The Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027 offers opportunities through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program for students entering eligible university undergraduate and master’s programmes in 2027. It supports academically talented young people, primarily Africans, who face financial barriers to higher education and demonstrate leadership potential and a commitment to improving their communities. University-level scholarships support eligible undergraduate and master’s degrees.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is a fully funded scholarship. Its support includes tuition fees, accommodation, books and academic materials, mentoring, counselling, and leadership development. Return travel to the scholar’s home country is included where necessary. Applicants should check their university’s scholarship announcement for the exact funding package.
Interested applicants must demonstrate strong academic ability, financial need and a commitment to community service, while meeting the chosen university’s admission and scholarship requirements. Nationality, age limits, eligible qualifications and English-language requirements depend on the institution. Admission alone does not guarantee a scholarship.
Award Amount and Coverage
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has no single award amount. Each partner funds its approved courses and publishes its own benefits.
| Partner programme | Funding type | Award and coverage |
|---|---|---|
| University of Cambridge — eligible one-year master’s | Full-cost, on-campus | Full tuition, monthly maintenance allowance, laptop, and eligible travel, visa and Immigration Health Surcharge costs. The cash total varies by course and scholar. |
| University of Edinburgh — selected on-campus master’s | Full-cost, on-campus | Full approved tuition, accommodation, travel, living-cost stipend and study materials. No universal GBP award is published for every course. |
| University of Edinburgh — selected online master’s or postgraduate diploma | Full tuition plus study-access support | Full approved tuition and an academic stipend for a laptop and high-quality internet. No on-campus accommodation or living stipend is listed for this route. |
| University of British Columbia — selected master’s | Comprehensive on-campus funding | Tuition and books, flights and immigration support, room and board, living stipend, health insurance and career support. The award total depends on the eligible course and scholar. |
Who is eligible for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027?
This program is eligible for international students. Eligibility depends on the partner programme. Meeting these conditions allows you to apply; it does not guarantee an award.
| Partner route | Main eligibility requirements |
|---|---|
| Cambridge master’s | Citizen of an African country; applying to an eligible full-time, one-year master’s course; meets that course’s academic requirements and the Scholars Program’s leadership and impact criteria. |
| Edinburgh on-campus master’s | Citizen of an African country or refugee in an African country, and resident there; born on or after 1 January 1992 for 2027–28; completed a bachelor’s degree; meets an approved course’s requirements; shows leadership, barriers to education and commitment to addressing the climate crisis. Applicants for a master’s must not already have a postgraduate degree. |
| Edinburgh online master’s or diploma | The same core residence, age, leadership and climate-impact rules apply. A master’s applicant must not already have a postgraduate degree; the online diploma can consider applicants with a bachelor’s or master’s degree under its stated rules. |
| UBC selected master’s | Citizen or refugee of an African country; bachelor’s degree but no previous master’s degree; aged 35 or younger when applying; meets the academic and English requirements of one of UBC’s specifically listed master’s courses. |
English tests: There is no programme-wide IELTS waiver or score. Cambridge and UBC check the chosen course’s requirements. Edinburgh does not require a test result at the initial scholarship application stage, but may require one later for university admission.
Partner Universities
The programme operates through partner institutions in Africa and other regions. Applicants apply directly to their chosen partner university, which determines the eligible courses, admission requirements, selection process and application deadline. A university’s participation does not mean every course is funded or its 2027 applications are open.
Africa
- African Leadership University (Rwanda);
- University of Rwanda;
- Makerere University (Uganda);
- Ashesi University and KNUST (Ghana);
- USIU-Africa (Kenya);
- University of Pretoria,
- University of Cape Town
- University of the Western Cape (South Africa).
United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge,
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Oxford.
Canada
- University of British Columbia,
- University of Toronto
- McGill University.
United States
- Arizona State University.
Other countries
- Sciences Po (France);
- American University of Beirut (Lebanon);
- EARTH University (Costa Rica).
Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027: Courses by Partner University
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is offered through partner universities, but each partner chooses its own eligible courses. The programmes below come from the universities’ scholarship pages. Check the linked page before applying because course lists and intake dates can change.
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
For 2027–28 entry, Cambridge accepts applications for eligible full-time, one-year postgraduate master’s courses across fields connected to climate resilience and sustainability. It uses a broad eligibility rule with specific exclusions, so applicants should check their chosen course against the Cambridge Scholars Program rules before treating it as scholarship-eligible. PhD courses should not be added to this one-year master’s route.
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
On-campus, one-year master’s programmes:
- MSc Food Security
- MSc Sustainable Energy Systems
- MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- MSc Data, Inequality and Society
- MSc Operational Research
- MSc Environmental Sustainability
- MSc Climate Change Finance and Investment
- MSc Environment and Development
Online programmes:
| Programme | Scholarship route |
|---|---|
| International Development | Master’s only |
| Global Food Security and Nutrition | Master’s or postgraduate diploma |
| Climate Change Management | Master’s only |
| One Health | Master’s or postgraduate diploma |
| Social Justice and Community Action | Master’s or postgraduate diploma |
| Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health | Master’s or postgraduate diploma |
| Global Health and Infectious Diseases | Master’s or postgraduate diploma |
| Data-Driven Breeding and Genetics | Master’s or postgraduate diploma |
| Digital Education | Master’s or postgraduate diploma |
| Data Science Technologies | Master’s only |
University of British Columbia, Canada
UBC lists these master’s programmes only for its published Winter 2027 scholarship route:
- Master of Food and Resource Economics
- Master of Food Science
- Master of Sustainable Forest Management
- Master of International Forestry
- Master of Urban Forestry Leadership
- Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management
- Thesis-based MSc or MASc in Forestry
- Master of Data Science.
University of Toronto, Canada
Toronto’s latest course list on the page checked is expressly for 2026–27, not a confirmed 2027–28 intake:
- Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering
- Master of Financial Insurance
- MHSc Health Administration
- MHSc Health Informatics
- MPH Health Promotion
- MPH Occupational and Environmental Health.
StudyFinder classification: Keep these Toronto programme links unconfirmed and inactive for 2027–28 until Toronto publishes its next eligible list.
Other Partner Universities
The University of Cape Town has announced a 2027 Scholars Program intake for undergraduate and postgraduate applicants, but its general application announcement does not establish that every UCT degree qualifies. The University of Pretoria has 2027 undergraduate and postgraduate application materials. McGill asks prospective applicants to check back in spring 2027 for its next recruitment cycle. Add individual course records for these partners only after checking their intake-specific eligible programme pages.
Apply: Choose the university first, then confirm the exact course, degree level, study mode, scholarship intake and deadline on its official Scholars Program page.
Application Deadline
The application deadline for Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027: Universities, Funding and Eligibility is November 19, 2026.
Applicants should submit all required materials before this date and verify any last-minute changes through the official scholarship source.
How to Apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027
Visit the official partner institution directory and follow your selected university’s instructions. Choose a partner university and follow that university’s course admission and Scholars Program instructions. Confirm your eligible course, academic and English requirements, documents and deadline before submitting.
Application routes by university
| University | What to do for the 2027 intake |
|---|---|
| University of Cambridge | Choose an eligible full-time, one-year master’s course. Apply through Cambridge’s postgraduate application and complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program section within it. Check the funding deadline on your course page; Cambridge says it falls in early December 2026 or early January 2027, depending on the course. Eligible applicants can request an application fee waiver by 18 November 2026. |
| University of Edinburgh | For 2027–28, applicants had to attend a mandatory information session on 15–24 September 2026 before receiving access to the scholarship application. Eligible attendees can complete the declaration by 19 October and the main application by 19 November 2026, 5 p.m. UK time. If this is your only Edinburgh scholarship application, apply for the scholarship first; successful candidates are then guided through degree admission. |
| University of British Columbia | For UBC’s published Winter 2027 route, the first step was an expression of interest by 6 September 2026. Eligible candidates were then invited to the scholarship application stage. The first step has passed for that intake. |
| University of Cape Town | Apply for admission to an eligible UCT programme first, then submit the separate Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application. UCT says 2027 postgraduate applications remain open; the scholarship deadline for eligible postgraduate diplomas, honours and master’s programmes is 31 October 2026. Its 2027 undergraduate admission route has closed. |
| University of Pretoria | Apply to Pretoria for an eligible degree first. Its Scholars Program application can be submitted after provisional admission; use the relevant 2027 undergraduate or postgraduate scholarship form and confirm the deadline on Pretoria’s page. |
Before you submit: Use the partner university’s official scholarship page, prepare your academic records and other requested evidence, and check whether your chosen course requires an English test. Meeting university admission requirements alone does not guarantee selection as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar.
