University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027/2028 for young Africans (Fully Funded)

Application Deadline: 19 October 2026

Applications are now open for the 2027/2028 University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The scholarship programme has introduced important changes to the application process for the 2027/28 cycle. Prospective applicants must follow a structured process beginning with an eligibility assessment and a mandatory virtual information session before they can access the scholarship application form.

Eligibility Requirements

• Applicants must qualify academically for admission to the University of Edinburgh for a relevant degree programme listed.
• You will generally need to have achieved the equivalent of a UK Second Class (Upper) Bachelor’s (Hons) degree or higher.
• Applicants will have faced significant barriers to education and in their early career (social, financial, personal, practical or health-related).
• Applicants must have graduated from an undergraduate study and must have a degree certificate and official final transcript to upload alongside their application by 19 November 2026.
• Applicants must be residents and citizens or hold refugee status in an African country.
• Applicants must demonstrate a track record of leadership and service within their community.
• Applicants must demonstrate experience, or at least ambition, in making a meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis
• Applicants must be 35 or under the year the programme commences. Therefore, for the 2027/28 academic year, we accept applications from those born on or after 1 January 1992. Anyone born in 1991 and prior is not eligible.
• If applying for a Masters programme: Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled (or applying to enrol) at a separate university whilst on the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program scholarship.
• If applying for the online Postgraduate Diploma: Applicants can either have an undergraduate or Masters degree from an African university (provided they will graduate from either degree by 19th November 2026). If you have a Masters degree, our admissions team will review your first degree (undergraduate) to meet the postgraduate diploma entry requirement. The Program will review your Masters degree transcripts to confirm your university’s graduation date and location.

Scholarships

Scholarships for the following online degree programmes:

• Climate Change Management (Masters route only)
• International Development (Masters route only)
• Global Food Security and Nutrition (Masters or Diploma)
• One Health (Masters or Diploma)
• Social Justice and Community Action (Masters or Diploma)
• Global Health and Infectious Diseases (Masters or Diploma)
• Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health (Masters or Diploma)
• Data-Driven Breeding and Genetics (Masters or Diploma) 
• Digital Education (Masters or Diploma)
• Data Science Technologies (Masters route only)

Scholarships for the following on-campus postgraduate programmes:

• Africa and International Development
• Climate Change Finance and Investment
• Data, Inequality and Society (while there is the option for students to take this Masters in a hybrid format the stipulation for those on an Mastercard Foundation Scholarship and for Tier 4 visa regulations means you will need to undertake the programme in person for the full year)
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Food Security
• Environment and Development
• Environmental Sustainability
• Operational Research (While we are aware of the different specialisation options for this programme (with Risk, Computational Optimisation, and Data Science) our scholarship covers the general Operational Research MSc only)
• Planetary Health
• Sustainable Energy Systems

* The degree programmes listed here are subject to change. Please check the website regularly for the latest updates.

No other academic programs at the University of Edinburgh are eligible for this scholarship. You are welcome to apply to any academic programme but only those listed above will make you eligible for a Mastercard Foundation Scholarship.

Application Procedure

Step 1: Check Scholarship Eligibility

• Applicants should first determine whether they meet the eligibility requirements for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program before registering for an information session.
• The eligibility requirements are designed to identify candidates who meet the programme’s criteria for postgraduate scholarship support. Applicants should carefully review the official eligibility information before proceeding to the next stage.
• Meeting the basic requirements does not automatically guarantee a scholarship or an invitation to submit a full application.

Step 2: Choose a Degree Programme

• Eligible applicants should explore the postgraduate programmes available through the scholarship initiative and decide whether they are interested in an on-campus or online degree programme.
• Applicants should review the available programmes and identify a preferred course of study before progressing through the scholarship application process.
• Importantly, applicants should not apply for their chosen University of Edinburgh degree programme at this stage. The scholarship application is completed first. Candidates who are subsequently awarded a scholarship in March 2027 will then be invited to apply for their selected degree through the University’s standard admissions process.
• Applicants pursuing other scholarship opportunities that require an active university application may apply to the University in parallel.

Step 3: Attend a Mandatory Virtual Information Session

• Attendance at a virtual information session is a mandatory requirement for applicants seeking access to the scholarship application form.
• The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program will conduct virtual information sessions between 15 and 24 September 2026. Applicants will complete a short questionnaire when registering for a session, and their responses will be reviewed to assess preliminary eligibility.

For on-campus applicants, the available sessions are scheduled for:

• 15 September 2026 at 3:00 p.m. UK time
• 21 September 2026 at 11:00 a.m. UK time
• 24 September 2026 at 4:00 p.m. UK time

For online applicants, sessions are scheduled for:

• 17 September 2026 at 4:00 p.m. UK time
• 22 September 2026 at 11:00 a.m. UK time
• 24 September 2026 at 3:00 p.m. UK time

Attendance alone does not guarantee an invitation to apply. Only participants who attend a session and meet the programme’s eligibility requirements will be invited to proceed.

Invitation to Submit a Scholarship Application

Eligible information-session participants will be notified on 13 October 2026 about whether they have been invited to apply.

Applicants who receive an invitation will receive it through SurveyMonkey Apply. Those who are not eligible to proceed will receive a notification confirming that they have not been invited to the next stage.

Candidates who receive invitations should begin the application process promptly because the first application stage has a relatively short deadline.

Stage 1: Applicant Declaration Form

The first stage of the scholarship application requires invited candidates to complete an Applicant Declaration Form.

The form collects additional information required to confirm the applicant’s eligibility. Candidates are encouraged to complete it as soon as they receive their invitation.

The deadline is 19 October 2026 at 5:00 p.m. UK time.

The University reserves the right to close the form earlier if the maximum number of applications is reached. Early submission is therefore strongly recommended.

Applicants who are unsuccessful at this stage will be notified and will not proceed to the main scholarship application.

Stage 2: Scholarship Main Application

Applicants who successfully complete the Applicant Declaration Form will be invited to submit the Scholarship Main Application.

The deadline for the main application is 19 November 2026 at 5:00 p.m. UK time.

Candidates should ensure that all required information is complete and submitted through the designated online application system before the deadline.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program