Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

On-Campus Learning Scholarships

The Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh will provide 1 year postgraduate on campus scholarships to students living or working in Africa with great academic and leadership potential but few educational opportunities.

On top of the full scholarship (tuition fees, accommodation, travel and living costs stipend), the Scholars Program facilitates a transformative leadership programme to inspire and support Scholars in making change in their communities and countries on their return home.

Scholarships are available for the following on-campus postgraduate programmes only: 

Eligibility

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) Bachelors (Hons) degree or higher. Find out more about the postgraduate entry requirements for your country
  • Applicants must have graduated from undergraduate study by 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
  • Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled at a separate university while on scholarship
  • Applicants must be 35 or younger on the 1 September 2023

How to apply

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

If you believe you meet all the eligibility criteria please apply.

Applications for postgraduate online and postgraduate on-campus Mastercard Scholarships for 2023/24 are now closed.

Please review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section for further details. If you have any queries regarding the Mastercard Foundation Scholarships which are not answered in the FAQs, please contact us at: mcfsp@ed.ac.uk

Watch a recording of our information session.

Video: Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme at the University of Edinburgh Information session (On-Campus)
MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme at the University of Edinburgh Information session; recorded on 11/01/2023. This session examines the on-campus offering from the foundation.

Application timeline 2023

15 December 2022 (10am UK time) Applications open
11 and 16 January 2023 (4-5pm UK time)

Application Information Sessions - Registration now closed. A recording of the session will be posted on the webpage on 17 January. 

27 January 2023 Applications close
27 - 30 March 2023 On-campus Interview shortlisting begins; both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified (Please note references will be requested for applicants invited for an interview)
3 - 21 April 2023 On-campus Interviews take place
Early May 2023

On-campus interview outcomes will be announced

May - August 2023

Support provided through admission and immigration processes

September 2023 Academic program starts

Frequently Asked Questions 

To help you in your application, we have put together some frequently asked questions on the application process including: which program to apply to, English language tests, qualifications, the interview process, references, entry tests and receiving an offer.