Go Overseas, US-based study abroad search platform, has partnered with Education in Ireland and Aer Lingus to offer full scholarships to students to study in Ireland.
Two scholarships, worth up to $15,000 each to cover the costs of tuition in the student’s programme of choice, are being offered through a competition to one undergraduate student spending a semester in Ireland and one master’s student for a year.
The winners will also be provided an accommodation stipend, $4,000 for the undergraduate scholar and $8,500 for the winning master’s student, and a round trip flight with Aer Lingus.
Students around the world can enter the Go Overseas competition by submitting an essay on why they want to study in Ireland, with the option of attaching a creative photo.
“We’re entirely invested in bringing opportunities to people”
However, the main market is American students, according to Mandi Schmitt, PR and special projects designer at Go Overseas.
“Ireland seems like a natural fit,” she told The PIE News.
“It’s English speaking so it’s easy for Americans to go over there. There’s a ton of Irish history and culture associated with America, so it was already a huge interest and knowledge base that American students have.”
Schmitt said that the aim of the competition is to increase the profile of study abroad and Ireland as a destination.
“We’re entirely invested in bringing opportunities to people, helping people understand that there are affordable ways to go abroad,” she said. Alongside the competition, seven universities and third party providers– including Dublin City University and API Study Abroad– are also offering separate scholarships.
Students can qualify for these scholarships if they designate the participating study programmes as one of their top three choices.
Go Overseas piloted a similar campaign with Education New Zealand two years ago to provide a semester scholarship for one student a year. The programme officially launched last year.
“Between the first year and second year, there was an increase of at least 700 applications,” said Schmitt, adding that Education New Zealand saw a 45% increase in the number of Americans studying abroad there.
On the back of high interest for the New Zealand competition, Schmitt said Go Overseas expects around 3,000 applications for the Ireland scholarship.
