Free Tuition Fees Initiative | National College of Ireland

In accordance with a decision of the Government of Ireland, full-time undergraduate Irish/EU students are not required to pay tuition fees.

NCI students in class

Eligibility for free fees

Tuition Fees will be paid in respect of EU nationals who have been resident in an EU Member State for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to full-time undergraduate third-level courses at National College of Ireland. Each student's eligibility must be determined on an individual basis.

The criteria for determining eligibility, as laid out by studentfinance.ie, are as follows:

Notwithstanding this condition and subject to compliance with the other conditions of the Free Fees initiative, students who already hold a Level 6 qualification (Higher Certificate or National Certificate) or a Level 7 qualification (Ordinary Bachelor Degree or National Diploma) and are progressing to a Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degree) course without necessarily having received an exemption from the normal duration of the course may be deemed eligible for free fees.

Tuition fees will be paid in respect only of students attending full-time undergraduate courses.
The courses must, other than exceptionally, be of a minimum of two years duration.
The courses must be followed in one of the eligible institutions.
Tuition fees will not be paid in respect of:
- students pursuing a second undergraduate course.
- students who already hold a postgraduate qualification.
Tuition fees will also not be paid in respect of students undertaking a repeat year of study at the same year level. In this regard, this condition may be waived where evidence of exceptional circumstances, such as cases of certified serious illness, is provided.
Subject to compliance with the other conditions of the Free Fees initiative, students who have previously pursued but have not completed a course of third-level study and subsequently resume third level studies:
- may be deemed eligible for free fees where the third-level course concerned did not attract any exchequer funding (e.g. fees, maintenance, tax relief, subsidy towards course cost)
- are not eligible for free fees for the equivalent period of time spent on the first course of study where the third level course concerned did attract exchequer funding (as above). Part-time and evening students are included in this category.
Tuition fees will be paid in respect of eligible students who, having attended but not completed approved courses, are returning following a break of at least five years in order to pursue approved courses at the same level in the current academic year.
The tuition fees payable do not include the payment to be made by students towards the cost of registration, examination and student services.