Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Comprehensive support that includes tuition fees, accommodation, books and other academic materials, mentoring, counselling, leadership development and, if needed, a return air ticket to your home country. Exact amounts are set by each partner institution.

Fields: Any field

Citizens of African countries

• Young people from Africa with strong academic ability and a commitment to serving their communities; partners focus on applicants from underrepresented backgrounds
• Must apply to, and be admitted by, one of the Foundation's partner institutions
• Scholarships are offered at secondary, undergraduate and master's level only; PhD candidates are not currently eligible
• Each partner sets its own admission rules, programmes and selection criteria
• Admission to a partner institution does not guarantee selection as a Scholar

There is no single deadline. Each partner institution sets its own application window, and the official listing marks each partner as open or closed. Check the partner's own website for the current dates.

Deadlines move a little every year and some close early. Confirm the date on the official page before you plan around it.

• The partner institution's own admission and scholarship application, completed in full
• Academic records and certificates required by that partner
• TOEFL and/or SAT scores if you apply to a North American partner (many Africa-based partners do not require them)
• Any essays, references or financial information the partner asks for

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose a level and partner

   Use the 'Where to apply' listing on mastercardfdn.org to filter partners by country, level of study and whether applications are open.
2. 2

   Step 2: African partners

   Listed partners in Africa include AIMS, African Leadership University, Ashesi University, Carnegie Mellon University Africa, 2iE, KNUST, Makerere University, Pan-Atlantic University (Nigeria), Universite Gaston Berger, Universite Mohammed VI Polytechnique, University of Abomey-Calavi, University of Cape Town, University of Pretoria, University of the Western Cape, University of Global Health Equity, University of Gondar, University of Rwanda and USIU-Africa.
3. 3

   Step 3: Partners outside Africa

   Listed partners outside Africa include American University of Beirut, Arizona State University, UC Berkeley, EARTH University, McGill University, Queen's University, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, Sciences Po, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh and University of Oxford.
4. 4

   Step 4: Apply through the partner

   Follow the partner's own admission and scholarship process and deadline; the Foundation does not accept applications directly.
5. 5

   Step 5: Wait for the partner's decision

   Selection is made by the partner institution, so contact that institution, not the Foundation, about your application status.

• Support is only available through partner institutions; the Foundation does not fund students outside the program
• Application fees charged by some partners are reimbursed only if you are selected as a Scholar
• Scholars follow the partner institution's rules for academic progress and program participation

• You may apply to as many partners as you like, but each application takes real effort, so focus on programmes that fit your goals
• If SAT or TOEFL costs are a barrier, consider the Africa-based partners that do not require them, or ask EducationUSA about support
• The Foundation warns about Facebook posts and agents asking for fees in its name; it never asks individuals for payments, so apply only through official partner websites
• Partner lists and open windows change, so recheck the official listing before each cycle

Checked against these official pages on 16 Oct 2026.

• Mastercard Foundation: Scholars Program (opens in a new tab)
• Mastercard Foundation: Where to apply (opens in a new tab)