International Officer’s Update March 2023
Ukrainian Funding Update
Will Ukrainian Students who commenced their studies in 2022 continue to receive funding?
Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who commenced a higher education course in the 2022/23 academic year and who are progressing into the next year of their course, will continue to have their fees paid and receive financial support from Ireland’s Erasmus+ national grant. Arrangements are currently being finalised and will be communicated to the Higher Education Institutions and via www.gov.ie in due course
Can we still refer Ukrainian Students to the NSR as we did last year?
The NSR Helpdesk was established on a temporary basis last year to manage applications from beneficiaries of Temporary Protection for 2022/23. As the role of the NSR Helpdesk has completed, operations have ceased. New applicants for undergraduate courses in 2023/24 were advised to apply via the CAO and post-graduates were guided to apply directly to the institution of their choice.
What is the advice for those fleeing the war in Ukraine and entering higher education in Ireland for the first time in 2023/24?
All applicants who have been displaced by the war in Ukraine and who have been granted Temporary Protection in Ireland, are eligible to apply via CAO . Whether you are presenting the Irish Leaving Certificate or other qualifications, you should refer to pages 8-11 of the CAO Handbook for further information. Please pay particular attention to section 5 ‘Other school leaving exams’. Documents not printed in English must be accompanied by an official translation by a professional translation service.
In addition to any documents you may be sending to CAO (e.g. your school leaving exam results or other qualifications), it is also necessary to provide a certified copy of your Temporary Protection document, which was issued to you by the Irish Department of Justice. This document should be sent no later than 12 days before the relevant offer round, but ideally before July 1st, 2023.
If you do not hold Temporary Protection in Ireland, you should contact the institution(s) to which you have applied, to get clarification on the correct application procedure.
In keeping with the equity principle provided for in the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) will be provided services on the same basis as Irish and EU citizens.
The HEIs have agreed that BOTPs will be charged EU fees which, in the main, are significantly lower than the international fees that would otherwise apply.
To be eligible for the Free Fees Initiative and the Student Grant Scheme BOTPs must fulfil the same residency requirements as Irish citizens i.e. they must have been resident in Ireland for 3 of the previous 5 years
National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic
A new call for applications within the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic is open for study, research, teaching and artistic stays during the academic year 2023/2024
Scholarship application deadline is 30 April 2023 by 16:00 CET (4:00 pm Central European Time). Scholarship stays can be planned during the academic year 2023/2024
Student Testimonial
Read about UL Student Olivia Bennett’s amazing mobility in Granada, Spain!
As always, we love to hear from students who are undergoing or have completed an Erasmus+ mobility. If you have any students who are willing to talk about their experience, please advise them to email us Erasmus@hea.ie
Youth4Regions – the programme for aspiring journalists
The programme offers:
- Trainings on journalism and EU Cohesion Policy
- The chance to receive mentorship from established journalists from your country
- Working side by side with renowned journalists during the EU Regions’ Week
- Visits of EU affairs media headquarters and EU institutions
- The unique opportunity to take part as a journalist in European Commission press trips to Member States
- Accommodation, food and travel expenses covered by the European Commission
The deadline for applications is the 10th of July, 17:00 Central European Time
Training and Cooperation Activities- Event in Slovenia
As mentioned by email, we have three places available for Training and Cooperation Activities in Slovenia ‘Fostering digital pedagogies through international cooperation’: 07-09 June 2023
Please let us know by lunchtime Friday the 28th of April if you wish to participate in this event