The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is a global scholarship and leadership programme supporting talented young people who face barriers to accessing higher education.
The programme is implemented through partner universities and organisations, rather than through one central scholarship application. Each partner institution sets its own eligible programmes, requirements, application process and deadline.
The programme currently has more than 58,000 Scholars and aims to reach 100,000 young people by 2030.
What Does the Scholarship Cover?
Support varies by partner, but the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program can include:
- Full or substantial tuition support
- Accommodation
- Books and academic materials
- Living expenses or stipends
- Travel and return airfare where applicable
- Visa and immigration support in some programmes
- Medical/health insurance in some programmes
- Academic support
- Mentoring
- Leadership development
- Career development
- Entrepreneurship support
- Psychosocial and wellbeing support
- Access to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni networks
The exact package depends on the partner university and programme.
Who Can Apply?
The programme primarily supports young people from Africa and other underrepresented groups, with eligibility determined by each partner.
The general programme provides opportunities at secondary, undergraduate and Master’s levels, but PhD/doctoral scholarships are not currently offered through the Scholars Program.
For the Master’s level, the Foundation’s general guidance states that applicants should generally be 35 or younger, while undergraduate applicants should generally be 29 or younger. However, individual partner institutions may have additional requirements.
Applicants are commonly expected to demonstrate:
- Strong academic potential
- Financial or other significant barriers to education
- Leadership potential
- Commitment to community service
- A desire to contribute to positive change
- Academic eligibility for the selected university/programme
Important: Meeting the general Mastercard Foundation criteria does not automatically make someone eligible for every partner. Always check the individual university’s requirements.
CURRENTLY OPEN OPPORTUNITIES
1. University of Cape Town – Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Study levels: Undergraduate and postgraduate
Deadline:
- 30 September 2026 – undergraduate
- 31 October 2026 – postgraduate
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is accepting applications for its 2027 Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
The programme supports academically talented young Africans who face significant social and economic barriers to higher education.
For postgraduate applicants, eligible programmes include postgraduate diplomas in the Faculty of Health Sciences, honours programmes and Master’s programmes. Undergraduate applications for admission to UCT are already closed, although applicants who already applied for a Bachelor’s degree can still apply for the scholarship if they meet the requirements.
Support
UCT’s scholarship package includes:
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation
- Living expenses
- Laptop
- Medical aid
- Study visa where applicable
- Annual travel to and from UCT
- Mentoring
- Leadership development
- Career readiness
- Entrepreneurship development
- Internships
- Community engagement opportunities
Eligibility
Applicants must be from an African country and must face significant barriers to accessing higher education.
UCT particularly encourages applications from:
- Young women
- People with disabilities
- Refugees
- Forcibly displaced young people
- Young people affected by social and economic barriers
Applicants must also meet UCT’s academic admission requirements for their chosen programme.
Application
Applicants must first apply for admission to UCT and then complete the separate Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application.
UCT Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program – Apply
Postgraduate deadline: 31 October 2026.
2. University of Edinburgh – Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027/28
Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom / Online
Study level: Postgraduate
Deadline: 19 November 2026, 5:00 PM UK time
The University of Edinburgh is offering Mastercard Foundation scholarships for 2027/28 on-campus and online postgraduate study.
The programme is particularly focused on applicants who have experienced significant barriers to education and early-career opportunities and who demonstrate leadership and a commitment to addressing the climate crisis.
Eligible applicants
Applicants must:
- Be citizens and residents, or refugees, in an African country
- Have completed an undergraduate degree
- Have the required academic qualification for the selected Edinburgh programme
- Have experienced significant barriers to education and/or early-career opportunities
- Demonstrate leadership and community service
- Demonstrate experience or ambition to address the climate crisis
- Be 35 or younger for the 2027/28 academic year
- Not already hold a postgraduate degree when applying for a Master’s scholarship
Women, people with disabilities and people from refugee and displaced backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Online programmes include
- MSc Climate Change Management
- MSc International Development
- MSc Global Food Security and Nutrition
- Global Food Security and Nutrition Postgraduate Diploma
Important application process
The 2027/28 process has changed.
Applicants were required to attend a mandatory virtual information session between 15–24 September 2026. Eligible participants then receive access to the scholarship application process.
Key dates:
- 13 October 2026 – eligible applicants invited to apply
- 19 October 2026, 5 PM UK – Applicant Declaration Form closes
- 19 November 2026, 5 PM UK – main scholarship application closes
Important: Someone who did not complete the mandatory information-session stage should check the current Edinburgh instructions before assuming they can enter the process now.
University of Edinburgh – Mastercard Foundation Scholarship
3. University of Cambridge – Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027/28
Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
Study level: Master’s
Deadline: Depends on the course – generally early December 2026 or early January 2027
Applications for the 2027/28 Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cambridge are now open.
The Cambridge programme focuses on climate resilience and sustainability and enables talented African students to pursue eligible full-time Master’s programmes.
Eligible applicants
Applicants must:
- Be a citizen of an African country
- Live in an African country, unless temporarily abroad for study/work or covered by the programme’s refugee/IDP provisions
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree
- Meet the academic requirements of the chosen Cambridge course
- Demonstrate commitment to giving back to their community, country or Africa
- Demonstrate commitment to sustainability and climate resilience
Eligible programmes
Applicants can apply for full-time one-year postgraduate courses, except:
- MBA
- Master of Corporate Law
- Master of Finance
- Master of Accountancy
Funding
The programme aims to cover the major costs of studying at Cambridge, including:
- Full tuition
- Monthly maintenance allowance
- Visa costs
- Immigration health surcharge
- Travel support
Important deadline
Cambridge does not have one universal deadline.
The scholarship application is integrated into the Cambridge postgraduate application, and the funding deadline depends on the selected course — generally the first week of December or first week of January. Applicants must work toward the funding deadline, which can be earlier than the standard course deadline.
Special benefit for applicants from Malawi
Malawi is included in Cambridge’s list of countries whose Mastercard Foundation applicants receive an automatic application-fee waiver, provided they meet the academic requirements.
Cambridge Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program – Apply
Other Mastercard Foundation Partner Opportunities
The Mastercard Foundation has a much larger network of partner universities and organisations across Africa and internationally.
The official partner directory includes institutions across countries including Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Senegal, Cameroon, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe, the UK, Canada, France, the United States and others.
However, not every partner has an application open at the same time.
For this reason, applicants should use the official Mastercard Foundation partner directory to identify institutions, then check each institution’s current application page.
Mastercard Foundation – Where to Apply / Partner Universities
Important: There Is No Single Mastercard Application
This is one of the most important things applicants need to understand.
Do not search for a single “Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027 application form.”
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is administered by its partner universities and organisations. Each partner:
- Sets its own deadline
- Determines eligible programmes
- Sets its own academic requirements
- Has its own application process
- Makes its own scholarship decisions
Applicants can apply to multiple partner universities where eligible.
Application Fees & Scams
The Mastercard Foundation does not ask individuals to pay money to apply for the Scholars Program.
Some partner universities may have their own admission/application fees. The Foundation states that where a partner requires an application fee, it can be reimbursed if the applicant is selected for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
Applicants should be extremely careful with Facebook, WhatsApp or other social-media posts claiming to sell Mastercard Foundation application forms or requesting payment.
How to Apply
Step 1
Choose a participating university and an eligible degree.
Step 2
Check the university’s specific eligibility requirements.
Step 3
Check whether the university requires a separate academic admission application before the scholarship application.
Step 4
Prepare the required documents, which may include:
- Academic certificates
- Academic transcripts
- CV
- Personal statement
- Scholarship essays
- Recommendation letters
- Proof of nationality/residence
- Proof of financial circumstances where required
- English-language test results where required
Step 5
Submit the application through the official university portal before its specific deadline.
Step 6
Monitor your email and the university’s scholarship portal for shortlisting, interviews and final decisions.
Quick Deadline Guide
Partner Study level Current deadline
University of Cape Town – Undergraduate 30 Sept 2026
University of Cape Town – Postgraduate 31 Oct 2026
University of Edinburgh – Postgraduate 19 Nov 2026, 5 PM UK
University of Cambridge – Master’s Early Dec 2026 / early Jan 2027, depending on course
University of British Columbia (UBC)- Master’s Initial EOI closed 6 Sept 2026
The UBC 2027 programme had an initial expression-of-interest deadline of 6 September 2026, followed by invited applications in September, so it should not be advertised as currently open.
Why Consider the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program?
The programme is more than tuition funding. Depending on the partner, Scholars can receive financial support, mentoring, leadership development, career preparation, entrepreneurship opportunities, psychosocial support and access to an international community of young African leaders.
For applicants from Africa, it can provide pathways to undergraduate and Master’s study at partner institutions across Africa and internationally.
