with socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and those with a disability (the latter can be accessed through UCD’s Access Centre.) A wide selection of scholarships exist across different educational departments, including the Mary Colum Award, worth €3,048, which is awarded to a female candidate accepted by the School of English to undertake postgraduate studies leading to the MA, MLitt or PhD Degree. UCD Smurfit School also has a large number of scholarships open to those wishing to undertake an MBA. The Women on the MBA Scholarship covers up to 50 per cent of tuition fees.
WEB ucd.ie/students/scholarships/
Maynooth University
Maynooth University offers a number of scholarships valued at €2,000 to support full-time, taught master’s study. These are open to EU and non-EU students as well as to Maynooth and non-Maynooth graduates. To be considered for a scholarship, applicants must:
– Submit a valid application for a Maynooth University full-time taught Masters programme by June 1 2025
– Provide final undergraduate degree transcripts for their Level 8 degree to pgadmissions@mu.ie by July 1 2025
– Accept an offer for their chosen programme
– And pay the required deposit
One full-fee scholarship is also available to 30% Club members to undertake part-time study. Further information on this scholarship will be available in early 2025, according to the website.
Several other departmental scholarships also exist – from anthropology to business.
Dublin City University
DCU has extended their 10 per cent Masters Reduced Fee scheme that is exclusive to all DCU graduates and outgoing final-year students from the university. It applies to students commencing the first year of a full-time or part-time taught Masters Programme for the academic years 2024/2025.
As well as this, the Gaelic Players Association and DCU Business School co-fund two scholarships each year to the DCU Executive MBA and two scholarships to full-time master’s programmes.
WEB dcu.ie/graduatestudies/scholarships-opportunities
The Irish Research Council
A myriad of researcher-centric funds are on offer by the Irish Research Council, an agency operated under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills. It offers a suite of interlinked programmes that funds researchers across all career stages and disciplines. Although a number of these funds are either closed or paused at the moment, it’s worth having a look at the council’s website with differing deadlines for certain programmes.
WEB research.ie/funding/goipg/
North/South postgraduate scholarships
The Universities Ireland North/South scholarship scheme was founded to encourage outstanding students from both the Republic of Ireland and the North of Ireland to cross the Border to pursue postgraduate study and experience life in the other Irish jurisdiction. This year, Universities Ireland will offer four scholarships, each worth €25,000, to students who have been accepted to undertake a recognised Master’s Degree or are entering the first year of a PhD programme at a university in the island of Ireland that is not in the same jurisdiction as the university where they have previously studied. More information is available via their website.
Separately, the History Bursary supports students undertaking postgraduate study on a topic relating to the 1912-1923 period in Ireland, the decade of the first World War and the division of the island into the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland.
WEB universitiesireland.ie/bursaries-scholarships
The SUSI Grant
The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant is available for those who want to go to college but need financial assistance to get there. Student grants are means-tested based on your income and/or the income of your parents or legal guardian. This means that how much you receive depends on this income.
Depending on your circumstances, you could qualify for any of the three types of funding available to eligible postgraduate students. The first is the postgraduate fee contribution grant of up to €5,000 plus a maintenance grant (a contribution towards day-to-day living costs which is paid directly to eligible students through nine monthly instalments over the course of the academic year.) The second is solely a postgraduate fee contribution grant of up to €5000. The third is the special rate of grant, with a postgraduate tuition fee grant of up to €6,270 plus a maintenance grant. Information on eligibility for these grants is available on the SUSI website.
WEB susi.ie
Tax relief
If you are an undergraduate, postgraduate, IT or foreign language course student, and you are in employment, you can benefit from tax relief. The maximum value that can be awarded through this scheme is €7,000 per person, per course, per academic year –– and you can claim it if you have paid the fees either on your own behalf or on behalf of another person.
It is not means tested, meaning any Irish postgraduate student can apply. The list of courses and colleges approved for tax relief each year is published on the Revenue website.
WEB revenue.ie
