Ireland 2015/16 - values of student fees

National student fee

For the first cycle, full-time EU students are exempt from full tuition fees if they are first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an  EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. However, these students nevertheless pay a 'student contribution' of EUR 3 000 per academic year. Full-time EU students who do not meet the terms of the 'free fees' scheme must pay a consolidated fee covering both tuition fee and  student contribution – the average EU consolidated fee is EUR 6 000.

For the second cycle, the majority of students pay tuition fees that are set by higher education institutions, and that may reach EUR 30 000 per year.

Part-time fees are generally half of full tuition fees for full-time  programmes.

In both cycles, international student fees are generally two to three times higher than those of full EU fees and are set by the higher education institutions.