Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027 for Nigerians and Ghanaians: Which Universities Are Still Open

Last verified: 8 November 2026 · Entry: 2027

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is one of the biggest scholarship programmes for Africans anywhere. The Foundation says it has supported more than 58,000 scholars since 2012, about 71% of them women, and it wants to reach 100,000 by 2030. It pays for tuition, accommodation and books, and it adds mentoring and leadership training on top.

But there is one thing many Nigerian and Ghanaian applicants get wrong: there is no single Mastercard Foundation application. You apply to one of its partner universities, and each university runs its own process, rules and deadline. Some of those deadlines have already passed for 2027 entry. Others close in the next few weeks. This guide shows you which ones are still open, using only the Foundation’s and the universities’ own pages.

Audit Card

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027

Provider	Mastercard Foundation, through its partner universities (each university runs its own selection)
Destination	Africa, Europe, the UK and North America, depending on the university
Level	Undergraduate and master’s (the Foundation says PhD scholarships are not currently offered); levels differ by university
Funding	Tuition, accommodation, books and learning materials, plus mentoring and leadership training. Many partners also pay flights, visa costs and a living allowance
Eligible	African citizens with strong grades, real financial need and a commitment to their community, including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia. Age: 29 or under for a bachelor’s, 35 or under for a master’s
Status	Open at some universities · Closed at others
Deadlines	Cambridge fee-waiver form 20 Nov 2026 · Sciences Po 23 Nov or 14 Dec 2026 · ASU Kigali 22 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT · Berkeley fee waiver 15 Nov 2026, admission mostly in December

Official: where to apply✓ OFFICIAL SOURCES · mastercardfdn.org + university pages · VERIFIED 8 NOV 2026

Scam alertThe Mastercard Foundation says it never asks individuals for payments. Nobody can sell you a Mastercard Foundation slot. You apply only on the university’s own website, and some universities waive their application fee for these applicants. UC Berkeley has warned about fake application forms sent by email and WhatsApp.

What the scholarship covers

The Foundation says its financial support “includes, but is not limited to” tuition fees, accommodation, books and other academic materials. Scholars also get mentoring, counselling and leadership development, and a return flight home if it is needed. On top of that, each university adds its own package. For example:

• University of Cambridge: course fees, a monthly allowance, a return flight, visa costs and the UK health surcharge, plus a leadership programme.
• Arizona State University (study in Kigali, Rwanda): tuition, books, fees, housing, medical support, travel to and from Kigali, visa costs and an English test voucher.
• Sciences Po (Paris): the programme says it covers the “full financial needs” of its scholars for the two years of the master’s.

Always check the exact package on your chosen university’s page, because it is not the same everywhere. The Foundation’s FAQ also says that if a partner charges an application fee, the fee is refunded when the candidate is selected.

Who can apply

The Foundation’s own rules are broad. Each university then adds stricter ones, so read both.

• African citizens. Nigerians, Ghanaians and all West Africans qualify. Some universities (Sciences Po, McGill) exclude dual citizens who also hold a passport from outside Africa.
• Strong grades. The Foundation looks for “academic excellence”. Cambridge, Edinburgh and Sciences Po each have a minimum degree class for your country.
• Real financial need. This is a scholarship for talented young people who cannot afford university, not a prize for the richest CV.
• Leadership and giving back. You must show a commitment to improving other people’s lives and an intention to give back to society. Some partners, like UC Berkeley, ask for your intention to return to your home country after your studies.
• Age. The Foundation says 29 or under for a bachelor’s and 35 or under at the time of applying for a master’s. Universities can be stricter: Sciences Po wants you under 35 on 1 September of the application year.
• Level. Undergraduate and master’s. The Foundation’s FAQ says scholarships “are not currently available to PhD candidates”.

The Foundation says it gives special attention to young women, people with disabilities and young people who have been forced from their homes. If any of these applies to you, say so clearly in your application.

Universities still open for 2027 entry

We checked each partner’s official page on 8 November 2026. These are the ones where a Nigerian or Ghanaian applicant can still act now. Times are converted to Lagos time (WAT); Ghana is one hour behind Lagos.

University of Cambridge

Cambridge’s programme is for one-year, full-time master’s courses (not the MBA, MCL, MFin or MAcc). You must be from, and live in, an African country. There is no separate scholarship form: you apply for your course on the Cambridge postgraduate portal, opt in for funding and select the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, then write a scholarship statement about your education and career, your leadership potential, how the scholarship helps your goals and how you hope to contribute to sustainable futures in Africa.

Important for Nigerians and Ghanaians: Cambridge waives the application fee automatically for some African countries, including Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia, but Nigeria and Ghana are not on that list. You must send the Application Fee Waiver Form, with your transcript and passport, by 20 November 2026. Otherwise the normal fee is £85 for most postgraduate courses (about ₦150,000 / GH₵1,320). Submit your course application by its funding deadline, usually early December or January. Departments make offers from December to February, and scholarship offers go out in late March or early April. You can apply without IELTS; if selected, you will get a conditional offer and must send outstanding documents by 31 July (most courses ask for 7.0 or 7.5 overall).

Sciences Po

Sciences Po’s programme is for its two-year master’s degrees (dual degrees, one-year master’s and journalism master’s are excluded). You must hold an African citizenship (dual citizens with a non-African passport are not eligible), be under 35 on 1 September 2026, not already hold or study for a master’s, not have studied at a French institution, and be applying for the first time. Your bachelor’s must come from a university on Sciences Po’s approved list, or you must have joined a recognised bridge or mentoring programme, or hold UNHCR refugee status.

On the current list we found these Nigerian institutions: Lagos Business School, Osun State University, University of Benin, Covenant University, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Port Harcourt, University of Jos, Nile University, Pan-Atlantic University and Obafemi Awolowo University. Ghanaian institutions on the list include Ashesi, Catholic University of Ghana, GIMPA, KNUST, University of Cape Coast and the University of Ghana. Check the official list yourself before applying, because it can change.

The deadline is 23 November 2026 (admission decision by 11 February 2027) or 14 December 2026 (decision by 1 April 2027). Scholarship results come in April 2027 either way. You must request the eligibility check on the programme platform and create your Sciences Po master’s application at the same time; if you skip the second step, you lose the application fee waiver. Shortlisted applicants are interviewed.

Arizona State University, studying in Kigali

This is a different model: you earn an ASU master’s degree online while living in Kigali, Rwanda, with 50 places in this round. The eligible degrees are MS Business Analytics, MCS Computer Science, MS Sustainable Engineering, MS Global Technology and Development, MS Information Technology and MS User Experience. The scholarship covers tuition, books and fees, housing, medical support, travel to and from Kigali, visa costs, an English test voucher if needed and the ASU application fee. The official page says to apply by Sunday, 22 November, 23:59 GMT, which is 12:59 am on Monday 23 November in Lagos. Questions go to keplerasuscholars@asu.edu.

UC Berkeley

Berkeley takes Mastercard Foundation scholars into master’s programmes of two years or less (not bachelor’s or PhD). You apply through Berkeley’s normal graduate admissions, and only applicants in the first admission round, before January, can be considered. Deadlines vary by programme, with most in December. If you fill in your basic details and name at least two recommenders in the Berkeley application by 15 November 2026, you will be invited to apply for an application fee waiver, with a decision before 1 December. Programmes then nominate candidates, who complete a supplemental application in February, have online interviews in March, and get final decisions in late March or early April.

University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh changed its process for the 2027/28 round. Applicants first had to attend an information session in September 2026 and complete a declaration form, and only then could they submit the main application, which closes on 19 November 2026 at 5:00 pm UK time. If you did not take part in those September sessions, you cannot apply this year, but you can prepare for the next round. Edinburgh also asks that you were born on or after 1 January 1992, have at least the equivalent of a UK 2:1, and do not already hold a postgraduate degree.

Closed now: prepare for the next round

These partners have closed for 2027 entry or have not opened a new round. Use the time to get your documents, referees and personal statement ready.

The Foundation says it has more than 60 partners in total, so this is not every one. Its “Where to apply” page lists them all, with each university’s admission status.

How to apply, step by step

1. Pick one or two universities from the open list that match your level and field. Read that university’s own Mastercard Foundation page, not a blog summary.
2. Check the academic minimum for your country (Cambridge’s international qualifications checker, Sciences Po’s minimum results table). If you do not meet it, the scholarship is not possible there.
3. Start the university application first. In every case, you must be admitted to the course to become a scholar.
4. Complete the scholarship part: Cambridge’s funding section and scholarship statement, Sciences Po’s eligibility platform, ASU’s online form, or Berkeley’s supplemental application after nomination.
5. Request the fee waiver where it is offered, before its own deadline.
6. Brief your referees early. Give them your CV, the programme and one paragraph on what you want them to highlight. Our recommendation letter guide has a sample request.
7. Prepare your documents: transcripts, degree certificate, passport and, if required, English test results. See our transcript guide and English test guide.
8. Submit a few days early. University portals slow down on deadline day, and electricity and data are not always on your side.

What the selectors look for

Across the Foundation and its partners, the same four things come up again and again: academic talent, real financial need, leadership, and a clear plan to use your education to help your community or country. A first-class degree alone is not enough. Panels want to see what you have already done for other people, such as volunteering, a community project, mentoring younger students or leading a club, and how the course fits a clear plan.

Be honest about your financial situation and specific about your impact: numbers, places and results beat big adjectives. Our statement of purpose guide and motivation letter guide show how to turn your story into a strong statement, and our interview guide helps if you are shortlisted.

De Auditor’s note

James Christian Unya, founder of Scholarship Auditor

Mastercard Foundation no dey look only your grades. Dem dey look the person wey don already dey help other people, even with small things. If you don teach younger ones for your street, start small business wey employ people, or lead project for your church or school, write am well with real numbers.

And please, nobody fit sell you Mastercard Foundation slot. Apply only on the university website. If anybody ask you for money to “process” am, na scam.

Related guide: Scholarships open now for Nigerians and Ghanaians, with every deadline in Lagos and Accra time. You can also take our free scholarship scam test.

Frequently asked questions

Can Nigerians and Ghanaians apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship?

Yes. The programme is for citizens of African countries, and Nigeria and Ghana are included. Each partner university may add its own rules, such as approved home universities or age limits.

Where do I apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship?

On the partner university’s website, not on the Foundation’s. The Foundation says you “must apply directly” through the university you want to attend, and each university manages its own selection.

Which universities are still open for 2027?

On 8 November 2026: Cambridge (fee-waiver form by 20 November, course deadlines in December or January), Sciences Po (23 November or 14 December), Arizona State University in Kigali (22 November) and UC Berkeley (fee-waiver step by 15 November, admission mostly in December). Edinburgh closes on 19 November, but only for people who joined its September sessions.

Does the Mastercard Foundation fund PhDs?

The Foundation’s FAQ says scholarships are not currently available to PhD candidates. Check each university’s page, as rules can differ.

Is there an age limit?

The Foundation says 29 or under for a bachelor’s and 35 or under for a master’s at the time of applying. Some universities are stricter.

Do I pay to apply?

Some universities charge their normal application fee, but several waive it for these applicants, and the Foundation says fees are reimbursed if you are selected. The Foundation never asks individuals for payments, so anyone selling a “slot” is a scammer.

Sources and verification

Checked on 8 November 2026 against official pages: the Mastercard Foundation’s FAQ and where to apply pages; the scholars programme pages of the University of Cambridge, Sciences Po, Arizona State University, UC Berkeley, University of Edinburgh, University of Cape Town, McGill University, University of Toronto, University of Pretoria, American University of Beirut and Ashesi University. Exchange rates are approximate. Read how we check scholarships.

See all our scholarship guides, including the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and the fully funded vs partial scholarship guide.

Yes, It is me. I’m the De Auditor

James Christian Unya

James, known as the De Auditor, is the founder and editor of Scholarship Auditor and the Founder and Group CEO of De Auditor Group Ltd, based in Benin City, Nigeria. He checks every scholarship against the provider’s official website before it is published, and corrects posts when providers change their rules. Contact: info@scholarshipauditor.com