Are you interested in becoming a Mastercard Foundation Scholar? In order for you to participate in this special scholarship program, the University of Cape Town is looking the next generation of leaders. As part of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, nearly 400 African students will receive full scholarships to UCT till 2024.
The university of cape town has partnered with the Mastercard Foundation in its Global Scholars Program; an educational initiative that will give provide young people that are from disadvantaged backgrounds, that have leadership potential from developing countries in Africa with access to quality university education.
Scholarship Sponsor(s): Mastercard Foundation
Host Institution(s): University of Cape Town, South Africa
Scholarship Worth: Fully Funded
Number of Awards: Several
Study Level: Bachelor’s degree, master, and Postgraduate Hon
Nationality: African Students
More About Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
The program usually offers African students a top-notch education, as well as opportunities for both leadership and professional development mentoring, and access to a very large alumni network. Discover how you can help assist in bringing about a good change in your communities.
The program will help in providing scholarships to academically talented young Africans to assist them to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies at UCT. Students that are enrolled in this program usually will receive mentoring, leadership development, and academic and life skills support.
This academic support will include tutoring, language training, writing circles, and guidance counseling.
Why you should consider Applying for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
Do you actually want to be a leader in your own field and forge ahead to make a difference? Then this scholarship is the right fit for you. The Mastercard scholarship provides its candidate with the opportunity to actually gain internationally recognized qualifications from the University of Cape Town.
The scholarship includes all the required and necessary support and funding that will help you complete your studies. Without a doubt, your career will certainly benefit from this new knowledge that will be gained as a result of this scholarship.
You will gain leadership skills and the required connections or links that you will create, both in South Africa and also through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Alumni network.
When you return home, you will be able to make some vital contributions to the economic and social development of your home country.
The application process is quite transparent and very much competitive, which helps in providing equal amount of opportunities to all eligible applicants, regardless of their gender and ethnicity.
Eligibility Criteria
To actually be eligible for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, applicants are expected to meet the following conditions:
- The applicant must be a citizen of an African country.
- Applicants must actually be admitted to a Postgraduate Honors and Masters Program and preparing to commence with the first year of registration in the engineering and the built environment, commerce, health sciences, humanities, Law or science faculties at UCT.
- Applicant must be from an economical disadvantage background and demonstrate financial assistance, and leadership potential.
- Applicants that are intending to register for second honors and Masters’s postgraduate degree at the same level are usually eligible for this scholarship.
- Applicants that have previously registered for honors and Master’s postgraduate degrees at the same level at any higher learning institution are usually ineligible to apply for this scholarship.
- The applicant must have applied and received a firm offer to study at UCT for the 2023 academic year.
- Applicant must belong to an economically disadvantaged background
- Applicants must demonstrate leadership potential and must have acted in a leadership capacity.
- No applications for undergraduate, postgraduate diploma, PhD study program will be accepted or considered for the 2023 scholar intake to the program.
Scholarship Benefit
The candidate that are successful in Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program will receive the following benefit for the program:
- Reimbursement of the cost incurred for visa application processing
- An economy class air ticket to Cape Town South Africa for the awardee that has the following: (1): citizens and/or residents of an African country other than South Africa or (2): residing in South Africa but outside of Cape Town.
- Full tuition fees and international students’ fees.
- Accommodations in a student residence managed by the UCT student Housing Admission and Advocacy Services at UCT
- Meals are given through the student housing student at UCT
- Medical cover with a recommended medical and service provider
- A living stipend is to be used to cover ad hoc expenses pertaining to awardees’ studies.
- A book allowance to help the student to buy the required textbook for the degree program
- Cost that are related to community activities as it’ll be prescribed by the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cape Town.
- Access to an internship opportunity, career development and job placement assistance.
- An economy class air ticket home when they complete their studies, for awardees that are (1) citizens of an/or residents of an African country other than South Africa or (2): residing in South Africa but outside of Cape Town
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application Procedures
How to Apply:
In order to apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cape Town, applicants first apply to UCT for academic study and placement (it is very much important to note that upon generating the student number, applicants may go ahead with the scholarship application while they wait for the final academic application outcomes)
At the point of scholarship selection, the applicant should have a conditional/firm offer from UCT. Students must ensure that they make provisions for the required supporting documents, and these documents must be attached and uploaded to the postgraduate scholarship application form on the online application portal:
- Certified copy of identity document, passport or refugee papers
- Applicants Curriculum Vitae (CV) of no more than two (2) A4 pages using the following point as context: –participation in extracurricular activities—skill and interests.
- Academic and/or professional experience certified copies of all secondary education transcripts
- Two (2) different academic referee reports
- Applications are usually required to produce translated copies of all their academic transcripts and academic referee report where English is not the primary language
- Referees may attach additional pages or documentation in support of the recommendations on the official institutional letterhead with the original signature, stamp, and date in support of the applicant
