Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2025

Young individuals from Africa who desire to further their education to the Master’s level, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has been established to cater for your financial assistance.

This global initiative is to develop the next generation of transformative leaders in Africa. Its focus is to educate young women, refugees, forcibly displaced youths, and young people with disabilities.

The University of Western Cape (UWC) is offering fully-funded opportunities to young scholars to pursue an undergraduate or master’s degree program through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.

More details about these scholarships below:

Scholarship Offerings

Postgraduate Qualification: Master’s Degree

Fields of Study:

• Arts & Humanities (Applied Linguistics, History, Gender Justice, Migration Studies, Sociology for Development)
• Community & Health Sciences (Public Health)
• Economic & Management Sciences (Development Studies, Information Sciences, and Migration Studies)
• Law (Governance and Human Rights)
  Natural Sciences (Biological, Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences)

Eligibility for Master’s Degree Applicants

• Must be 30 years old or younger at the time of application.
• Must meet UWC’s minimum admissions requirements and have applied for academic admission for 2025.
• Must be ready to begin full-time master’s degree studies in January 2025.
• Must provide evidence of social and economic barriers to accessing higher education.
• Candidates aiming for a second master’s degree are not eligible

Undergraduate Studies

Fields of Study:

• Arts & Humanities: History, Linguistics, Sociology, Women’s and Gender Studies
• Economic & Management Sciences: Economics, Information Sciences, Public Administration
• Education: Mathematics and Science, Foundation Phase
• Natural Sciences: Biological, Computational, Mathematical, Physical Sciences

Eligibility for Undergraduate Applicants

• Must be 26 years old or younger at the time of application
• Must meet UWC’s minimum admissions requirements and have applied for academic admission for 2025
• Must be ready to begin full-time undergraduate studies in January 2025
• Must provide evidence of social and economic barriers to accessing higher education
• Candidates aiming for a second undergraduate degree are not eligible

Scholarship Benefits

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UWC covers:

• Tuition fees
• Accommodation in a UWC residence
• Monthly stipend and meal allowance
• Medical aid
• Laptop and study materials allowance
• Pre-arrival support and an official onboarding program
• Personalized support throughout the study period
• Scholars are required to sign a scholarship agreement upon acceptance and enrollment. The program funds full-time studies at UWC for the minimum duration of the chosen degree.

Application Process

Step 1: Apply for Admission to UWC
Applicants must first submit an academic application to UWC for the 2025 academic year through the UWC admissions portal. Note the application deadlines for specific programs.

Step 2: Apply to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
After obtaining a UWC application number, complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application online via the UWC partnerships page.

For assistance, email: [email protected].

The application form includes sections on personal information, academic information, family information, short narratives, community engagement, and certification. Duplicate applications will be disqualified.

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: August 30, 2024
• If you do not receive feedback by November 15, 2024, consider your application unsuccessful.

For more details, visit the Official Webpage of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.