DCU Merit Scholarship 2027-28: Fee Cut for Indian Students

The DCU International Merit Scholarship 2027-28 is Dublin City University’s own fee reduction for non-EU students, including Indian students. There is no separate form and no essay: every non-EU application to DCU for the 2027-28 intake is assessed automatically, and the reduction is applied straight to your student account. Depending on the faculty and the programme, the cut is worth EUR 1,850 to EUR 6,100 off one year of non-EU tuition.

This page lists the exact amount for each faculty, the programmes that qualify, how the award is decided and when the money lands. It also separates the DCU merit award from the bigger Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES), which is a full tuition waiver plus a EUR 10,000 stipend but is a separate competition.

DCU International Merit Scholarship 2027-28 fee reduction for non-EU and Indian students

Table of Contents

DCU International Merit Scholarship 2027-28 at a glance

Quick facts2026-27

Scholarship from	Dublin City University (DCU), Dublin, Ireland – for non-EU applicants
Last date to apply	No separate scholarship deadline – every non-EU application for 2027-28 is considered automatically. DCU’s non-EU undergraduate applications close on 1 July 2027; check the closing date on your own programme page for a taught master’s
Official website	DCU International Scholarships for Non-EU Students 2027-28

Go to official website

The amount is not a flat figure. DCU sets a different reduction for each faculty and for undergraduate and postgraduate entry, so the same student can be looking at EUR 1,850 in one school and EUR 6,100 in another. The award is merit-based: DCU says it is for high-achieving non-EU applicants who hold an offer.

How much DCU cuts from your tuition in 2027-28

Faculty of Science and Health, undergraduate: EUR 6,100 off the full-time 2027-28 non-EU tuition fee – the largest cut in the scheme – and EUR 3,100 for DC204 BSc in Athletic Therapy and Training.
Faculty of Engineering and Computing, undergraduate: EUR 5,000 off the 2027-28 non-EU tuition fee.
Faculty of Science and Health, postgraduate: EUR 5,000 for DC739 MSc Diagnostics and Precision Medicine, DC776 MSc Biotherapeutics, DC734 MSc Bioprocess Engineering and DC704 MSc Financial Mathematics; EUR 4,500 for DC767 MSc Psychology (Conversion) and DC765 MSc Psychology and Wellbeing.
Faculty of Engineering and Computing, postgraduate: EUR 4,400 for DC814 MEng Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, DC836 MSc Computing, DC883 MEng Electronic and Computer Engineering and DC877 MSc Electronic and Computer Technology.
DCU Business School, undergraduate: EUR 2,800 off the 2027-28 non-EU tuition fee.
DCU Business School, postgraduate: EUR 2,000 off the 2027-28 non-EU tuition fee.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: EUR 2,000 for a postgraduate programme and EUR 1,850 for an undergraduate programme.

The reduction is applied directly to the student account, not paid to you as cash, and it is worth one year of fees rather than the whole degree. Treat it as a discount on the first year, not as a full scholarship.

Who is eligible for the DCU merit award

You must be a non-EU applicant who will pay the non-EU tuition rate – Indian passport holders qualify.
You must hold an offer (conditional or final) for a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate programme at DCU for the 2027-28 intake.
The award is merit-based: DCU describes it as being for high-achieving non-EU applicants. There is no separate test, essay or interview for it.
You must be applying to one of the programmes listed by the faculty – a DCU programme outside the list is not covered by that faculty’s award.
Only successful recipients are notified, by email, at the same time DCU tells you whether your admission application succeeded.
You can hold one DCU scholarship only: a student who receives a DCU International scholarship is not considered for another DCU award such as a Merit Scholarship.

Because the award is decided with the admission application, the strength of your academics – marks, grades and the subjects you have studied – is what decides it. Applying late in the cycle does not reduce your chance in principle, but a programme can close once it is full, which is why the undergraduate deadline of 1 July 2027 matters.

Which DCU programmes are covered

DCU lists the eligible programme codes on the 2027-28 page. The main families are:

Engineering and Computing: DC200 Common Entry into Engineering, DC190 Electronic and Computer Engineering, DC193 Mechatronic Engineering, DC194 Mechanical and Sustainability Engineering, DC195 Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, DC197 Biomedical Engineering, DC120 Computing with Business, DC121 Computer Science, DC123 Data Science and Artificial Intelligence; postgraduate DC814, DC836, DC883 and DC877.
Science and Health: DC215-DC218 nursing programmes, DC163 Chemical Science, DC160 Chemistry with Artificial Intelligence, DC161 Analytical Science, DC162 Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science, DC126 and DC127 actuarial and financial mathematics, DC166 Environmental Science and Technology, DC202 Sport Science and Health, DC204 Athletic Therapy and Training, DC180 Biological Science, DC181 Biotechnology, DC168 Genetics and Cell Biology, DC208-DC210 psychology programmes, DC175 Physics.
Business School: DC110 Bachelor of Business Studies International, DC111 Bachelor of Business Studies, DC115 BA Accounting and Finance, DC117 Aviation Management, DC240 Marketing, Innovation and Technology, DC241 Digital Business and Innovation; postgraduate DC632, DC526, DC527, DC501, DC511, DC510, DC514, DC516, DC538, DC537 and DC540.
Humanities and Social Sciences: DC155 Applied Language and Translation Studies, DC009/DC293/DC292/DC291/DC295 joint honours arts routes, DC294 Climate and Environmental Sustainability, DC131 Communication Studies, DC132 Journalism, DC133 Multimedia, DC230 Economics, Politics and Law, DC231 International Relations, DC232 Bachelor of Civil Law, DC014 Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance.

How to apply for the DCU merit scholarship

Apply to DCU for the 2027-28 intake – applicants from the USA and Canada use CommonApp, and students from India and the rest of the world outside the EU apply directly through the DCU application portal.
Pay DCU’s admission application fee of EUR 70 with the application.
Submit your transcripts, degree or school certificates and evidence that you meet DCU’s English language requirement for the programme.
Wait for the admission decision. There is no separate scholarship form: DCU assesses the merit award from the same application and tells successful recipients by email when it confirms the offer.
Accept the offer and the reduction is applied to your student account.

If you are aiming at the bigger Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship instead, that one does need a separate application through the GOI-IES portal and that portal only opens for a short window, usually between January and March. It covers a full tuition waiver plus a EUR 10,000 stipend for one year of a master’s, and DCU is allotted three scholarships – so the realistic plan is to apply for admission early and be ready for the GOI-IES window.

Important dates for 2027-28

Now: the 2027-28 merit award page is live and applications for the 2027-28 intake are open.
1 July 2027: DCU’s non-EU undergraduate applications close – DCU says applications are accepted on an ongoing basis up to that date.
With your admission decision: the scholarship outcome. DCU contacts successful recipients by email at the same time it tells you whether your application to study succeeded.
Usually January to March: the GOI-IES call, if you want to compete for the full tuition waiver and EUR 10,000 stipend. DCU says to check the HEA website for the exact call dates.
No separate merit deadline: there is no scholarship form to submit, so no scholarship closing date exists for the DCU merit award.

What this award does not cover

Living costs in Dublin – accommodation, food, travel and health insurance are outside the fee reduction.
The non-EU tuition for the second and later years of a multi-year degree: the reduction is calculated on the 2027-28 fee.
The EUR 70 admission application fee, which every DCU applicant pays.
Any DCU programme that is not on the faculty’s eligible list for 2027-28.

Students who need the living-cost element as well should look at GOI-IES, because that is the DCU-linked award that bundles a tuition waiver with a stipend. The Claddagh Scholarship, which DCU also lists, is open only to applicants normally resident in China, so it is not an option for Indian students.

Frequently asked questions

Does the DCU International Merit Scholarship need a separate application?

No. DCU says every non-EU application to a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate programme for 2027-28 is automatically considered, and the fee reduction is applied directly to the student account of successful recipients.

How much is the DCU merit scholarship worth for Indian students?

Between EUR 1,850 and EUR 6,100 off one year of non-EU tuition, depending on the faculty and the level. The largest cut is EUR 6,100 for undergraduate programmes in the Faculty of Science and Health; the smallest is EUR 1,850 for an undergraduate programme in Humanities and Social Sciences.

What is the last date to apply for the DCU merit scholarship 2027-28?

DCU publishes no separate scholarship deadline because there is no scholarship form. What does have a date is admission: DCU’s non-EU undergraduate applications are accepted up to 1 July 2027. For a taught master’s, check the closing date on the programme’s own page.

Can I get the DCU merit scholarship and the GOI-IES together?

No. DCU says a student who receives a DCU International scholarship is not considered for another DCU award. GOI-IES is a separate national competition run through the HEA, with a full tuition waiver and a EUR 10,000 stipend for a master’s, and DCU is allotted three scholarships.

Is the DCU merit scholarship open to Indian students?

Yes. It is for non-EU applicants paying the non-EU tuition rate, and Indian passport holders fall in that group. You need an offer for a full-time DCU programme for the 2027-28 intake in one of the listed faculties.

Does the scholarship cover my full tuition at DCU?

No. It is a partial fee reduction of EUR 1,850 to EUR 6,100 applied to one year’s non-EU tuition. Living costs, health insurance, travel and later years of the degree are not covered.

When will I know if I got the DCU scholarship?

With your admission decision. DCU says it will let you know if you have qualified when it contacts you to advise whether your application to study at DCU has been successful, and only successful recipients are emailed.

Official links

For India-specific questions DCU lists a South Asia recruitment advisor, Shagun Arora, at [email protected], and general non-EU undergraduate queries go to [email protected].

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