Application Deadline: October 15, 2025
Applications are now open for the 2026 University of British Columbia Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The University of British Columbia (UBC) is pleased to be partnering with The Mastercard Foundation to foster the next generation of African leaders. After supporting over 171 Mastercard Foundation Scholars in its first phase, The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC will provide 351 academically talented young people from Africa with access to quality and relevant university education at UBC. After graduating, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars will then utilize their learning and experiences to contribute to the economic growth and social transformation of their communities in Africa.
Requirements
Requirements:
To be eligible for consideration for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Masters’ Degree Program at UBC, the applicant must:
- Have completed a Bachelor’s degree.
- Not already possess a graduate or PhD degree.
- Be 35 years old or younger at the time of application.
- Be a citizen or refugee of a Sub-Saharan African country.
- Have lived a significant part of their life in a Sub-Saharan African country.
- Present economically disadvantaged financial circumstances.
- Have achieved academic excellence under difficult circumstances.
- Show leadership qualities or potential.
- Demonstrate an interest in and commitment to giving back to their home community.
- Be a person who requires a Canadian study permit to study in Canada.
- Not be a person who claimed or will claim asylum or protected person status after arriving in Canada.
- Commit to returning to Africa to apply their training and skills for the betterment of others.
Benefits
- Tuition & Books
- Flights & Immigration support
- Room and Board
- Stipends for living expenses
- Health Insurance
- Career services & Support
- Access to a global Mastercard Foundation alumni network
- **Social Entrepreneurship Fund (Initiative for scholars who are enterprising and want to start a venture back on the continent)
Expression of Interest
- General Stream- Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC : 2026/2027 Expression of Interest
- Refugees Only Stream- Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC : 2026/2027 Expression of Interest
Deadline to submit an EOI is September 12, 2025
Eligible candidates will be contacted after September 15 to apply to the Scholarship for one of the following faculties and programs at UBC’s Vancouver campus:
- This scholarship is for the following programs ONLY
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems
- Faculty of Forestry
- Faculty of Science
Round 1
3. Applicants who are eligible will be invited to apply to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program by October 15th 2025.
The selection process for applications is based on the following criteria:
- Academic merit of the candidate that qualifies for admissions to the program of choice
- Track record as a transformative leader and service within their community.
- Quality of application in line with the Program theme.
- Potential impact on the development of the applicant’s home country.
Your fully completed application should include (all in one application form online):
- Complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application Form.
Note: for the personal statements, succinctly answer each question. - Submit a CV/resume.
- Provide two reference letters on official letterhead. Attach these to the application. DO NOT email them
- Transcripts.
Round 2
4. Apply to your UBC Faculty by November 26th 2025. Late applications will not be considered.
- Once your Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application is complete, successful applicants will receive an email with instructions to submit an online application to UBC. Review the instructions for faculty applications
- You may be eligible for a fee waiver if your citizenship and correspondence address is located in one of the world’s 50 least developed countries, according to the United Nations. Please visit this website to check which countries are on the list: If your country is not listed above, please request a fee waiver when you are submitting your Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application package. If you are invited to move to the Faculty Application step, we will provide instruction on how to use a fee waiver during the program application process. If you submit your application without applying your fee waiver, we are unable to provide a refund.
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems
- Faculty of Forestry
- Faculty of Science
Application Timeline:
- Expression of Interest: August 30th, 2025
- Apply: September 15 – October 15, 2025
Apply Now for the 2026/2027 University of British Columbia Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
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