Good at sport? Here’s how to get a scholarship in Ireland worth up to €10,000
By the time they turn 18, most athletes will already have spent years at their chosen sports but if college is their chosen path, it can become the time they start to earn some financial benefits for all their efforts. Sports scholarships have long been a feature of the US college path. Now, they are, increasingly, a selling point for colleges around Ireland. But how do you qualify? And what exactly is on offer?It’s not enough just to be a keen sportsperson; you have to be at the top of your chosen sport.READ MOREMarkets hit by Middle East unrest and how to get a sports scholarship Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros more than just another Hollywood power playDonald Trump’s epic gamble in Iran threatens global economyWill new renting rules stop me getting back into my home on my return from working abroad?At University of Limerick (UL), for example, Noreen O’Connell says the scholarship programme is targeted at those “performing at a high level”. This typically means at inter-county level in the case of GAA, or at international level for other sports such as swimming and athletics.The college currently has 140 students on a sports scholarship – the highest number to date – and typically takes in about 40-45 each year.Some 25 sports are currently represented at the college, ranging from swimming, basketball, athletics, GAA and gymnastics. “It depends on the calibre of the athlete,” says O’Connell. Of current scholars, 80 are male and 60 are women.[ Returning to college? Here are funding options to help cover the costs of your postgrad or MBAOpens in new window ]The Ad Astra academy is the flagship scholarship programme of the University College Dublin (UCD), and it also targets high-performing athletes. Darina O’Hanlon, manager of the academy – which also runs programmes focused on academics and performing arts – says that the academy has up to 60 athletes at any one time but receives about 400 applications.“It’s very, very competitive,” says O’Hanlon.Garry Ringrose is an alumnus of the UCD Ad Astra Elite Athlete Academy. Photograph: INPHO/Ben Brady This elite sports programme is looking for sportspeople with potential Olympic/international standard. Its main focus is across athletics, GAA, hockey, rowing, rugby, soccer and swimming. However, it says that “applications from other sports are welcome and will be given full consideration”. O’Hanlon says it currently has representation from sports such as badminton, tennis, gymnastics and cricket.If you don’t qualify for Ad Astra, you can try to get a regular UCD scholarship. These are for people of “outstanding sporting ability”, and recipients must be prepared to commit to involvement in the respective UCD sports club.Most other third-level institutions offer similar programmes. This year, for example, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has 62 scholarship students across its two sports programmes, while, at University College Cork (UCC), more than 100 students received a sports scholarship. Academic standards Some colleges offer a points reduction if you secure a sports scholarship. UCD Ad Astra scholars, for example, can get a concession of up to 60 points, based on the average of the previous three years. So, architecture for example, was 555 points in 2025, which means an applicant will need to get a minimum of 495 points; law was 564 – so 502 is the minimum; and science was 543 – so 488 or better for Ad Astra scholars.But, O’Hanlon adds, applicants will still need to meet the minimum requirements of their chosen programme.Similarly, TCD offers an incentive – a reduction of up to 10 per cent on the CAO points required. There is a different approach at UL. According to O’Connell, academics is an important part of a scholarship programme, and no allowance is granted. “They go hand in hand,” she says, “It’s very important they [scholars] get their degree”. What you will typically get, however, is some flexibility when it comes to exams, as in UCD.It’s a similar story at TCD and UCC, where you’ll need to meet the “normal entry requirement” of the college.Financial rewardsHow much a scholarship will be worth to you will likely depend on both the college, and your sporting prowess.The incentives offered at UL, for example, are among the best in the State. Scholarships are awarded at gold, silver and bronze levels, and can have a value of up to €10,000 at the gold level. So what do they include? According to O’Connell, the bronze “entry level” offers a package worth up to €2,000. This includes a training grant of about €700 paid directly into your account – “most use this for food”, says O’Connell – and also free access to high-level training facilities in the college, branded clothing, coaching and academic flexibility when it comes to exams.Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke secured a prestigious Paris Olympic Scholarship in 2022 to support her training. Photograph: INPHO/James Crombie At silver level, in addition to the listed non-monetary benefits above, scholars will get half their guaranteed on-campus accommodation paid (currently about €6,500 in full, so a benefit of about €3,250), half of the registration fee (currently €2,500, so €1,250) as well as a training grant of €1,000.Benefits increase again at the gold level, with scholars benefiting from full fees and accommodation costs paid on their behalf, as well as a training grant of €1,000. However, the standard for this level is particularly high. The university has two gold scholars at the moment, both of whom have medalled at European and world events.Scholars can also benefit from reduced physio fees, of about €15.At UCD, Ad Astra students get an annual bursary of €3,000 into their bank account, which can be used to offset the cost of fees, accommodation or be used as a bursary. Students also benefit from access to sports psychologists, nutritionists and physiotherapists.Although there is no contribution towards accommodation costs, O’Hanlon says you will be guaranteed a place, typically in the Merville Residence, one of the cheapest on campus, at about €8,000 per academic year.Kerry's David Clifford has been sponsored by Davy since 2023. Photograph: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo There is also the possibility of applying for a further financial bursary “depending on budget”, which could range from something as small as a new pair of rugby boots to helping fund a coaching/tournament trip. There is also a scholars’ room that students can relax or study in.But the biggest benefit, says O’Hanlon, is the academic mentoring the programme offers. This accommodates students when they’re busy with their sports, and allows for flexibility to ensure that they don’t fall behind, even when missing lectures/exams.The university has had invigilators travel as far afield as Chile to allow a hockey player take their exams at the same time as everyone else.UCC offers benefits worth between €500 and €2,000 a year for its sports scholars, while at Waterford Institute of Technology, those who receive “recognition for performances on the national or international stage” can apply for incentives which include “academic fee support, €2,000 bursary and individual support services”.Application processWatch out for relevant dates to make sure you don’t miss out. UCD’s Ad Astra elite scholarships, for example, have a closing date around January 31st each year. You will need to supply an academic as well as a sporting reference.At UL, applications for the next academic year are currently open, but they close at the end of the week, March 8th. Interviews will then be held in April, with successful applicants for first year given conditional offers, dependent on securing enough points and a place in the college.“They’ll know before they sit their Leaving Certificate if they have a scholarship here,” says O’Connell.You can apply in sixth year, but if you miss a scholarship first time around, you can typically continue to apply while you are in the college.Living the US dreamFor decades, Irish students have sought out a college experience in the US, thanks to a sports scholarship. Although there have been fears that moves to restrict international students under US president Donald Trump could put this option in doubt, Mark Finnegan, of AllSports Recruitment, says that, as of now, there has been no change and it’s “business as usual”.“I was expecting a huge issue during the summer with the visas,” he says, “it was scaring me a little bit”.Finnegan was formerly a coach at Auburn University, the University of Memphis and University of North Florida, and now places 15-20 young Irish sports stars into colleges across the US each year.The most recent year for which figures are available, 2021/22, some 240 student athletes from the Republic went on scholarship to the US.Sports that can offer access to a US college place include swimming, athletics, basketball, soccer, tennis, hockey, golf – and even American football. Leader Kicking is a programme aimed at bringing Irish kickers to the US.If you’re thinking about it, it’s best to start in about transition year, “the earlier you start the better”, says Finnegan.Sarah Hawkshaw of Ireland won a Trinity SPorts Scholarship. Photograph: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile Finnegan likes to start by telling families what is and is not realistic of a sports scholarship. “It’s not for everyone,” he says. “It’s like being in the military. From the moment you wake up at 6am, your whole day is mapped out for you. You’re expected to be elite as a team person, with your academic grades and in your preparation for how you compete.”Securing a place has become “unbelievably competitive”, he says, particularly in sports like track, field and swimming. So, while there might be a scholarship on offer, tread carefully is Finnegan’s advice. There are thousands of colleges in the US, but they’re not all equivalent. Some people might be offered a place in a junior college, but this is just a two-year programme. Students will then need to transfer to a four-year college, but there may be no pathway for this.And it can be difficult to access a full scholarship. “Nine out of 10 girls get a full scholarship,” says Finnegan, but only three out of 10 boys will. This is due to American football/baseball etc, taking so much of the money available for male sports.One Irish family was looking at a well-regarded college, costing about $70,000 (€59,230) a year. This was offset by $30,000 of academic aid, and $20,000 athletic aid – leaving a shortfall of $20,000 that the family had to cover.But, as Finnegan notes, college in the US is “like an all-inclusive cruise” with the cost covering fees, accommodation, food etc.[ US colleges are coming for Irish athletes - are rugby players next?Opens in new window ]Unfortunately, Irish students – even the most academic – don’t always transfer well, as US colleges will ask for transcripts of all your school exams, not just the Leaving Cert. And most students will, at some point, have had a dud test or two.On arrival, however, Finnegan says most Irish students tend to “exceed expectations”.For many Irish golfers or tennis players, heading to the US may be about the dream of making it into professional sports. But the biggest advantage, says Finnegan, is how employable it makes you, as it demonstrates how well you work in teams. “It’s a more well-rounded education in my opinion,” he says.
