Quick Summary
For students aiming to study in Global (network centered in Sub-Saharan Africa, with partner universities in Canada, the US, the UK, and France), Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is a fully funded scholarship from Mastercard Foundation. The award covers scholars receive tuition, accommodation, and a living stipend for the full length of their program at their host institution, plus books, mentoring, leadership training, and return travel home when their studies require relocation. Exact dollar amounts are set by each partner institution based on local costs, since the Foundation funds the network rather than issuing one standard award package. and is open to secondary, undergraduate, and master's students studying all fields of study offered at partner institutions. The scholarship runs for full length of the funded secondary, undergraduate, or master's program at the host institution and may be renewed annually based on academic performance. Eligibility is generally based on because the program operates through partner institutions, each university or school sets its own admission and financial-need criteria on top of the Foundation's overall priority groups. Applicants must first be admitted to a partner institution's academic program before being considered for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars funding attached to that institution. The application deadline is announced annually on the official scholarship page. EduAtlasHub tracks updated deadlines, coverage details and eligibility requirements for this scholarship as they change.
✨ Should I Apply for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program?
Instant AI-powered application intelligence
🌍 Overview
⏳
Duration
Full length of the funded secondary, undergraduate, or master's program at the host institution
🎨
Fields
All fields of study offered at partner institutions
🏆
Awards/Year
More than 58,000 scholars committed to date, with a program goal of 100,000 scholars by 2030
🌏
Study Country
Global (network centered in Sub-Saharan Africa, with partner universities in Canada, the US, the UK, and France)
🏛️
Provider
Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program funds secondary, undergraduate, and master's study for young people from Africa through a network of 62 partner universities and secondary schools rather than a single application portal. More than 58,000 scholars had been committed as of the Foundation's own reporting, and the program's stated goal is to reach 100,000 scholars by 2030. Each scholar is placed at a specific partner institution, which runs its own recruitment, selection, and academic support process under the Foundation's funding umbrella.
👥 Who Should Apply
Because the program operates through partner institutions, each university or school sets its own admission and financial-need criteria on top of the Foundation's overall priority groups. Applicants must first be admitted to a partner institution's academic program before being considered for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars funding attached to that institution.
🏛️ Host University
62 partner institutions worldwide, including the University of Cape Town, Makerere University, KNUST, University of Cambridge, McGill University, Arizona State University, Carnegie Mellon University Africa, and Sciences Po
🎨 Fields of Study
All fields of study offered at partner institutions
✨ Key Benefits
Scholars receive tuition, accommodation, and a living stipend for the full length of their program at their host institution, plus books, mentoring, leadership training, and return travel home when their studies require relocation. Exact dollar amounts are set by each partner institution based on local costs, since the Foundation funds the network rather than issuing one standard award package.
🎯 Target Students
Young people from Africa, with priority given to women, refugees and displaced persons, and people living with disabilities
🏷 Tags
Africa
Fully Funded
Leadership
Refugees
Women
Undergraduate
Masters
Secondary
💸 Funding Breakdown
✈️ Travel: Yes (return airfare to and from the home country when required)
🏠 Accommodation: Yes
💊 Health Insurance: No
🔄 Renewable: Yes
💳 App Fee: Free
✈️ Travel Allowance
Yes (return airfare to and from the home country when required)
🎁 Other Benefits
Books and academic materials, mentoring and counseling support, leadership development programming, and access to a global alumni network of more than 20,000 graduates
📋 Renewal Conditions
Continued enrollment and satisfactory academic standing at the host partner institution
✅ Eligibility Requirements
🌍 Eligible Nationalities
Young people from Africa (citizenship/residency criteria set by each partner institution), demonstrating financial need, academic talent, and leadership potential; priority to women, refugees/displaced persons, and people with disabilities
🎓 Academic Level
Secondary, Undergraduate, and Master's
🗣️ English Requirement
Set by each partner institution; typically IELTS or TOEFL for applicants whose prior education was not in English
🍢 Age Limit
29 or under for undergraduate applicants; 35 or under for master's applicants
💼 Work Experience
Not required for undergraduate applicants; may be expected for some master's placements depending on the partner institution's program
🏆 Leadership
Applicants must demonstrate leadership potential and a commitment to giving back to their community
💰 Financial Need
Required; the program targets economically disadvantaged young people
🎯 Target Students
Young people from Africa, with priority given to women, refugees and displaced persons, and people living with disabilities
📝 Application Requirements
Essay / SOP
Yes (set by each partner institution as part…
Rec Letters
Yes (number and format set by each partner…
Interview
Yes, for shortlisted candidates at most…
Documents Required
- Academic Transcripts
- Passport / National ID
- Recommendation Letters
- CV / Resume
- Personal Statement / Essays
- English Proficiency Proof
- Interview
📋 Application Process
Because there is no single Foundation-wide application, start by identifying which of the 62 partner institutions offers your intended field of study and follow that institution's own Mastercard Foundation Scholars application instructions and deadline. Apply well ahead of your target partner institution's own internal deadline, since these run independently of each other and missing one closes that route for the cycle.
💡 Insider Tip: Use your personal statement to connect your own story of hardship or service to concrete plans for how you intend to use your education to benefit your home community, since the program explicitly selects for a 'give-back' commitment rather than academic record alone. Research the specific partner institution's programme offerings before applying, since acceptance into the scholarship is tied to admission at that particular institution rather than a general Foundation-wide pool.