Hi guys, just wondering if anyone could give me some information regarding funding for doing a masters abroad?

I am from Ireland, I am entitled to have my fees paid for by the government here due to my financial circumstances. Would I still be entitled to that in other countries? I will be doing a taught course, do any Universities offer financial assistance? Or would I need to get a loan?

Any info you have would be great, thanks. :-)

Hi,
As a student from Ireland you are entitled to whatever funding is available for EU students in other EU countries. Obviously, this varies from country to country, so you really need to do your homework.

As for EU students coming to the UK to do masters degrees, you are treated just like UK students. You have to pay astronomical tuition fees and there is absolutely NO direct government financial assistance for postgraduate students (and your personal financial situation is 100% irrelevant, unfortunately). You may be better off trying a university in Ireland or another EU country.

That said, a *tiny bit* of funding does exist in the UK for EU students wanting to do masters which covers tuition fees and possibly also living expenses. As funding is so scarce it is super competitive. It ultimately depends on what masters funding the university and/or specific department has access to. Some departments may have scholarships to pay tuition fees only and some may have scholarships to pay both tuition fees and living expenses. If a department is lucky to have access to any scholarships, they will most likely to state this clearly in their prospectuses and on their websites. Usually, the department itself chooses who they offer scholarships to (even if the funding for the scholarships comes from external sources such as charities or research councils), so I advise that you make contact with departments as soon as possible to see if you at least stand a chance of being short-listed for any scholarships they might have access to.

Hope this helps a bit!