Study in Ireland with Confidence: PEL, Student Protection and TrustEd Ireland

Planning to study in Ireland? You deserve clear answers about how your course fees and your education are protected.

With recent language school closures, many students have asked me what happens if a school closes. I want to explain Ireland’s Protection for Enrolled Learners (PEL) arrangements, how they work at ISI Dublin and where we stand in the transition to TrustEd Ireland.

The recent Erin College case shows how learner protection can help students continue their studies—and how ISI is playing its part.

Erin College: learner protection in action

On 18 September 2026, Erin College announced that it would close after being removed from Ireland’s Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP). Its PEL arrangements came into effect.

ARCHAS, the insurance provider, arranged replacement tuition for more than 1,700 affected students across a number of English Education Ireland (EEI) schools in Dublin. Coordinating the transfers took a few weeks, but arrangements were made for students to continue their studies.

ISI Dublin agreed to welcome approximately 190 Erin College students. Students will join us during October and the following weeks. Each student declared the number of weeks of tuition they had already completed at Erin College, and ISI Dublin will provide the remaining weeks of their 25-week programme.

Erin College had arranged PEL insurance for every non-EEA 25-week student whose course fees it had received. This included students who had paid for their course but had not yet started studying.

How ISI Dublin organises learner protection

Every eligible non-EEA student on a 25-week Academic Year programme at ISI Dublin is covered by PEL insurance. This is obligatory and costs €60 in addition to course fees. The process differs depending on whether the student requires an entry visa for Ireland.

Students who do not require an entry visa

If you do not require an entry visa—for example, if you hold a Brazilian, Japanese or Mexican passport—ISI activates your PEL insurance in the same week that it receives your course fees. Your course fees are protected from the time ISI receives them.

Students who require an entry visa

If you require an entry visa—for example, if you hold a Colombian, Chinese or Turkish passport—course fees paid via TransferMate are held in an escrow account while your visa application is being processed. The funds are not released to ISI until your visa has been approved. Once the funds are released to ISI, your PEL insurance is activated.

Before visa approval: course fees paid through this process are held in escrow.
After visa approval and release of funds to ISI: PEL insurance is activated.
For visa-waiver students: course fees are protected from receipt by ISI, with PEL activated that same week.

ILEP and the transition to TrustEd Ireland

TrustEd Ireland is QQI’s new statutory quality mark, which will replace the ILEP for student immigration purposes and a new Learner Protection Scheme will apply.

ISI remains listed on the ILEP and continues to recruit and enrol eligible non-EEA students as normal.

Our TrustEd Ireland application is well advanced. As with the majority of schools, we applied in Round 2 and have completed the application, due diligence and inspection stages. QQI will announce the newly accredited schools towards the end of 2026. We are confident in the strength of our application, building on the quality standards that have already earned ISI ACELS recognition and Eaquals accreditation.

For official information, see QQI’s guidance on TrustEd Ireland and Immigration Service Delivery’s ILEP information.

Confidence in choosing ISI Dublin

ISI Dublin was established in 2001 and is a family-owned, independent school. Our programmes continue as normal: students are arriving, classes are running, groups are being welcomed and our social programme remains active.

A school closure is always disruptive. The Erin College case demonstrates why learner protection matters and how it can support the continuation of students’ education. We are proud to play our part in welcoming these students to ISI.

If you have questions about learner protection, our regulatory status or your course booking, please contact me. I will be happy to explain the process and help you plan your studies.

Marcelo Lopez Anido
Digital Marketing & Direct Sales Consultant
External Consultant to ISI Dublin

Planning a future booking? You can find our current course promotions here.

Information correct as of 9 October 2026. The TrustEd Ireland application status above reflects ISI’s position on that date.