About the Scholars Program
Between 2016 and 2023 the University of Edinburgh ran the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (MFSP) which provided scholarships to talented students from Africa. This is a summary of the learnings from the first phase of the MFSP.
The University of Edinburgh’s Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program was created in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
It aims to support a network of scholars who are stewards of social transformation and economic growth in their communities, countries and across Africa.
Between 2016 and 2023:
- 240 scholarships were awarded to talented students from Africa with great academic and leadership experience, who have faced barriers to their education.
- The majority of students came to Edinburgh to study on-campus (OC), and others to study through Online Distance Learning (ODL).
- The Scholars Program provided a financial scholarship, holistic support and facilitated transformative leadership programming to inspire and support scholars.
Over the first seven years, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program demonstrated that it’s not only the costs associated with tuition and living that contribute to the success of scholars, but a holistic support system that allows scholars space to adapt, shift, face challenges, and be aspirational in community with others.
Meet our scholars
Facts and figures
Learnings and reflections
This report summarises learnings and reflections gathered over the seven years of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, to be shared with the purpose to strengthen other similar higher education scholarship initiatives.
All the resources referenced have been developed alongside scholars who have offered their time, insights and reflections over many years to strengthen the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Edinburgh.
This high-level summary does not attempt to capture the complexity, nuance and particularities of the journey of each of the scholars, but rather draws together common threads and provides practical recommendations.
Report summary
The report is divided into five sections that reflect the student lifecycle, from recruitment and admissions through to transitioning out of studies:
- Recruitment and admissions: Enabling accessible recruitment pathways
- Student support: Creating a sense of belonging
- Leadership curriculum: Understanding, practicing and embodying transformative leadership
- Academic programming: Enabling academic success
- Transitioning out of study: Leverage networks for success
Highlights of phase one
