Mitchell Scholarship: Paused Since 2024, Now Renamed US-Ireland Alliance Scholarship
By Muntasir • Published May 09, 2026 • Updated Aug 08, 2026 • US Financial Aid & Scholarships
The George J. Mitchell Scholarship funded a year of graduate study in Ireland or Northern Ireland for up to 12 Americans a year, but the US-Ireland Alliance paused new selections in 2024 and the program remains paused. In 2026 the Alliance also dropped Mitchell's name from the program.
🎓 Historically funded up to 12 postgraduate scholars a year
💵 Covered tuition, housing, and a living and travel stipend
📩 No new class has been chosen since the 2024 pause, and it remains paused in 2026
Eligibility when active: ages 18 to 30, any field of study
Now called the US-Ireland Alliance Scholarship
A Brief History
The US-Ireland Alliance created the scholarship in 1998, naming it for Senator George Mitchell in recognition of his role chairing the negotiations that produced the Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. The program built its selection criteria and structure around that peacebuilding legacy for more than 25 years before the 2024 pause and the 2026 name change.
What the Scholarship Used to Fund
Before it paused, the US-Ireland Alliance selected up to 12 scholars a year for one academic year of graduate study, running from September through May, at institutions across Ireland and Northern Ireland. The award covered tuition, accommodation, and a stipend for living expenses and travel, and it was open to any field offered by an Irish or Northern Irish university.
Applicants needed to be 18 to 30 years old and show academic excellence, leadership, and a record of community service and civic engagement, criteria similar to the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships but focused on building ties between the US and the island of Ireland.
Why the Program Is Paused
The US-Ireland Alliance paused selection of new scholars in March 2024 while it works to build a permanent endowment for the program, which it estimates needs roughly $40 million to sustain long-term. No Class of 2027 was selected, and the Alliance has not set a date to resume applications.
In February 2026, the Alliance's board voted to remove the George J. Mitchell name from the scholarship, following information that surfaced in Department of Justice documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein. The program now operates under the name US-Ireland Alliance Scholarship.
What to Do If You Were Planning to Apply
Check the US-Ireland Alliance website directly before you build a timeline around this scholarship, since there is no confirmed date for a new application cycle. Your school's fellowship office can also tell you if the program has reopened.
If graduate study in Ireland is your goal in the meantime, the Fulbright US Student Program funds American students studying and researching in Ireland through its country-specific award, with its own separate application and deadlines. Students open to UK graduate study instead of Ireland specifically can also look at the Marshall or Rhodes scholarships, which remain active and fund similarly structured postgraduate years abroad.