The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is one of the biggest fully funded scholarship programmes for young Africans. There is no single application, though: each partner university runs its own process and sets its own deadline. Many of the 2027 intake windows have already closed.
We checked the official pages of the partner universities. These are the Mastercard Foundation Scholars opportunities that are still open as of 17 October 2026, listed with the earliest deadline first.
Open Now: Quick List
- University of Cape Town (South Africa): postgraduate diploma, honours and coursework master’s. Closes 31 October 2026.
- Sciences Po (France): two-year master’s. Closes 23 November 2026 (decision by 11 February) or 14 December 2026 (decision by 1 April).
- University of Cambridge (UK): one-year master’s for 2027/28. Apply by your course’s funding deadline, usually in early December 2026 or early January 2027.
1. Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cape Town
Deadline: 31 October 2026 (postgraduate applicants)
Who it’s for: citizens of any African country, including South Africa, who face significant social and economic barriers to higher education. You must be applying for one of these at UCT:
- a postgraduate diploma in the Faculty of Health Sciences
- an honours degree
- a coursework master’s programme in any of UCT’s six faculties
Part-time study, research-only master’s (by dissertation) and PhDs are not covered. Undergraduate applications for 2027 have already closed.
How to apply: apply to your UCT programme at applyonline.uct.ac.za, then submit your scholarship application through the official UCT Mastercard Foundation Scholars page. Check with your UCT faculty for programme-specific requirements.
2. Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Sciences Po
Deadlines: 23 November 2026 (master’s admission decision by 11 February 2027) or 14 December 2026 (decision by 1 April 2027). Scholarship results come out in April 2027 either way.
What it covers: the full financial needs of selected Scholars for a two-year master’s at Sciences Po in Paris, with support throughout both years. Eligible applicants also get an application fee waiver.
Who it’s for:
- Citizens of an African country (applicants with dual citizenship that includes a non-African country are not eligible)
- Under 35 years of age
- Not already holding, or studying for, a master’s degree
- Applying to the programme for the first time
- Applying to a two-year master’s (dual degrees and one-year master’s are not eligible)
Young women, refugees and displaced persons are given particular consideration.
How to apply: at the same time, (1) request an eligibility check on the dedicated Mastercard Foundation Scholars platform and (2) create your master’s application on the Sciences Po admissions platform. If you skip step 2 at this stage, you lose the fee waiver. Start gathering documents now, because the window to submit after you are found eligible is very short. Full details are on the official Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation page.
3. Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cambridge
Deadline: the funding deadline for your chosen course. These vary by course and are usually in early December 2026 or early January 2027, often earlier than the general admissions deadline. Check your course page.
What it covers: full tuition and a monthly maintenance allowance, with the aim of covering everything a Scholar needs to thrive in Cambridge.
Who it’s for:
- Citizens of an African country
- Applicants who meet the academic requirements of their course
- Any full-time one-year postgraduate course, except the MBA, Master of Corporate Law, Master of Finance and Master of Accountancy. The programme’s themes are climate resilience and sustainability.
Women, refugees, internally displaced people and people with disabilities are actively encouraged to apply.
How to apply: the scholarship application is built into your Cambridge course application. You will write a scholarship statement about your background, leadership potential and goals. Read our full guide: Cambridge Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027: Eligibility, Benefits and How to Apply, or visit the official Cambridge Mastercard Foundation page.
Already Closed for the 2027 Intake
These Mastercard Foundation Scholars partners have closed their current application windows, so don’t spend time on them this round:
- University of Edinburgh: new applicants can no longer join. Only people who attended the mandatory information sessions (15–24 September) and were invited on 13 October can apply.
- University of British Columbia: expression of interest closed 6 September 2026. Only shortlisted candidates take part in the November faculty application.
- McGill University: Fall 2027 applications closed. The next cycle opens in Spring 2027.
- University of Toronto: the next recruitment (for 2028–29) opens in May 2027.
- Arizona State University: closed 27 September 2026.
- University of Rwanda: undergraduate applications closed 12 October 2026.
- University of Pretoria, Makerere University, USIU-Africa, AIMS, American University of Beirut and 2iE: closed.
Check Directly
We could not confirm the current status of these partners. Visit their official pages if you are interested:
- Ashesi University (Ghana): undergraduate
- KNUST (Ghana): undergraduate
- African Leadership University: undergraduate
- EARTH University (Costa Rica): undergraduate
- Carnegie Mellon University Africa (Rwanda): postgraduate
Tips for Applying
- Apply only through official university pages. Universities such as McGill warn that application information posted on unofficial websites may be fraudulent.
- Get admitted, too. At all three universities you need admission to your course as well as selection for the scholarship. Admission alone does not guarantee the scholarship.
- Show leadership and commitment to giving back. The programme looks for young people who will drive change in their communities and in Africa.
- Start early. Transcripts, references and language test results can take weeks to get.
More Mastercard Foundation and Fully Funded Opportunities
- Mastercard Foundation Associates Program 2026 (Cohort 2): 12-Month Paid Work Placements for Graduates in Nigeria, Ghana and West Africa
- NOHA Erasmus Mundus Scholarship 2027: Fully Funded Master’s in International Humanitarian Action in Europe (closes 15 December 2026)
- Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE) 2027–28 at LSE (closes 11 January 2027)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one application for all Mastercard Foundation Scholarships?
No. Each partner university runs its own application and deadline. You apply directly to the university.
Which Mastercard Foundation Scholarships are open now?
As of 17 October 2026: the University of Cape Town (postgraduate, closes 31 October 2026), Sciences Po (closes 23 November or 14 December 2026) and the University of Cambridge (course funding deadlines in December 2026 or January 2027).
Can Nigerians apply?
Yes. All three open programmes accept citizens of any African country, including Nigeria. At Sciences Po, dual citizenship with a non-African country makes you ineligible.
Do I pay an application fee?
Sciences Po waives the fee for applicants found eligible for the scholarship. At other universities, check the admissions page for your course.
