For many talented young Africans, the challenge is not a lack of ambition or academic ability, but access to the resources, networks and opportunities that can turn that potential into impact. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program was created to help address that gap. Since its launch in 2012, the programme has developed into much more than a traditional university scholarship. Through partnerships with universities and organisations in Africa and internationally, it supports young people—particularly those who have faced barriers to education—to pursue higher education while developing their leadership capacity and preparing to contribute to their communities and the continent. Financial support can include tuition, accommodation, books and educational materials, alongside mentoring, counselling, leadership development and, where necessary, return travel. Importantly, however, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is not administered through one universal application. Each partner institution determines its own programmes, eligibility requirements, selection process and deadlines. (Mastercard Foundation) Explore the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027/2028
One of the major opportunities prospective applicants should currently be watching is the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh. For the 2027/2028 academic year, Edinburgh is offering both on-campus and online postgraduate scholarship routes. The on-campus scholarship supports a one-year, full-time master’s degree and covers approved tuition, accommodation, travel, study materials and a living-cost stipend. Online scholars receive full approved tuition fees, an academic stipend to support access to a laptop and reliable internet, an opportunity to attend an in-person gathering, and participation in the University’s wider Climate Leadership Programme. (Global) What particularly sets Edinburgh’s programme apart is its emphasis on climate leadership. Applicants must demonstrate experience or ambition in addressing the climate crisis, and all Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Edinburgh participate in a Climate Leadership Programme. The University describes the wider programme as developing talented, entrepreneurial and compassionate African leaders equipped to contribute to sustainable transitions. (Global)
There is also considerable flexibility in how scholars can study. Eligible on-campus programmes include Africa and International Development, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Environment and Development, Food Security, Planetary Health, Sustainable Energy Systems, Climate Change Finance and Investment, Environmental Sustainability, Data, Inequality and Society, and Operational Research. Online options include programmes such as International Development, Global Food Security and Nutrition, One Health, Social Justice and Community Action, Digital Education and Data Science Technologies. (Global)
Who can apply to Edinburgh?
Applicants must be citizens or refugees of an African country and resident in Africa. They must have faced significant barriers in their education or early career and demonstrate both leadership and service within their communities. For 2027/2028, applicants must also be 35 or younger when the programme begins, meaning they must have been born on or after 1 January 1992. Master’s applicants should not already have completed a postgraduate degree. Applicants must also meet the academic requirements for their selected Edinburgh programme, generally equivalent to at least a UK upper-second-class bachelor’s degree. (Global) The University particularly encourages applications from women, people from refugee and displaced backgrounds, and people with disabilities, although belonging to one of these groups is not itself a requirement. (Global) A major change to the 2027/2028 application Applicants need to pay particular attention this year because Edinburgh has introduced a new application process. Before receiving access to the scholarship application, prospective applicants must attend a virtual information session between Sep. 15 and Sep. 24. The sessions will not be recorded, and Edinburgh states that attendance is the only route to being considered for an invitation to apply this cycle. Attendance does not automatically guarantee an invitation because eligibility will also be assessed. (Global)
Eligible attendees will receive invitations to apply from Oct. 13. The Applicant Declaration Form must then be completed by Oct. 19 at 5pm UK time, although Edinburgh warns that this stage could close earlier if the application limit is reached. The final Scholarship Main Application deadline is Nov. 19 at 5pm UK time. (Global) Another important difference is that candidates applying only for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program should not initially apply separately for their Edinburgh degree. Successful scholarship candidates will later be supported through the University’s academic admission process. (Global) University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship – How to Apply
What Sets the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Apart?
There are thousands of scholarships available internationally, but several characteristics distinguish the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. First, it is more than tuition funding. Depending on the partner institution, scholars can receive support for accommodation, living expenses, books, travel and other educational costs, alongside academic and psychosocial support. (Mastercard Foundation)
Second, leadership and community impact matter alongside academic achievement. The programme is interested in what applicants have already done with the opportunities available to them and what they hope to contribute in the future. At Edinburgh, for example, selection considers academic merit, transformative leadership and community service, the quality of the applicant’s alignment with climate justice, potential impact in their home country and the barriers they have overcome. (Edinburgh University Registry Services)
Third, the programme deliberately considers barriers to opportunity. Applicants are not assessed simply on whether they have accumulated the most prestigious experiences. Partner programmes can specifically seek talented people whose educational journeys have been affected by financial, social, personal or practical barriers.
Fourth, scholars join a community rather than simply receiving an award. Leadership programmes, mentoring, coaching, professional development and scholar and alumni networks are integral to many of the partnerships. Finally, there is a strong emphasis on translating education into meaningful change. The scholarship is particularly relevant to applicants who can connect their academic ambitions with a credible vision for improving communities, institutions, industries or wider development outcomes.
Other Mastercard Foundation Scholarships to Watch
The University of Edinburgh is only one institution in the wider Scholars Program. Opportunities are offered through numerous partner institutions, and because every university manages its own recruitment process, deadlines can vary substantially. (Mastercard Foundation) Among the current opportunities applicants may encounter are programmes at the University of British Columbia, University of Toronto and University of Oxford, alongside Mastercard Foundation partnerships with institutions across Africa and elsewhere. This means applicants should not think of the programme as one annual scholarship competition. Instead, they should identify the Mastercard Foundation partner institutions that offer programmes aligned with their academic background and career goals and then follow those institutions individually.
Find Mastercard Foundation partner institutions and where to apply
How to Prepare a Strong Application
A strong Mastercard Foundation scholarship application should tell a coherent story. Academic achievement is important, but applicants should also demonstrate leadership, service, resilience and a clear sense of purpose. Instead of simply listing positions held, candidates should show what they actually changed, improved, created or contributed. An applicant who founded an initiative, for example, should explain the problem it addressed, what they personally did and what changed because of the intervention. Someone who has overcome substantial barriers to education should explain those circumstances truthfully while demonstrating how they responded to them.
Applicants should also be able to answer three fundamental questions: Why this programme? Why this university? And what will you do with the opportunity?
Generic statements about wanting to “change Africa” are unlikely to be as persuasive as a specific understanding of the problem the applicant wants to address, the skills they currently lack and how the selected degree can help close that gap.
Edinburgh explicitly advises candidates to tailor their application to the individual institution rather than simply recycling the same Mastercard Foundation application across universities. Its application includes short essays exploring the applicant’s personal story, academic and leadership experience and future ambitions. (Global)
Start Preparing Before Applications Open
Prospective scholars should begin preparing long before the final application deadline.
Academic transcripts and degree certificates should be ready, and applicants should review the precise eligibility requirements of both the scholarship and their intended degree. They should also think carefully about their leadership examples, community service, barriers they have overcome and the long-term impact they want to make. For Edinburgh applicants, preparation is particularly urgent because the first important dates are Sep. 15–24, not the November application deadline. Missing the mandatory information-session stage means an applicant cannot proceed to the 2027/2028 scholarship application. (Global) It is equally important to use official sources. There is no universal Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application, and deadlines vary by partner institution. The Foundation advises prospective scholars to check the application requirements of the specific partner they want to attend. (Mastercard Foundation)
More Than a Scholarship
Perhaps the most important thing to understand about the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is that it is designed as an investment in people, not simply degrees. The financial support can make an otherwise inaccessible university education possible. But the combination of education, leadership development, mentoring, community, professional networks and a strong expectation of social contribution is what distinguishes the programme. For young Africans who have demonstrated academic potential, overcome barriers and are already finding ways to serve or lead within their communities, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program can provide something much bigger than funding. It can provide the education, community and platform from which their next chapter of impact begins.
