Embedding trust in education: implementing TrustEd Ireland

With trust playing a critical role in international study decisions, Mary Grennan outlines how TrustEd Ireland is providing greater assurance for learners considering Ireland for their studies.

Choosing to study in another country is a significant personal and financial commitment. Learners often make decisions based on information received from thousands of miles away, placing considerable trust in education providers and recruitment agents, and the systems that regulate them.

It is against this backdrop that TrustEd Ireland has been introduced. The statutory quality assurance scheme for higher education and English language education (ELE) providers is designed to give international learners greater confidence in the quality, transparency and resilience of their chosen provider.

"The TrustEd Ireland quality mark builds on existing quality assurance procedures already in place in Irish higher education," explains Mary Grennan, Head of International Education at Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). "For the ELE sector, it establishes a formal engagement with QQI and a requirement to implement statutory quality assurance and regulatory measures, which is a significant development for the Irish ELE sector."

Protecting Learners Through Transparency and Accountability

At its core, TrustEd Ireland is about protecting international learners throughout their educational journey.

Providers seeking TrustEd Ireland authorisation must demonstrate that programme information is accurate, clear, accessible and up to date. Fees and charges must be transparent, accurate and accessible, and learners must understand what services, supports and learning experiences they can expect.

"Learners should understand the entry requirements content and recognition of the programme they are applying for, what services and supports will be available, and what they can expect from their provider from pre-enrolment through to the completion of their programme," says Grennan.

However, TrustEd Ireland extends beyond programme quality. Private/independent HE and ELE providers must also undergo a robust due diligence evaluation that examines the provider’s governance, corporate structures, compliance with legal and tax obligations, financial sustainability and planning.

According to Grennan, this broader assessment is essential. "Educational quality cannot be separated entirely from institutional capacity. A programme may be well designed, but learners remain exposed if the organisation delivering it does not have sufficiently robust structures in place to sustain its commitments."

A key feature of the TrustEd Ireland scheme is the statutory Learner Protection Fund. The fund provides both academic and financial protections for learners if a provider can no longer deliver a programme. Depending on the circumstances, learners may be supported to complete their studies with another provider or receive reimbursement of tuition fees paid. All authorised private/independent higher education and ELE providers must contribute to the fund for each enrolled learner.

“Together, these measures are designed to give international learners and other key stakeholders confidence that quality standards are matched by practical and robust safeguards” explains Grennan.

Embedding Quality Across Institutions

The introduction of TrustEd Ireland is also influencing how providers organise and manage their institutions.

Preparing for authorisation has encouraged providers to strengthen governance arrangements, review planning processes, formalise structures and place greater emphasis on student services and wellbeing.

Within the ELE sector, providers have received support from QQI to develop programmes that are clearly and closely aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), fostering programme design that responds to learner needs and interests rather than relying solely on standardised textbooks. Assessment of ELE programmes includes exit exams, and the aspiration is providers prepare ELE learners for exit exams that will allow learners to progress to higher education programmes.  Strengthened requirements around teacher and academic director qualifications, staffing arrangements and contingency planning are also helping to enhance the learner experience.

For Grennan, this reflects an important principle: "Effective quality assurance is not a standalone inspection or a collection of documents prepared for an external assessment. It should influence how an organisation understands its responsibilities and how those responsibilities are reflected in everyday decisions."

“The impact of TrustEd Ireland therefore goes beyond compliance. It encourages providers to view quality assurance as an institutional responsibility that spans governance, programme design, teaching quality, student services and operational planning” she adds.

Building a Stronger and More Resilient Sector

While learner protection remains the primary objective, TrustEd Ireland is also helping to strengthen the wider education sector in Ireland.

The due diligence requirements encourage organisations to examine whether their financial structures, governance arrangements and planning processes are sufficiently robust. Educational requirements focus attention on programme quality, staff development and learner support.

These elements are closely connected because, as Grennan notes, learners experience providers as complete organisations rather than isolated services. "The quality of educational experience itself matters, but so do admissions information, fee arrangements, academic planning, staff supports, complaints processes and the provider's ability to continue delivering the programme."

By bringing these elements together within a single statutory framework, TrustEd Ireland links educational quality with organisational responsibility and long-term sustainability.

Enhancing Confidence in Irish Education

TrustEd Ireland also has ambitions beyond individual providers. Over time, it has the potential to become a recognised mark of trust for Irish education internationally.

Its combination of statutory quality assurance, regulatory oversight, financial due diligence and learner protection is distinctive, and Grennan notes that the model has already attracted international interest.

The long-term ambition is for education agents, international partners and learners and their parents to look for the TrustEd Ireland quality mark when making decisions. "The ideal situation would be to get to the point where stakeholders look for the mark when considering working HE and ELE providers. 

When that recognition develops, TrustEd Ireland will become an important signal of quality, reliability and trust, helping international learners and other stakeholders identify providers that meet robust standards while further strengthening Ireland's reputation as a trusted study destination.

From Assurance to Trust

The true success of TrustEd Ireland will not be measured solely by the visibility of its quality mark. It will be measured by the confidence it provides to learners and their families.

For Grennan “International learners need to know that the information they receive is accurate, that providers meet clear quality standards, and that statutory protections are in place if difficulties arise. TrustEd Ireland seeks to provide that assurance through a framework built on transparency, accountability, quality assurance and learner protection.”

For Ireland, this is an opportunity to make trust a demonstrable feature of the international learner experience. By embedding clear standards and meaningful safeguards across the system, TrustEd Ireland will strengthen confidence in individual providers, while reinforcing Ireland's reputation as a trusted destination for international education.