Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program — University of Edinburgh 🇬🇧
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh is a major scholarship opportunity for talented African students who have experienced significant barriers to education and want to become leaders in addressing the climate crisis and sustainable development.
The University of Edinburgh and Mastercard Foundation are continuing their partnership through 2030, with 850 postgraduate scholarships planned during the current phase. (Global)
🎓 What does the scholarship cover?
For the on-campus master's scholarship, the package includes:
✅ Full approved tuition fees
✅ Accommodation
✅ Travel costs
✅ Living-cost stipend
✅ Study materials
✅ Climate Leadership Programme
✅ Climate Enterprise School
✅ Additional disability-related support where required
✅ Transition support (Global)
📚 Eligible on-campus master's programmes
For the current application cycle, eligible programmes include:
MSc Africa and International Development
MSc Climate Change Finance and Investment
MSc Data, Inequality and Society
MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation
MSc Food Security
MSc Environment and Development
MSc Environmental Sustainability
MSc Operational Research
MSc Planetary Health
MSc Sustainable Energy Systems
The University states that only the programmes on its approved list qualify for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship. (Global)
🌍 Who is eligible?
Applicants must generally:
Be a citizen/resident or refugee in an African country
Have faced significant social, financial, personal, practical or other barriers to education
Have completed an undergraduate degree
Normally have the equivalent of at least a UK Upper Second-Class (2:1) bachelor's degree
Demonstrate leadership and community service
Demonstrate experience or ambition to make a meaningful contribution to addressing the climate crisis
Be 35 or under at the start of the programme
Not already have completed a postgraduate degree for the master's scholarship. (Global)
📅 2026/27 application process
Edinburgh has changed its process for the next cycle. For 2026/27, applicants must first attend a mandatory virtual information session between 15–24 September 2026. Eligible attendees will then be notified on 13 October 2026 if they are invited to apply. (Global)
Key dates:
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Mandatory information sessions | 15–24 September 2026 |
| Invitation to apply | 13 October 2026 |
| Applicant Declaration deadline | 19 October 2026, 5pm UK |
| Main scholarship application deadline | 19 November 2026, 5pm UK |
| Shortlisting/interviews | Early 2027 |
| Expected scholarship outcome | By March 2027 |
(Global)
📝 Do you apply to Edinburgh first?
No — not if Mastercard Foundation is your only Edinburgh scholarship application.
For the new process, you first apply for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship. If successful, Edinburgh will then invite/support you to apply for the selected academic programme. (Global)
English-test results are not required for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship application itself, although successful applicants may subsequently need to satisfy Edinburgh's English-language admission requirements. (Global)
For a Tanzanian applicant without a previous master's degree, this is a very strong scholarship to consider — especially for climate change, sustainability, energy, food security, environment and development.
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