Every year, the Mastercard Foundation offers fully-funded grants and scholarships to African students for study worldwide. At the beginning of the Scheme in 2012, 19 universities were marked for the start of the program. This number continues to be added to annually.
For example, this year, the University of Abomey-Calavi in the Republic of Benin, received a boost with a seven-year, USD$6.2 million commitment from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program starting 2017 to 2023. The new partnership, which for the first time expands the Scholars Program to Francophone West Africa, will benefit 300 bright young Africa leaders and entrepreneurs with a high-quality education, creating pathways to careers in science and technology, as well as business and entrepreneurship for youth whose academic talent and promise exceed their financial resources.
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Watch Tutorial: How to Apply to Win the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship
Also, Sciences Po in France, the first university in continental Europe to join the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has also been included. Within this international network, 27 prestigious institutions in Africa, America and Europe are committed to ensuring that all young people, whatever their background, have the same opportunities to get a quality education and fulfil their potential. Here’s hoping more universities in Europe and Asia are added to the Scheme.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholarship program is a $500 million education initiative that will provide 15,000 talented yet economically disadvantaged students from developing countries, particularly from Africa– with comprehensive support for secondary and university education.
While the Mastercard Foundation scholarship has been discontinued in some universities as agreed contract years might have expired, the Program still continues in other universities. New Universities and organisations are also being included in the program, providing young Africans with holistic and fully-funded university education in different parts of the world.
Here is a full list of Mastercard Foundation Scholarships for the 2018/2019 Academic Year. Apply today.
Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program at University of Abomey-Calavi*
In collaboration with the MasterCard Foundation, the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC) is committed to training at the beginning of the academic year 2017-2018, young student leaders and entrepreneurs from disadvantaged social backgrounds with brilliant results at the baccalaureate of Scientific series, in the academic fields of the agronomic sciences, the Information and communication sciences and the renewable energies of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences (FSA), the Polytechnic school of Abomey-Calavi (EPAC), the Institute of Training and Research in Informatics (IFRI) and the Faculty of Science and Technology (FAST).
American University of Beirut MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program
American University of Beirut (AUB) and The MasterCard Foundation have partnered to provide scholarships to students at the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS). This $9 million scholarship program will enable young adults who are sensitive to their communities’ concerns and proactive in their environment to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health or Medical Laboratory Sciences at AUB. In addition to full scholarships and living expenses, The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at AUB will benefit from intensive preparatory courses, mentoring, career counselling, and internships at institutions and organizations relevant to their field of study.
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at ASU and KNUST provides academically talented yet economically disadvantaged young people in Ghana and Africa with access to quality and relevant University education. The Scholars Program embodies an array of mentoring and cultural transition services to ensure the scholar’s academic success, community engagement and transition to employment opportunities which will further the goal of social and economic transformation of Africa.
MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program at Ashesi University College
Through a $13 million partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, Ashesi University College will be awarding significant financial support to qualified undergraduate students who need such assistance to pursue bachelors degree. Half of the scholarships funded by the Master Card Foundation will be awarded to non-Ghanaians. This scholarship covers not only the full tuition, but also includes housing in Ashesi’s residence halls, meals on campus, a free laptop, spending money and annual trips home for international students after the second year.
The University of British Columbia, Canada is pleased to partner with The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program to provide comprehensive scholarships to students from Sub-Saharan Africa. The Program provides access to education for academically talented, yet economically marginalized young people. More than 110 students from Africa will receive comprehensive scholarships to live and learn at the University of British Columbia thanks to a $25 million grant from The MasterCard Foundation.
MasterCard Foundation Masters Scholarships at University of California, Berkeley
Administered out of the Center for African Studies, the program at the University of California, Berkeley is supported by a broad cross-section of functional and disciplinary units on campus including the Division of Student Affairs, the Graduate Division, the Berkeley International Office, and the International House.
University of Cape Town Mastercard Scholarships
The vision of the Program is to transition promising young people from beneficiaries to benefactors, preparing them with the necessary values, knowledge, skills, and leadership to fuel economic and social progress across Africa. The Program targets academically qualified undergraduate and postgraduate candidates who are economically disadvantaged young people with leadership potential from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Duke University MasterCard Foundation Scholarships
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at Duke University represent the intellect and energy of the youth of Sub-Saharan Africa. With a financial commitment of $13.5 million from The MasterCard Foundation, Duke will educate seven classes of five students — a total of 35 students — over the next 10 years.
University of Edinburgh MasterCard Foundation Scholarships
The University of Edinburgh MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme will provide 80 undergraduate and 120 postgraduate African students with full scholarships over the next seven years. Students will receive comprehensive support to remove barriers to study in Edinburgh and they will benefit from extracurricular course elements including summer schools and internships to build their abilities and make a difference to their home countries and communities on their return.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) MasterCard Foundation Scholarship
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at KNUST provides academically talented yet economically disadvantaged young people in Ghana and Africa with access to quality and relevant university education. It embodies an array of mentoring and cultural transition services to ensure student academic success, community engagement and transition to employment opportunities which will further social and economic change for Africa.
Makerere University MasterCard Foundation Scholarships
Makerere University has partnered with The MasterCard Foundation (MCF) to support 1,000 academically bright but economically disadvantaged youth from Africa to access quality university education from 2014 to 2024. The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University is pleased to announce 200 scholarship opportunities for both national and international students who will be joining the University in the academic year 2017/18 for undergraduate education.
McGill University Canada – MasterCard Foundation Scholarships
Thanks to a $27 million financial commitment from The MasterCard Foundation over the next decade, the Program will provide academically talented, economically disadvantaged young people from Africa with access to quality university education. McGill will welcome 91 Scholars from Africa over the next ten years, some of whom will be coming from French-speaking countries.
MasterCard Foundation Scholarships at Michigan State University
The university will receive $45 million in funding from the foundation to support 185 scholars throughout the nine-year program, which includes 100 four-year undergraduates and 85 master’s degree students. MSU will host the most scholars among the six U.S. partner institutions. Students who have demonstrated academic talent, are economically disadvantaged and have a personal commitment to give back to their countries are invited to apply for these scholarships.
University of Pretoria MasterCard Scholarship
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program (MCFSP) targets academically qualified, yet economically disadvantaged young people in South Africa, SADC and the rest of Africa, who will contribute to the transformation of the continent. Community service is a necessary component of the Program with all students giving back to disadvantaged communities.
Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program*
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Sciences Po aims to support 120 talented African students through their studies and to offer the next generation of leaders a world-class social science education, so they can go on to become changemakers in their home countries.
University of Toronto MasterCard Foundation Scholarship+Internship
Thanks to the Foundation’s visionary support, U of T can now provide 67 African students with one of the world’s top-ranked educations—in one of the world’s most multi-cultural cities. The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme opens up boundless opportunities for young Africans from economically disadvantaged communities, but with academic talent, potential to lead, and motivation to make a difference. As U of T graduates and global citizens, they will return to Africa with the tools to change lives within their communities and across borders.
Read: How these brilliant students won MasterCard Scholarships
MasterCard Foundation Scholarships for African Women at Wellesley College
As part of the Scholars Program, Wellesley will provide nine (9) African women with comprehensive support that includes scholarships, mentoring, counseling, and internship opportunities. Scholars at Wellesley will build experiences, values, and competencies that are critical to success in the global economy, and that enable them to give back to their communities and home countries. The students will arrive in groups of three students each year.
If the deadlines for your preferred scholarships have passed, take note of them as most listed here will still be offered in a few years. In the meantime, apply for the available scholarships. Goodluck!
* These are newly-added universities of the Mastercard Foundation scholarship scheme.
