Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program aims to make a meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis. The Program dedicated to nurturing a community of talented, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa. The Program empowers young people with the necessary knowledge, skills, and networks to drive sustainable transitions by offering a range of exceptional sustainability-focused postgraduate opportunities at the University of Edinburgh.

The Program at the University of Edinburgh will provide 1 year on-campus Masters scholarships, 3 year part-time online Masters scholarships and 2-year part-time Postgraduate Diploma scholarships to students living or working in Africa with great academic and leadership potential but with few educational opportunities.


You must meet the eligibility criteria to apply:

  • Applicants will have faced significant barriers to education (social, financial, personal, practical or health-related).
  • Applicants must have graduated from an undergraduate study and must have a degree certificate and official final transcript to upload alongside their application by 21 November 2025.
  • Applicants must be residents and citizens or hold refugee status in an African country (including North Africa).
  • Applicants must have faced barriers to education and in their early career.
  • Applicants must demonstrate a track record of leadership and service within their community.
  • Applicants must demonstrate experience, or at least ambition, in making a meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis
  • Applicants must be 35 or under the year the programme commences. Therefore, for the 2026/27 academic year, we accept applications from those born on or after 1 January 1991. Anyone born in 1990 and prior is not eligible.
  • 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 Scholars Program scholarship.
  • If applying for the online Masters programme: Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled (or applying to enrol) at a separate university.
  • If applying for the online Postgraduate Diploma: Applicants can either have an undergraduate or Masters degree from an African university (provided they will graduate from either degree by 21 November 2025). If you have a Masters degree, our admissions team will review your first degree (undergraduate) to meet the postgraduate diploma entry requirement. The Program will review your Masters degree transcripts to confirm your university’s graduation date and location.
  • We particularly welcome applications from female scholars, scholars from refugee and displaced backgrounds, and scholars with disabilities.

The selection process for applications is based on the following criteria:

  • Academic merit of the candidate that qualifies for admissions to the University of Edinburgh.
  • Track record as a transformative leader and service within their community.
  • Quality of application in line with the Program's theme of climate justice.
  • Potential impact on the development of the applicant’s home country.
  • Applicants who have faced significant barriers to education (social, financial, personal, practical or health related).

Applications for 2026/2027 will open on 14th October 2025 at 10am (BST). 

To apply, please visit the dedicated Edinburgh Global webpage for this scholarship here


All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications in February 2026.


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

Website: https://global.ed.ac.uk/mastercard-foundation


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