NCAD Undergraduate Fees 

Fee Schedule 2023-24

Fee Schedule 2024-25

Undergraduate Payment Dates

New Incoming students

The first installment of fees:

Friday, 27th September 2024

The second installment of fees:

Friday, 31st January 2025

Continuing students

The first installment of fees:

Monday, 16th September 2024

The second installment of fees:

Friday, 31st January 2025

There are two elements to the NCAD undergraduate fee:

• Tuition Fee
• Student Contribution Charge

The majority of first-time, undergraduate, non-repeat, EU-students only pay the Student Contribution Charge of €3,000. 

Tuition Fee

Under the Higher Education Free Fees Initiative, the Irish Government pays the Tuition Fee for all eligible full-time, non-repeat undergraduate, EU/EEA/Swiss students who meet the following criteria:

1. Are first-time undergraduates
2. Hold EU/EEA/Swiss nationality or official refugee status and
3. Have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA member state for at least three of the last five years preceding entry to an approved course.

EU-students who do not qualify for the Free Fees Initiative, as outlined above, have to pay the full EU-rate undergraduate tuition fee (this fee is set by the Department of Education and Skills each year). Students who are classified as non-EU students have to pay the International Fees rate.

Please note that the Higher Education Free Fees Initiative is under review and may not continue in the coming years.

Student Contribution Charge

The Student Contribution Charge has been set at €3,000 for September 2024. If you qualify for the Free Fees Initiative you must pay this fee.

EU students who do not qualify for the Free Fees Initiative must pay the full programme fee which includes the Student Contribution Charge.
Currently the Student Contribution Charge is paid by the Exchequer for students who qualify under the Higher Education Grants Scheme. 
Students have the option of paying the Student Contribution Charge in two instalments, September and January.

Tax relief on the student contribution charge for second and subsequent children in Higher Education, is available through the tax system www.revenue.ie.

Note on International Fees

For applicants who reside outside the EU, being a holder of an EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation/UK passport does not provide automatic entitlement to the EU rate of fees. Other factors such as residency, age and educational history are relevant when assessing an individual’s fee category. To avail of a fee assessment please contact the Fees and Grants Department at: [email protected] 

Higher Education Grant

All new Higher Education Student Grants are administered through a single agency called SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).  Applications are made online and students who wish to apply for a student grant are advised to start the process as early as possible.  You can start the application process before you receive your CAO place offer and have confirmed your acceptance.

To find out more about the student grant and eligibility criteria you can CLICK HERE and visit the following websites  www.studentfinance.ie  or  www.susi.ie

To make an application for a grant go to the SUSI online Grant Application System www.grantsonline.ie

Students from Northern Ireland

Students from Northern Ireland may apply for a higher education grant to Student Universal Support Ireland or for a student loan to the NI Student Loan Company. Please check each individual site for eligibility criteria.

Overseas Students

Students who do not reside in the Irish State but are living in the EU/EEA/UK/Swiss Confederation may qualify for a higher education grant. You can find out if you are eligible at www.susi.ie. Students who have not established residence in Ireland are not eligible for maintenance grants from Irish grant authorities.

NCAD’s full-time programmes are included on the register of approved programmes for non-EU/EEA/Swiss students access to employment (the Internationalisation Register of the Department of Education and Skills).

The HEA has confirmed that any eligible UK students who enrol on eligible courses for the 2024-25 academic year in a third-level institution recognised for the purposes of Free Fees will be able to avail of the Department’s Free Fees Scheme. All UK students availing of the free fee contribution for 2024-25 will be entitled to this annual contribution for the duration of their course. 

Important information on NCAD Tuition Fees for UK and Northern Ireland students

Additional Costs - Materials and Equipment

The Materials Levy is set and used by individual Departments to cover specialist materials/consumables used in studio-based learning environments. This levy is specific to particular disciplines, set at the discretion of each Department and used in the Departments. Not all Departments operate this levy.