Deadline: Depending on your course – either early December or early January

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cambridge enables talented young Africans to pursue a master’s degree and grow their leadership potential. They aim to cover everything students need to thrive in Cambridge, including full tuition costs and a monthly maintenance allowance. They’re pleased to announce that applications for the 2027/2028 academic year are now open.

If you are a passionate, ambitious young African committed to creating impact and driving positive change, they encourage you to apply and take the next bold step in your academic and leadership journey.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

1. Have a bachelor’s degree. 

2. Meet the academic entry requirements of your chosen course. Some courses require the equivalent of a UK first-class honours degree and others an upper second-class degree. Please use the postgraduate study course directory to check your course’s entry requirements.

3. Be from, and live in, an African country. You can apply if you’re temporarily living outside of Africa for study or work.

4. Apply for an eligible course. This can be any full-time master’s excluding:

• Master of Accountancy (MACC)
• Business Administration (MBA)
• Master of Corporate Law (MCL)
• Master of Finance (MFIN) 

5. Demonstrate a commitment to giving back to your community, home country or Africa more generally, and to the themes of sustainability and climate resilience.

BENEFITS

They aim to cover everything you need to pursue your master’s and get the most out of your time in Cambridge, including:

• Course fee
• Maintenance / living allowance
• Visa and health surcharge
• Travel inc. flights and taxi into Cambridge
• Laptop

APPLICATION

1. Use the postgraduate course directory to find the course you want to apply for, then check its entry requirements, funding deadline and the supporting documents you’ll need: www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses
2. Navigate to the ‘Requirements’ tab and click on the link to check if the degree you currently hold meets Cambridge’s postgraduate academic entry requirements using the international qualifications checker.
3. Open your chosen course’s profile in the postgraduate course directory and click ‘Apply Now’. Create an account to save and return to your application later.
4. Once you’ve opened your application, you can apply for an application fee waiver. All Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program applicants are eligible for the application fee waiver if you meet the academic entry requirements of your chosen course. If your country is listed below, the application fee will be waived automatically when you submit your application – you do not need to take any action. Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania (United Rep. of), Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.
5. If your country does not appear on this list, you must submit an application fee request form using the link below, attaching copies of your transcript and passport: Application Fee Waiver Form . Please complete the form as early as possible, and by the deadline of 18 November 2026. 

Find more information on the OFFICIAL WEBSITE