Sciences Po in Paris has opened applications for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027. The scholarship fully funds a two-year Master’s degree at Sciences Po for young people from African countries who have faced financial barriers. It covers tuition and living costs in France, includes reserved housing in Paris, and offers mentoring and career support.
There are two application deadlines: 23 November 2026 and 14 December 2026. Scholarship results for both are announced in April 2027.
At a Glance
| University | Sciences Po, Paris, France |
| Level | Two-year Master’s degree |
| Funding | Full scholarship: tuition, living costs and reserved housing in Paris |
| Who can apply | Citizens of African countries, under 35, with a bachelor’s degree |
| Deadlines | 23 November 2026 or 14 December 2026 |
| Results | April 2027 |
Deadlines Explained
| Apply by | Master’s admission decision |
|---|---|
| 23 November 2026 | By 11 February 2027 |
| 14 December 2026 | By 1 April 2027 |
Whichever date you choose, the scholarship results come out in April 2027. Applying early only speeds up your admission decision for the Master’s.
Benefits
- Full tuition for the two-year Master’s
- Living costs in France for the whole programme
- Housing in Paris reserved for Mastercard Foundation Scholars
- Pre-departure support, an official welcome programme and help settling in
- Personalised support throughout your studies
- Careers support, including a careers fair focused on jobs and internships in Africa, an entrepreneurship track, the Sciences Po business incubator, and an alumni network working in Africa
- A mentoring programme run with the Africa Division of Sciences Po Alumni
- An application fee waiver for eligible applicants
Eligibility
You must meet all of these:
- You hold citizenship of an African country. Dual citizens who also hold citizenship of a country outside Africa are not eligible.
- You’re completing, or already hold, a bachelor’s degree, and one of the following applies:
- your degree is from a university on Sciences Po’s list of partner institutions; or
- you took part in a recognised bridge or mentoring programme; or
- you hold, or have held, UNHCR refugee status.
- You’re under 35 on 1 September 2026, the year you apply.
- You don’t already hold, and aren’t studying for, a Master’s degree.
- This is your first application to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
- You must apply to and be admitted to a two-year Master’s at Sciences Po. One-year Master’s and dual-degree programmes aren’t eligible.
Not eligible: current Sciences Po students, and anyone studying at or graduated from a French higher education institution.
Check that your grades meet Sciences Po’s minimum academic results table before applying, because the scholarship depends on being admitted.
How to Apply
- Check your eligibility, including the partner university list and the age and citizenship rules.
- Check Sciences Po’s minimum academic results for applicants from your country.
- At the same time:
- submit an eligibility request on the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application platform, and
- create a Master’s application on the Sciences Po admissions platform.
If you don’t create your Master’s application at this stage, you lose the application fee waiver.
- Complete both applications by 23 November or 14 December 2026.
- Wait for your Master’s decision (February or April) and the scholarship results (April 2027).
Official Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program page
Note: when we checked on 29 October 2026, Sciences Po said the scholarship application platform “will be available soon”. Check the official page for the link.
Tips
- Check the partner university list first. It’s the most common reason applicants turn out to be ineligible.
- Apply by 23 November if you can, so you hear about admission earlier.
- Link your Master’s to your plans for Africa. Mastercard Foundation Scholars are expected to give back to their communities.
- Prepare English or French test results early, depending on your programme’s language.
