Scholarships and Student Funding

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at The University of Edinburgh provides full postgraduate scholarships. We are recruiting exceptional young people committed to pursuing their studies digitally to apply for an Online Scholarship at the University of Edinburgh.

The Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh will provide 3 year part-time online Master’s scholarships & 2-year part-time postgraduate Diploma scholarships to students living or working in Africa with great academic and leadership potential but few educational opportunities.

Eligibility

You must qualify academically for admission to the University of Edinburgh. We prefer that applicants apply to this scholarship BEFORE applying to the University.

Applicants can apply for either:

  • Online Masters (part-time over 3 years) OR
  • Online Post-graduate Diploma (part-time over 2 years)

You must meet the eligibility criteria to apply:

  • Applicants must qualify academically for admission to the University of Edinburgh for a relevant degree programme listed above. You will generally need to have achieved the equivalent of a UK Second Class (Upper) Bachelor’s (Hons) degree or higher. Find out more about the postgraduate entry requirements for your country
  • Applicants must have graduated from undergraduate study before December 2022 and must be in possession of a degree certificate and official, final transcript to upload alongside their application
  • Applicants must be residents and citizens of a Sub-Saharan African country
  • Applicants must be without the financial means to study oversees independently
  • We particularly welcome applications from female scholars, scholars from refugee and displaced backgrounds, and scholars with disabilities (see FAQs below for further information)
  • Applicants must demonstrate a track record of leadership and service within their community
  • If applying for the Masters programme: Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled (or apply to enrol) at a separate university whilst on the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship
  • If applying for the PG diploma: Applicants can either have an undergraduate or Master’s degree from a Sub-Saharan African university (provided they will graduate from either degree before December 2022). If you have a Master’s degree, our admissions team will review you first degree (undergraduate) to meet the post graduate diploma entry requirement. The MCF team will review your Master’s degree transcripts to confirm the graduation date and location of your University.
  • Applicants must be 35 or under on the 1 September 2023

Applications

Applications for our 2023 Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, for postgraduate degrees only, will open on Thursday 15 December at 10am UK time and will close on Friday 27 January at 5pm UK time.

Only graduated, or are soon to graduate, Mastercard Foundation Scholars from a Mastercard Foundation partner institution are eligible to apply.

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Contact

If you have any queries regarding the Mastercard Foundation Scholarships, please contact  mcfsp@ed.ac.uk