Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program 2025 (Fully Funded)

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2025 not only offers financial aid, but it also serves as a leadership development project aimed at educating highly intelligent students but economically disadvantaged youth, particularly from Africa. The programme is designed for those who want to get a fully covered postgraduate master’s degree abroad. Such an opportunity includes studying at the world’s best universities, getting mentorship, and creating impact in the local community.

1. What Is the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program?

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is an international programme targeted at building the future generation of change makers. The programme is designed to empower brilliant young people, who are service-orientated, to get higher education and develop their leadership skills.

The initiative was started in 2012 and has reached out to more than 40,000 scholars while spreading more than US $3 billion.
71% of students supported are girls, which means the programme is definitely aiming at gender equity.

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2. Transformative Goals by 2030

By 2030, the programme aims to:

Award 100,000 scholarships
Ensure 70% of recipients are women.
Facilitate smooth transitions into dignified careers
Drive African-led inclusive economic growth.

3. Who Is Eligible?

Applicants should meet the following:

Be African nationals (especially Sub‑Saharan) or Indigenous youth in Canada.
Demonstrate academic excellence and financial need.
Be admitted or conditionally admitted to a partner university postgraduate programme (Master’s level).
Show leadership skills, community engagement, or an entrepreneurial track record.
Be under 35 (per some partner-university rules).

PhD candidates are not eligible.

4. What Does It Cover?

This is a scholarship that is fully funded, and it covers:

Tuition, accommodation, textbooks, and stipends
Mentorship, leadership, and career development
Psychosocial and well-being support
If necessary, the trip back to the home country will be provided free of charge.

Check out: How to Avoid Scholarship Scams: 7 Red Flags Every Student Needs to Know

5. Partner Institutions and Programs

The programme operates via partner universities, each setting their own admissions and scholarship timelines. Examples include:

Sciences Po (France) – Master’s programmes; application opens Sept 2025, closes Dec 2025.
University of Cambridge – Master’s scholarships for African students
UC Berkeley – 10-year partnership supporting 201 master’s students
McGill University (Canada) – Supports graduate scholars in public health, policy, and agriculture
CMU‑Africa – Master of Science in IT, ECE, AI; includes training, entrepreneurship support
Makerere University (Uganda) – Undergraduate and master’s scholarships; 11 master’s awarded for the 2025/26 academic year
American University of Cairo, University of Pretoria, EARTH University, and others

6. Application Timeline for 2025–2026

There is no single deadline. Instead:

Sciences Po: applications open Sept 2025; close early Dec 2025
Other universities have individualised deadlines—check their web portals.
Admission and scholarship decisions typically announced by early 2026
Master’s programmes commence in late 2026.

Check out: Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program 2026, USA (Fully Funded)

7. How to Apply

Identify a partner institution and alignment with your academic goals.
Meet criteria: citizenship, academics, admission chance, financial need.
Apply for admission to the university.
Apply for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship via the institution’s portal after admission.
Submit supporting documents: transcripts, financial docs, references, leadership essays
Prepare for possible interviews
Await final offers

For more information regarding the application procedure, visit this link: https://mastercardfdn.org/en/what-we-do/our-programs/mastercard-foundation-scholars-program/where-to-apply/

8. Why It Stands Out

Holistic support: psychosocial, leadership, career mentoring
Commitment to inclusion: supporting women, refugees, and persons with disabilities
African-led change: scholars expected to return and contribute to local development under the “Young Africa Works” strategy
Strong alumni network: e.g., Baobab Summit, Social Venture Challenge

Final Insight

If you’re a high-achieving African student with demonstrated leadership and financial need, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2025 provides:

A fully funded master’s scholarship
Leadership development and career support
A platform to create lasting change in Africa

Start preparing now—identify your target institution, gather academic and financial documents, craft compelling essays, and apply during late 2025 or early 2026.

Official Call: https://mastercardfdn.org/en/what-we-do/our-programs/mastercard-foundation-s

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