They are Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre, Emerald Cultural Institute, International House Dublin, Liffey College, and Patrick’s English Academy.

Those five schools now join that have to date also been awarded the mark.

The announcement of the first language school awards, said Dr Lynn Ramsey, CEO of QQI, “marks a new era of quality oversight and regulation for the English-language education sector in Ireland, with the establishment of formal, statutory engagement with QQI. Under the scheme, QQI has a statutory monitoring responsibility to ensure providers adhere to the agreed code of practice, ultimately ensuring that the rights of learners are protected during their time studying in Ireland.”

An accompanying statement from QQI provides important background: “To obtain TrustEd Ireland authorisation, [ELT] providers must undergo a thorough due diligence assessment, which examines areas such as financial and legal structures and business plans to establish the capacity and capability of private education providers to deliver quality assured education programmes.

“Under the scheme, providers must also have quality assurance procedures that are approved by QQI and demonstrate compliance with an associated Code of Practice.” (Note that there are distinct Codes of Practice for and for .)

Replacing the ILEP

The continued expansion of the TrustEd Ireland scheme has additional significance beyond its role as an official quality mark. First, the provisions for the mark are enshrined in Irish legislation. QQI’s powers to assess and monitor providers and to enforce the requirements of the scheme also arise from that legislation.

Second, the TrustEd Ireland mark will shortly become the basis for determining whether or not an Irish institution or school is eligible to recruit non-EU students. In other words, it functions as a licence to operate in the international student market, at least in terms of recruitment of non-EU/EEA students that require a visa to study in Ireland.

The current mechanism for this is the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), which is maintained by the Department of Justice’s Immigration Service Delivery. The ILEP, however, will shortly be superseded by the TrustEd Ireland scheme.

First announced in 2024, an initial window for applications for the TrustEd Ireland mark opened from 14 October 2024 to 28 March 2025. A second window was opened from 13 October 2025 to 27 March 2026, the decisions from which are expected by the end of this year.

After that point, the ILEP will be replaced by a new TrustEd Ireland Authorised Providers: List of Eligible Programmes. QQI explains: “The new TrustEd Ireland list will identify those programmes that comply with immigration requirements to enable Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs & Migration to determine applications for study visas and immigration permissions for study purposes.”

“All education providers intending to recruit non-EU/EEA/Swiss students that require study visas or immigration residence permissions for the purpose of study (where such residence exceeds 90 days) must ultimately secure authorisation from QQI to use the TrustEd Ireland mark.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Ireland to open applications for new quality assurance mark in September 2024“
• “Ireland’s ELT sector reports modest growth in student numbers but weeks are down amid ‘real and consequential’ challenges“
• “Irish higher education reports a fourth straight year of foreign enrolment growth“

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The programme will draw €420 million from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), which support cohesion and equality across member states, and it will be administered by the Ministry of Education. Students will see their travel, living costs, food, and accommodation covered under the terms of the scholarship.

Minister for Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the initiative together at a conference called “.” Details about timing will be released in the coming months.

Most scholarship students will go for two-week periods for language studies or immersion in a foreign high school environment, but in some cases, longer durations will be possible. While away, students may participate in a range of academic and social activities, including visits to companies and other workplaces.

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Meloni urged the audience to consider the new initiative as more than an opportunity to learn another language:

“Living and studying in another country, even if only for a few weeks or months, means learning to deal with new situations, becoming more independent, and engaging with people who have different customs, ideas and cultures from your own. It therefore means expanding your minds and your ability to understand others. It means building self-confidence, learning to cope and broadening your horizons. Furthermore, for us it means enriching our community, because when the young people participating in this project come back, they will bring back much more than just better knowledge of and fluency in a foreign language. They will bring back new ideas, new friendships, greater self-confidence and a broader view of the world, all of which certainly represents an asset for them, but it will also be valuable for their friends, their families, their classmates and the whole of Italy.”

The scholarships will be awarded based on merit but also using the ISEE (equivalent economic situation indicator) to ensure that students from all backgrounds can participate regardless of income. Prime Minister Meloni spoke to the importance of language learning for removing barriers across class:

“Today, we live in an increasingly interconnected world. Universities, employers, research institutions, and companies are looking more and more for people who are able to navigate international contexts, and speaking another language, particularly having a good knowledge of English, is very important. However, it is even more important to be able to use that language in real life, and you can’t do that by simply learning a language from textbooks; you can only do that by managing to experience that language, immersed in the context in which it is spoken.

This is why we decided to invest in this initiative, above all because we believe our talented young people deserve the same opportunities as all their peers in Europe, for example. We believe that, in this day and age, young people’s talent cannot and must not be limited by a language barrier.”

The significance of this new mobility programme arises in part from the fact that Italy is already a major EU sending market for language studies, and it is, for example, a top market for English-language training providers in the UK, Ireland, and Malta.

To be more specific: Italy was the second-largest sending market for Irish ELT schools in 2025, accounting for 14% of student weeks delivered that year. It was the leading source market for UK ELT in 2025 as well, where Italian students booked just over 14% of all English-language learning weeks. And in Malta, Italy was again the second-largest sending market for 2025 with 12% of student weeks for the year.

For its part, English UK was quick to recognise the importance of the new €420-million scholarship programme and signalled to its members that it is already “working with the Department for Business & Trade and the British Embassy Rome to present a unified UK offer.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Italy rises as a study destination but struggles to retain foreign graduates”
• “Malta: Non-EU students keeping ELT weeks stable in the face of falling enrolment from Europe”
• “UK’s ELT sector reports declining enrolments through first quarter of 2026”
• “Ireland’s ELT sector reports modest growth in student numbers but weeks are down amid ‘real and consequential’ challenges”

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These are the topline findings from the , released this week by peak body English Education Ireland.

That +2% growth, says English Education Ireland CEO Lorcan O’Connor Lloyd, is “a meaningful achievement in a challenging environment, and a testament to Ireland’s enduring reputation for quality, safety, and a genuinely welcoming student experience.”

“Yet the challenges we faced were real and consequential. Stricter visa and immigration policies, rising costs of living, and broader pressures on global student mobility combined to reduce average programme duration significantly, from 6.4 weeks in 2024 to 4.9 weeks in 2025. Total student weeks fell by 18%, and the financial impact was felt acutely by schools whose revenue is tied to length of stay. The sector’s direct economic contribution rose to €817.6 million, but that figure masks the pressure many of our members experienced at the operational level.”

Shifting market segments

Junior programmes accounted for 57% of enrolments in 2025, but only 20% of student weeks. The more detailed breakdown in the table below makes it clear that there are important shifts within those two broad categories, with shorter mini-stay programmes gaining in popularity in contrast with significant declines in student weeks for the high-school and adult segments.

“One of the most significant structural shifts visible in this year’s data is the continued movement away from adult learners toward younger students,” says Mr O’Connor Lloyd. “Adult students, while still generating 80% of student weeks, have been in gradual decline for several years, as rising English proficiency in key source markets, greater price sensitivity, and evolving immigration conditions have made longer adult stays more difficult to sustain. This is not a trend unique to Ireland, and our data places us alongside comparable European destinations such as the UK and Malta in navigating this shift.”

Where do students come from?

As we see in the additional table below, the top ten sending countries for Irish ELT accounted for 80% of the market in 2025.

Looking just at student weeks, eight out of those top ten markets were either flat or declining last year. Mr O’Connor Lloyd adds:

“Alongside these pressures, the data points to areas of real strength and emerging opportunity. Italy consolidated its position as our largest source market, sending 47,693 students, a 5% increase. Japan delivered one of the standout performances of the year, with adult enrolments rising 47% and junior enrolments up 59%. Argentina, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Hong Kong all improved their positions, pointing to a broadening of Ireland’s international appeal and offering a clear direction for future market diversification.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Irish higher education reports a fourth straight year of foreign enrolment growth“
• “Global ELT volumes dipped in 2024“
• “Irish ELT sector sounds note of ‘cautious stability’ for 2024“

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Nearly three in four international students in Irish universities (74%) come from outside of the European Union. The three leading sending markets – India (20.6%), the United States (13.8%), and China (9.9%) – account for nearly half (44%) of all foreign enrolment in the sector. India and the US are driving the overall growth trend in Ireland, with Indian numbers jumping up 30% year-over-year in 2024/25, and US enrolments moving up 8% over the same period.

Reflecting the pattern we have observed in other major study destinations, Chinese enrolments in Ireland softened last year, easing -.3% from the year before.

The overall growth for 2024/25 was evenly split between undergraduate and post-graduate enrolments, which grew by 9% and 11% respectively. International enrolments in Ireland have historically been more weighted to undergraduate studies. In the years since the pandemic, however, that gap has narrowed and, as of last year, the foreign enrolment base in Ireland is almost perfectly balanced between undergraduates (22,825) and post-graduates (21,710).

Why do students choose Ireland?

A series of interviews conducted by in August 2025 provides a window into why international students choose to study in Ireland.

Some choose Ireland as an English-speaking alternative to the UK, post-Brexit. Others are drawn by the affordability of higher education in Ireland, and some for what they see as a more supportive and safe environment.

Speaking to The Times, Adetunji Adeleke, a doctoral student from Nigeria, said, “At the time, I was deciding between a PhD in the US or Ireland. A conversation with my prospective supervisor changed everything for me. I felt that my supervisor had the necessary skills to supervise my PhD and that she was very interested in my research proposal. I have read about many people dropping out a PhD because they had a bad supervisor, so her enthusiasm and skills swayed my decision.”

Kiran Singh, a master’s student from America, added that she chose to study in Ireland because it was “significantly more affordable compared to similar options in the United States”.

However, the students also shared important cautions regarding the linked issues of costs of living and availability of housing in Ireland, with one American student explaining that rents in Dublin were comparable to those in major American cities, such as Boston or New York.

For additional background, please see:

• “Irish higher education booked another strong year of foreign enrolment growth in 2024“
• “Irish ELT sector sounds note of ‘cautious stability’ for 2024“
• “What if there is no room? The link between student housing and enrolment capacity“

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And it means, says BONARD’s , that the ELT sector was sitting at 73% of its pre-pandemic enrolment, and 75% of 2019’s student weeks, for 2024.

As to why, the report points to the same headwinds that are buffeting student flows to major study destinations in 2024 and 2025, but also that students are finding alternative options for language study.

“The data shows two dominant forces reshaping student mobility: visa barriers and affordability,” said Sarah Verkinova, Head of International Education at BONARD Education. “This has pushed many students to explore alternative destinations such as Dubai and the Philippines, which together attracted more than 100,000 ELT learners in 2024.” Among the top eight destinations represented in the report, only Ireland and Malta are trending above their respective pre-COVID benchmarks. BONARD attributes that progress to Ireland and Malta’s visa-friendly policies and work rights for language learners that helped, “attract students discouraged by stricter regulations, high course fees, and other expenses in other destinations.”

The report adds that, while ELT volumes in the UK declined in 2024, the United Kingdom remains the most popular destination for English language study, with an estimated 38% market share. Part of that strength arises from the UK’s dominant position in the junior market. Junior students accounted for 62% of total ELT enrolments in the UK in 2024, the most of any of the top eight destinations. Ireland and Malta – again, the only two destinations to reach above pre-pandemic levels in 2024 – also hosted significant numbers of junior students last year (55% and 50% of ELT enrolments respectively).

Softening source markets

The top ten sending markets for ELT accounted for nearly two-thirds (63%) of all student weeks in 2024. Brazil moved past Colombia to become the largest ELT market during the year. With the exception of Colombia, all of the top five senders have declined from pre-pandemic levels.

The outlook for this year

“In 2025, government interventions and economic conditions will continue to shape global ELT trends,” says the report. “Policy shifts, visa regulations, and financial pressures are expected to influence both student decision-making and destination performance.

“Junior student mobility to the traditional ‘Big Four’ countries is projected to decline further. Concerns around safety and perceptions of a less welcoming environment are discouraging parents and students from choosing these study destinations…In summary, 2025 is likely to bring another year of decline for the eight major ELT study destinations. The same combination of factors will continue to weigh on the sector: immigration and visa policies in several countries, persistent visa and affordability barriers, and significant share of international students, particularly from China, choosing not to travel.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Nearly 30 Canadian language programmes closed in Q1, marking the ‘sharpest decline in the sector’s history’“
• “Irish ELT sector sounds note of ‘cautious stability’ for 2024“
• “US ELT numbers moving toward pre-pandemic norms“
• “UK ELT reports a decline in student weeks for 2024“

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The full-year data comes from peak body and was produced by sector research specialists BONARD.

As the chart reflects, however, student-weeks declined by -8% year-over-year owing to a continuing decline in average course duration. From a pre-pandemic average of nearly 12 weeks, the average time on course for an ELT learner in Ireland has been trending downwards since 2020 to reach a historical low of 6.4 weeks in 2024.

That trend reflects in turn an underlying dynamic where the composition of enrolment in Irish ELT is shifting toward a greater share of junior students, and those students are coming for shorter programmes. The report notes that, “In a global context, Ireland presents a relatively balanced ELT market in terms of the share of adult and junior students, similar to other European destinations such as the UK and Malta. In contrast, ELT sectors in countries like Australia, the USA, and Canada have traditionally catered predominantly to adult learners.

Given that rising levels of English language proficiency have increased local provision and that price sensitivity is growing, the adult segment is expected to continue contracting. Future growth in the ELT sector is likely to be driven by the junior segment.”

In 2024, junior students accounted for more than half (55%) of all ELT enrolments in Ireland, but that programming for younger students added up to only 16% of all student-weeks for the year. Put another way, the 45% of adult learners enrolled last year accounted for roughly 84% of total student-weeks. We see the year-over-year impacts of those trends in the more detailed breakdown by learner and programme type in the table below.

Writing in the foreword to the 2024 report, English Education Ireland CEO Lorcan O’Connor Lloyd says, “The global landscape of English Language Education continues to shift, shaped by economic headwinds, evolving student expectations, and a more competitive international marketplace.”

“This year’s data tells a story of cautious stability. While overall student numbers remained steady and above pre-pandemic levels, a decline in student weeks reflects a growing trend toward shorter stays. The increase in Mini-stays signals strong demand for group-based, immersive experiences, while adult learners continue to choose Ireland for longer-term study, driven by quality education, cultural appeal, and the warmth of our welcome.”

Where are students coming from?

Perhaps not surprisingly, the mix of sending markets varies quite a bit between the junior and adult segments. In broad terms: most junior students come from elsewhere in Europe – and especially from Italy and Spain – whereas adult students come from further afield, and from Latin America (e.g., Brazil, Mexico, Chile) and Asia in particular.

The top ten source markets overall are shown in the graphic below, with year-over-year changes in student numbers and student-weeks reflected for each. These ten student markets accounted for 80% of ELT programming in Ireland in 2024.

Nearly seven in ten (69%) ELT students booked their programme in Ireland through an education agent. The sector’s direct economic impact for the year is estimated at €792 million.

For additional detail, please consult .

For additional background, please see:

• “Irish ELT sector continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels of business“

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Call for a review

English Education Ireland, the national body representing over 60 accredited English-language schools, is calling for . Lorcan O’Connor Lloyd, the association’s CEO, says:

“This change has come without consultation, justification, or notice. It is difficult to see how a 120% increase in two years [for courses of less than eight months] can be considered proportionate when the cost of living has risen just 2% annually. The affected students are legally permitted to work part-time while in Ireland, yet are now being required to show financial backing as if they were not. This policy undermines the very structure of Ireland’s work-study visa system.”

On behalf of its members, English Education Ireland is calling for:

• An immediate pause and review of the policy
• A transition period to protect students already booked
• Full consultation with the education sector moving forward

The association states: “If unchallenged, the policy will lead to mass cancellations, reputational damage to Ireland, and loss of key emerging markets that have helped rebuild the sector post-pandemic.”

The growing popularity of Ireland

In the past five years, international students have become increasingly drawn to Ireland for reasons including Brexit (which, among other things, ushered in full international fees for EU students in the UK), stiffer immigration regimes in Australia and Canada, and a volatile political climate in the most expensive destination, the US.
 
In 2023/24, the number of international students in Irish higher education exceeded 40,000 for the first time and was 15% higher than in 2022/23. Supercharged growth has come from Mexico (61%) in particular, a country whose students have visa-free status in Ireland. Mexico is a price-sensitive market, so the more significant financial requirement for visa-free students beginning on 30 June may influence demand.

In addition, Latin American countries are some of the most important growth markets for Ireland’s English-language learning sector. In 2023, the top markets in the non-EU/EEA segment where visa is not required were:

• Brazil (53% of all students in this segment)
• Mexico
• Japan
• Chile
• Argentina

For additional background, please see:

• “Irish higher education booked another strong year of foreign enrolment growth in 2024”
• “Irish ELT sector continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels of business”

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Last year, there was a shortage of 3 million beds for students across Europe and the situation is expected to worsen in the next five years, when there will be a need for an additional 200,000 more beds, according to . This is in part because Europe’s student population is expected to grow by 10% by 2030/31, reaching 23.5 million, with half being international students.

Top student cities in Europe are the worst off in terms of supply, with 40 cities accounting for 40% of the 3-million bed shortage.

Only 40% of PBSA beds across Europe are privately funded. The rest are publicly owned or subsidised and not always accommodating of all types of students/budgets. The situation, says JLL, equates to a “€450bn investment opportunity.”

As it stands, most PBSA investment in Europe is in the UK, and JJL observes that “key markets in continental Europe would need to grow, on average, 13 times to match the UK 2018-2022 [investment] average.” For example:

“The largest student markets like Germany and France could see their investment grow from an average of €0.5bn to €7bn necessary to meet unmet demand. In more nascent markets like Italy, at the current pace of investment it would take over 100 years to deploy the necessary investment.”

To narrow the gap between supply and demand, Dominika Mocova, a senior analyst at JLL EMEA Living and Research Strategy, says: “Greater market transparency and understanding from planning authorities is necessary to unlock the full potential.”

Her colleague Julia Martin, JLL’s head of EMEA Student Housing, points out that PBSA is part of ensuring a good student experience: “The affordability and provision of a well-rounded student experience continues to set PBSA apart from traditional rental accommodation.”

Ms Martin continues:

“With developers now having a better grasp of the cultural nuances and design requirements through the different European countries, they are set to introduce the next generation of fit-for-purpose schemes, aimed at addressing the growing demographic student population as well as rising international student demand for quality accommodation across Europe. The continent is now home to the highest number of globally ranked universities, with 203 universities in the top 500 according to the 2024 QS World University Ranking. Given the current shortage of student accommodation in key cities and the vast untapped potential in countries such as Italy and Germany, addressing the standing imbalance between supply and demand will unlock a huge €450 billion growth opportunity in the market, with PBSA playing a crucial role.”

Ireland: Construction causing delays

In 2024, Ireland’s education department examined the student housing situation in a paper called Funding the Future: An Annual Options Paper on the Cost of Higher Education 2024. It found that:
 
“On average there are three applications for every one student bed on campus. This does not take into account the Technological University sector. Those students who are unsuccessful in obtaining a place are forced into the private market.”
 
As reported in :

“Construction cost increases, fuelled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Brexit and Covid, are having a significant impact on the supply and affordability of new rental accommodation for higher-level students … The impact on supply has been significant, with more than 10,900 units with planning permission within the university public and private student accommodation sector not having been activated.”

France: Danger of dropouts and student hardships

In Paris, a January 2024 study by SeLoger.com found that the number of available rentals for students in Paris dropped by 50% compared with 2023 and 73% over three years. Jacques Baudrier, deputy mayor for housing, told : “The private sector has nothing left to rent, agencies are closing, and the crisis is exponential.”

Barbara Gomes, delegate for Tenant Protection in Paris, explained:

“If you can’t find housing, you give up your studies or move farther away, and the longer commutes add to fatigue. More than half of the students work part-time, and the risk of academic failure increases with such challenges.”

Spain: Tourism overload

In Spain, where soaring tourist numbers are squeezing residents out of the housing market, the government is taking action to provide more student accommodation for students enrolling in certain types of tertiary institution. A protocol was signed at the end of 2024 by the ministries of housing, economy, and universities that mandates that new private universities offer housing for their students.

In addition, reports The Guardian, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government has instituted a tax of up to 100% on properties bought by non-residents from countries outside the EU, such as the UK. President Sánchez defended the new policy by noting:

“In 2023 alone non-EU residents bought about 27,000 houses and flats in Spain. And they didn’t do it to live in them, they didn’t do it for their families to have a place to live. They did it to speculate.”

A persistent and challenging issue in higher education

International students have enough to think about without worrying about whether they will find affordable housing on or at least near to campus. Housing stress is closely associated with poor mental health, and it means that affected students’ attention is often – and of necessity – elsewhere than in their studies. In extreme cases, housing issues can cause students to drop out.

Stephen Madsen, writing for , a US-based economics and policy thinktank, notes: “As the market continues to struggle with meeting the demand for affordable housing options, increasing on- or near-campus student housing can be an attractive amenity and marketable edge for universities looking to maintain or increase enrollment.”

But he also points out the sometimes-impossible solutions higher education institutions are up against:

“Ultimately, financing and development costs remain the largest hurdle in addressing this issue for many institutions. Public funding for universities has fallen in many states over the past several decades—limiting many institutions’ ability to take on additional debt for capital improvements. During the same period, the cost of residential construction has risen significantly. The combined effect leads to a challenging development environment for higher education institutions, absent outside equity or public subsidy.”

Mr Madsen provides several examples of US colleges working hard and thinking creatively to try to come up with solutions:

• “Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT is providing a stipend, or financial incentive of $10,000, to take a half-year leave of absence to upper classmen to accommodate housing for incoming students. 
• In Knoxville, TN, the University of Tennessee has rented out local Knoxville hotels to accommodate incoming students. 
• Virginia State University, in Petersburg, VA built on-campus modular developments to house incoming students.”

Mr Madsen concludes: “For [institutions] looking to ensure an affordable and inclusive education, the housing issue must continue to be addressed.”
 
For additional background, please see:

• “Student housing crunch worsens across Europe, Australia, Canada”
• “The three persistent themes in student accommodation: affordability, availability, and accountability”
• “What if there is no room? The link between student housing and enrolment capacity”
   

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