🎓 Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at University of Edinburgh 2027/28: Fully Funded Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh is recruiting African students for postgraduate study beginning in September 2027, with opportunities available for both on-campus and online study.

The programme targets talented young Africans who have demonstrated academic potential, leadership and community service, while overcoming significant barriers to education. Applicants must be citizens and residents of an African country, or hold refugee status in an African country.

A major change for the 2027/28 recruitment cycle is that prospective applicants cannot simply access the scholarship application directly. They must first attend one of the programme’s mandatory virtual information sessions between 15 and 24 September 2026.

📌 Scholarship Overview

Detail	Information
🎓 University	University of Edinburgh
🏆 Scholarship	Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
🌍 Target Group	Young people from Africa
📚 Level	Postgraduate
🏫 On-campus option	One-year Master’s
💻 Online options	Master’s or Postgraduate Diploma
💰 Funding	Fully funded / comprehensive scholarship support
🌱 Special focus	Climate leadership
🗓️ Information sessions	15–24 September 2026
📩 Invitations to apply	13 October 2026
⏰ Declaration deadline	19 October 2026, 5pm UK time
🚨 Main application deadline	19 November 2026, 5pm UK time
🎓 Study begins	September 2027

💰 Is the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Fully Funded?

Yes.

For on-campus Scholars, the University states that the scholarship provides:

✅ Full approved tuition

✅ Accommodation

✅ Travel

✅ Living-cost stipend

✅ Study materials

✅ Climate Leadership Programme participation.

This makes the on-campus award a genuinely comprehensive fully funded postgraduate scholarship.

Online Scholars receive:

✅ Full approved tuition fees

✅ Academic stipend to support access to a laptop and high-quality internet

✅ Opportunity to attend an in-person gathering

✅ Climate Leadership Programme activities, coaching and support.

🌍 Who Can Apply?

Applicants must be citizens and residents of an African country or hold refugee status in an African country, including countries in North Africa.

Candidates generally need the equivalent of at least a:

🎓 UK Upper Second-Class (2:1) Bachelor’s Honours degree

or higher.

Applicants must also demonstrate that they have experienced significant barriers to education. These could be:

Financial | Social | Personal | Practical | Health-related

barriers.

🎂 Age Requirement

The programme targets young African leaders.

The University’s current eligibility guidance states that applicants must be:

35 years old or younger in the year their programme begins.

The webpage still displays the specific birth-date calculation for the previous 2026/27 intake, so applicants should wait for Edinburgh to publish or confirm the corresponding 2027/28 cutoff rather than relying on the previous date.

👩🏾 Women, Refugees, Displaced Youth and People With Disabilities

The programme particularly encourages applications from:

👩🏾 Young women

♿ Young people with disabilities

🏕️ Refugees and displaced young people.

Importantly, belonging to one of these groups is not mandatory.

The University explicitly clarifies that applicants do not have to be women, displaced/refugees or people with disabilities to qualify. These groups are particularly encouraged to apply as part of the programme’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

🌱 Climate Leadership Is a Major Focus

The Edinburgh programme has a particularly strong focus on climate leadership and sustainable development.

Applicants must demonstrate either previous experience or a clear ambition to make a meaningful contribution toward addressing the climate crisis.

All Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Edinburgh participate in a dedicated Climate Leadership Programme.

The initiative helps Scholars develop entrepreneurial, leadership and practical capabilities that can contribute to sustainable transitions across Africa.

🏫 Eligible On-Campus Master’s Programmes

The University’s current 2027 recruitment FAQ identifies eligible on-campus postgraduate programmes including:

Africa and International Development

Climate Change Finance and Investment

Data, Inequality and Society

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Food Security

Environment and Development

Environmental Sustainability

Operational Research

Planetary Health

Sustainable Energy Systems.

The University warns that this list is subject to change, so applicants should check again before selecting a programme.

💻 Online Scholarships Are Also Available

You do not necessarily have to move to Scotland to become a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at Edinburgh.

The University offers fully funded online postgraduate opportunities.

Applicants can pursue either:

🎓 Online Master’s

Part-time for up to three years.

or:

🎓 Online Postgraduate Diploma

Part-time for up to two years.

The University states that its online qualifications are equivalent to those taught on campus.

This makes the scholarship particularly attractive to professionals who want to continue working and remain within their home countries while completing their postgraduate studies.

⚠️ You Cannot Apply for Both Routes

Applicants need to choose carefully.

You can apply for:

Online OR on-campus study — not both.

Edinburgh explains that applicants should select the route they are genuinely committed to pursuing.

🚨 Mandatory Information Session – September 2026

This is the most important requirement for anyone interested in the 2027/28 scholarship.

You must attend a virtual information session before you can access the scholarship application.

The sessions take place between:

📅 15–24 September 2026

Registration will include a short questionnaire that Edinburgh will use to assess preliminary eligibility.

Simply registering is not enough.

The University explicitly states that if you register but do not actually attend, you will not be eligible to receive an invitation to apply.

🏫 On-Campus Applicant Sessions

On-campus candidates can attend:

📅 15 September 2026 — 3:00pm UK time

📅 21 September 2026 — 11:00am UK time

📅 24 September 2026 — 4:00pm UK time.

💻 Online Applicant Sessions

Online candidates can attend:

📅 17 September 2026 — 4:00pm UK time

📅 22 September 2026 — 11:00am UK time

📅 24 September 2026 — 3:00pm UK time.

At present, Edinburgh says the registration link is coming soon, so prospective applicants should monitor the official page.

📩 What Happens After the Information Session?

Attending the session does not automatically guarantee that you can apply.

Edinburgh will assess:

Your questionnaire + Session attendance + Scholarship eligibility

Eligible attendees will be notified on:

📅 13 October 2026

and invited to proceed through SurveyMonkey Apply.

📝 Stage 1 – Applicant Declaration

Invited candidates must first complete the Applicant Declaration Form.

The deadline is:

⏰ 19 October 2026 at 5pm UK time

But there is an important warning.

The University reserves the right to close this stage earlier if it reaches its application limit.

Eligible candidates should therefore complete the declaration as soon as they receive their invitation.

📝 Stage 2 – Main Scholarship Application

Candidates who successfully complete the declaration stage will be invited to submit the full scholarship application.

The final deadline is:

🚨 19 November 2026 at 5pm UK time.

The main application includes short essays covering areas such as the candidate’s:

Personal story

Academic experience

Leadership

Future ambitions

and expected impact.

🏆 Leadership and Community Service Matter

This is not a scholarship awarded solely on academic grades.

Applicants must demonstrate a:

Track record of leadership and service within their community.

Strong candidates should therefore be able to demonstrate concrete examples of leadership.

These could come from:

Applicants should explain what they actually achieved rather than simply describing themselves as leaders.

🚧 Demonstrating Barriers to Education

Applicants must also show that they have faced meaningful barriers to education and in their early careers.

This is an important part of the scholarship’s purpose.

Candidates should explain their circumstances clearly and authentically, including how those barriers affected their education and how they worked to overcome them.

📚 Previous Postgraduate Study

Candidates interested in the Master’s scholarships should pay particular attention to this rule.

The University’s current eligibility criteria state that applicants for the Master’s pathways should not already have completed a postgraduate degree.

The online Postgraduate Diploma route is different.

Applicants to that pathway may hold either an undergraduate or Master’s degree from an African university, subject to the programme’s other requirements.

📝 Don’t Apply for University Admission First

Another unusual feature of the 2027 recruitment process is the order of applications.

At this stage, candidates should:

Apply for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship first.

Successful scholarship candidates are expected to receive conditional offers around March 2027 and will then be invited to apply formally to their selected University of Edinburgh degree programme.

The exception is candidates applying for other scholarships that require an active University application.

📅 Complete 2027 Application Timeline

The most important dates are:

15–24 September 2026: Mandatory virtual information sessions

13 October 2026: Eligible attendees receive invitations to apply

19 October 2026, 5pm UK time: Applicant Declaration deadline

19 November 2026, 5pm UK time: Main scholarship application deadline

Early February 2027: Shortlisted on-campus candidates begin receiving interview invitations

Mid-February 2027: Shortlisted online candidates begin receiving interview invitations

By the end of March 2027: Scholarship interview outcomes expected

September 2027: Successful Scholars begin their programmes.

🌍 850 Postgraduate Scholarships

The University of Edinburgh and Mastercard Foundation have worked together since 2016.

Their current partnership is particularly ambitious.

Between 2023 and 2030, Edinburgh and the Foundation plan to provide:

🎓 850 postgraduate scholarships

to talented African students.

This makes the programme a significant long-term postgraduate scholarship initiative for young Africans.

Final Thoughts

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh 2027/28 offers a major fully funded postgraduate opportunity for young Africans interested in developing their academic expertise and leadership potential.

On-campus Scholars receive full approved tuition, accommodation, travel, a living-cost stipend and study materials, while online Scholars receive full tuition and additional support for technology and participation in the programme.

Women, people with disabilities and refugee or displaced young people are particularly encouraged to apply, although applicants do not have to belong to these groups to qualify.

The most important requirement right now is:

🚨 Attend a mandatory virtual information session between 15 and 24 September 2026.

Without attending one of these sessions, prospective applicants cannot progress to the scholarship application stage.

📲Join the Vacancy Bridge WhatsApp Channel for daily updates on free online courses, scholarships, internships, fellowships, and international career opportunities:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vakee9aHFxOyCIBPJA0o

APPLY FROM OFFICIAL WEBSITE

SEO Keywords

Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027/28, University of Edinburgh Scholarships 2027, Fully Funded Scholarships for African Students 2027, Mastercard Foundation Edinburgh Scholarship, Fully Funded Masters Scholarships UK, Scholarships for African Students, Mastercard Scholarship 2027, University of Edinburgh Fully Funded Scholarship, African Students Scholarships 2027, Climate Leadership Scholarship, Online Masters Scholarships 2027, Scholarships for Women in Africa, Scholarships for Refugees, Scholarships for Students with Disabilities, Postgraduate Scholarships UK 2027, Fully Funded UK Scholarships, Mastercard Foundation Application 2027, International Scholarships 2027, Vacancy Bridge.