Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at University of Cambridge, UK

– Established in 2022 as a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the Mastercard Foundation.
– Aims to enroll over 500 scholars from the African continent between 2023 and 2030.
– Offers a wide range of Master’s courses.
– Provides fully funded opportunities for bright students from under-represented African communities.
– Focuses on developing transformative leadership skills.
– Contributes to climate resilience and sustainable futures in Africa.
– Seeks to build a transformative network of young people to drive sustainable change.

Selection Criteria include:

• Outstanding intellectual ability.
• A desire and commitment to contribute to climate resilient and sustainable futures for Africa and the world at large
• Leadership potential.

Benefits:

Each Fellow benefits from the highest level of academic training in their field, including support from mentors, which enables students to link their courses of study with broader action and research agendas that contribute to the overall goal of climate resilience and sustainability in Africa and the world at large.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program covers the following:

• The University’s composition fee at the appropriate rate
• A maintenance allowance that takes into consideration yearly inflation
• Visa application Fee,
• IHS surcharge and
• an economy return ticket from the student’s home country to the United Kingdom and back home at the end of their course.

In addition, Scholars will benefit from:

• A cohort-wide induction programme before the start of the course.
• Termly Leadership Training, which supports  Scholars in thinking about sustainable leadership, and developing collaborative leadership qualities needed to build cross-sector solutions for sustainable development
• Support to take up a 3-6-month placements in leading Africa-based organisations. This will enable scholars to develop pathways to building impactful careers in Africa.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars will be able to join both the Cambridge University Alumni group and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars program alumni group, where they can continue to  draw on and contribute to the community of African scholars.

Eligibility

• You must be a citizen of an African country and ordinarily resident in Africa, unless you can demonstrate a temporary absence for study or work with an intention to return to your home country.
• You must be applying for an eligible full-time Master’s course. A wide range of disciplines are available.
• You must meet the academic requirements of the course you are applying for. These requirements are listed on the course website.

How to apply

Step one: Apply for admission to the University of Cambridge

Apply for admission to Cambridge University through the Course Directory before the funding deadline.

• The University of Cambridge’s online directory provides details about each course, including:
  • Course requirements
  • Application deadlines
  • Funding deadlines
  • Supporting documentation needed
• It is recommended to review the directory thoroughly.
• After identifying a course of interest, you must:
  • Gather the required paperwork
  • Submit your application for admission and funding (including the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and other applicable funding) through the University’s Graduate Application Portal.

Step Two: The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program  Statement.

• During the application process in the University’s graduate application portal, students are asked to select funding bodies they wish to apply to.
• A range of funding options is presented to applicants.
• If you select the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, you will be required to submit a mandatory personal statement.
• This personal statement is the only part of the application where applicants must specifically address their fit for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program.
• In your statement, you should:
  • Demonstrate how you meet the Program’s criteria.
  • Express your desire and commitment to climate-resilient and sustainable futures for Africa and the world.
  • Explain how your chosen course at Cambridge contributes to achieving this goal.

Step three: Choose a College 

• The University of Cambridge consists of 31 colleges, each offering different opportunities.
• It is important to carefully consider which college you want to live in, as factors like proximity to your department or other specific preferences may be important.

Step Four: Fee waiver

• A £50 application fee is required for Master’s applications.
• The fee is automatically waived for applicants of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
• To receive the waiver, you must submit the scholarship statement as part of your application.

Timeline