TL;DR: The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cambridge is open for the 2027/2028 academic year. It supports talented students from Africa to complete a full-time master’s degree in Cambridge, with programme themes of climate resilience and sustainability. Funding aims to cover course fees, a monthly living allowance, visa and health surcharge costs, travel, and a laptop. Applications are made through the Cambridge postgraduate course application; course funding deadlines are usually in early December or early January.
Key details
- Programme: Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cambridge
- Host institution: University of Cambridge
- Host country: United Kingdom
- Level: Full-time master’s (typically 9 to 12 months)
- Intake: 2027/2028 academic year
- Themes: Climate resilience and sustainability
- Scale: The programme aims to enable 500 outstanding students from across Africa to enrol in a master’s course in Cambridge by 2030
- Eligibility focus: African citizens who live in Africa (temporary absence for study or work is allowed; refugee and internally displaced person exceptions apply as stated by the programme)
- Application route: Built into the Cambridge postgraduate course application
- Typical funding deadlines: Early December or early January (varies by course; earlier than the standard course deadline)
- Applications opened: Announced 11 September 2026
Eligibility
According to the official Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Cambridge eligibility page, you must:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree
- Meet the academic entry requirements of your chosen Cambridge master’s course (many courses require a first-class equivalent; some accept an upper second-class equivalent)
- Be from, and live in, an African country (you may apply if you are temporarily living outside Africa for study or work)
- Apply for an eligible full-time master’s course
- Show commitment to giving back to your community, home country, or Africa more broadly, and to sustainability and climate resilience
Excluded courses: Master of Accountancy (MACC), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Corporate Law (MCL), and Master of Finance (MFIN).
The programme particularly encourages applications from women, refugees, internally displaced persons, and people with disabilities. There is no upper age limit. Dual African and UK passport holders are not eligible. This programme does not fund PhD study.
Funding and benefits
The programme states that it aims to cover what scholars need to thrive in Cambridge, including:
- Course / tuition fees
- Monthly maintenance or living allowance
- Visa and Immigration Health Surcharge costs
- Travel, including flights and transfer into Cambridge
- A laptop
Scholars also join a community programme with orientation, social events, a weekend retreat, and related leadership activities. As of UK immigration rules referenced by the programme, students on one-year master’s programmes generally cannot bring a spouse or children on their student visa, so family travel costs are not supported.
How to apply
Applications are free of unofficial agency fees. The official team warns against scams that charge for application support claiming a Cambridge affiliation.
- Browse eligible master’s courses in the University of Cambridge Postgraduate Course Directory and note each course’s funding deadline and entry requirements.
- Start the course application with Apply Now and create an applicant account.
- Request an application fee waiver if needed. All Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program applicants who meet course entry requirements are eligible for a waiver. Some African countries receive an automatic waiver; others must submit the fee-waiver form with transcript and passport by 18 November 2026. Only one waiver is granted per applicant.
- Opt in for funding in the application and select the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program if it appears for your course.
- Write the scholarship statement covering education and career history, leadership potential, how the scholarship supports your goals, and how you hope to contribute to sustainable futures in Africa.
- Choose a College and submit by the course funding deadline (usually early December or early January).
Departments select applicants on a rolling basis between December and February based on the course application. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program team then selects scholars from those who receive a course offer; scholarship offer letters are typically sent in late March or early April. Outstanding documents such as English language scores are usually due by 31 July if you receive an offer.
Official programme pages: 2027/2028 applications announcement, How to apply, Eligibility, and FAQ.
FAQ
What is the exact application deadline?
There is no single programme-wide date. You must meet the funding deadline for your chosen course, which is generally in the first week of December or the first week of January and is earlier than the standard course deadline.
Can I apply with an undergraduate degree from outside Africa?
Yes, if you are resident in Africa or are temporarily away for study, provided you meet the other eligibility rules.
Is English language proof required at application?
You can apply without IELTS results. If successful, you may receive a conditional offer and must meet the course language requirement later (commonly overall 7.0 or 7.5; check your course).
Are information sessions available?
Yes. The programme announced webinars including 22 September 2026 and 6 October 2026 (11:00 UK time), with more sessions to be added on the official site.
Who can I contact?
Official enquiries: admin at mastercardfoundation.fund.cam.ac.uk (use the contact address published on the programme website).
