Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cambridge 2022

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme at Cambridge is designed to provide talented students from economically marginalised and hard-to-reach communities in Africa with fully-funded opportunities to complete their Master’s training, grow in transformative leadership, and contribute to climate resilience and sustainability in Africa.

Prospective Mastercard Foundation Scholars can apply to the majority of courses available at the University since addressing the climate crisis requires a range of expertise across both scientific/STEM disciplines and the arts, humanities and social sciences. The Programme trains these scholars in a range of academic disciplines – from the creative arts and writing, through the social sciences, to more scientific and technical disciplines: because a multidisciplinary approach to climate action and response is critical.

About MasterCard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation is an international non-governmental organization established by Mastercard in 2006. The organization, which is based in Toronto, Ontario, has supported work in 49 countries.In 2018, Mastercard Foundation shifted to a specific focus on Africa, through its Young Africa Works strategy. The foundation develops programs primarily focused on reducing gender and economic inequality, expanding access to quality education, increasing the opportunities for decent work, and supporting overall economic growth.Funding is primaril... read more

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Aim and Benefits of Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

This is a full-cost award available to Master’s students, covering tuition fees, maintenance and expenses (for e.g. travel, visa costs and the immigration health surcharge). An allowance for dependant children joining a student in Cambridge is available.

Requirements for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Qualification

• Applicant must be a citizen of an African country and demonstrate that they are from an economically marginalised, or economically disadvantaged, background.
• Must be ordinarily resident in an African country unless you can show temporary absence for study/work with an intention to return or unless you have been displaced.
• Must be applying for a one-year Master’s course at the University of Cambridge.
• Prospective Scholars can apply across a wide range of disciplines.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Step One

• Apply for admission to the University via the course directory by the funding deadline for your chosen course of study and indicate that you wish to apply for funding (the deadline will either be December 1, 2022 or January 5, 2023 – check the course directory for the relevant funding deadline.
• Applying for a Master’s course requires payment of a £50 fee before you can submit your application. However, the fee is automatically waived for many African countries – refer to the list in Section 3 – Overseas applicants. If you are from a country that does not automatically receive a fee waiver and the fee would present a financial barrier for you, you can apply for a manual waiver of this fee – complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme Fee Waiver Form and return it, with the required evidence attached to [email protected]. You should complete this step before you submit your application through the Applicant Portal.

Step Two

Anyone who wishes to apply for the Mastercard foundation needs to complete the separate Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme application form stating how you meet the eligibility criteria as soon as possible and by January 5, 2023 at the latest. You will need to have first submitted your course application via the Applicant Portal above to receive a unique ‘Application Number’ that you will need to enter on the scholarship application form.

Note that applicants will have to be made a conditional offer of admission from the University in order to be considered for a Scholarship.

For more details,visit Mastercard Foundation Website