University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027/28
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Updated: September 15, 2026
📌 Scholarship at a Glance
| Host Country: | 🌍 United Kingdom |
| Study In / University: | 🏛️ University of Edinburgh |
| Degree Level: | 🎓 Postgraduate Master's |
| Financial Coverage: | 💰 100% Fully Funded (Tuition, Stipend, Accommodation & Flights) |
| Application Deadline: | ⏰ September 24, 2026 (Info Sessions) |
| Official Portal: | Open Application Portal ↗ |
🎁 What Does This Scholarship Cover?
- Full tuition fee coverage at University of Edinburgh
- Living allowance and accommodation costs covered
- Round-trip economy travel from home country
- Laptop and study materials provided
- Leadership and career development support
👥 Who Can Apply? Eligibility Requirements
- Citizens and residents of Sub-Saharan African countries
- Demonstrated academic talent and commitment to climate action
- Facing significant socio-economic barriers to higher education
- Undergraduate degree with high academic achievement
📁 Required Documents
📝 How to Apply (Step-by-Step)
The University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027/28 is offering postgraduate scholarship opportunities for eligible young people from Africa who have experienced significant barriers to education and are committed to creating positive impact, particularly in addressing the climate crisis.
The programme has introduced an important change for the 2027/28 application cycle: prospective applicants must attend a mandatory virtual information session before they can access the scholarship application process.
The mandatory information sessions take place between 15 and 24 September 2026.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship?
- Scholarship 2027/28 at a Glance
- Who Can Apply?
- Eligibility Requirements
- What Does the Scholarship Cover?
- What Has Changed for 2027/28?
- Important Application Dates
- How to Apply
- Eligible Study Options
- Academic Requirements
- Documents Required
- Who Is This Scholarship For?
- How to Prepare a Strong Application
- Common Mistakes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Advice
What Is the Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship?
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh supports talented young people from Africa who have experienced significant barriers to education and who demonstrate leadership and a commitment to creating positive change.
For 2027/28, the programme includes on-campus and online postgraduate scholarship opportunities.
The University describes the programme as supporting students who demonstrate leadership and service and who have experience or ambition in addressing the climate crisis.
Scholarship 2027/28 at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Scholarship | Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program |
| University | University of Edinburgh |
| Academic year | 2027/28 |
| Study level | Postgraduate |
| Study formats | On-campus and online |
| Target applicants | Eligible young people from Africa |
| Age | 35 or under when programme starts |
| Information sessions | September 15–24, 2026 |
| Scholarship applications open | October 13, 2026 |
| Applicant Declaration deadline | October 19, 2026 at 5 PM UK |
| Main application deadline | November 19, 2026 at 5 PM UK |
| Programme begins | September 2027 |
The University of Edinburgh’s official timeline confirms the dates above.
Who Can Apply?
This scholarship is not open to applicants from every country.
The University of Edinburgh states that applicants must:
- Be citizens/residents or hold refugee status in an African country
- Have faced significant barriers to education and/or early career
- Demonstrate leadership and service
- Demonstrate experience or ambition related to addressing the climate crisis
- Meet the academic requirements
- Be 35 or under in the year the programme begins.
For the 2027/28 academic year, applicants must have been born on or after January 1, 1992.
Eligibility Requirements
1. African citizenship/residency
Applicants must be residents and citizens, or hold refugee status, in an African country.
This is therefore primarily an opportunity for applicants from Africa.
2. Academic eligibility
Applicants must qualify academically for an eligible University of Edinburgh postgraduate programme.
The university states that applicants will generally need the equivalent of a UK Second Class (Upper) Bachelor’s degree or higher.
3. Significant barriers to education
Applicants must have experienced significant barriers to education and/or their early career.
These can include:
- Social barriers
- Financial barriers
- Personal barriers
- Practical barriers
- Health-related barriers
4. Leadership and service
Applicants should demonstrate a record of leadership and service within their communities.
5. Climate impact
Applicants must demonstrate experience or ambition in making a meaningful contribution toward addressing the climate crisis.
6. Age
For 2027/28, applicants must be 35 or under.
The university specifically states that applicants born in 1991 or earlier are not eligible.
7. Previous postgraduate study
For Master’s applicants, the programme states that applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree.
What Does the Scholarship Cover?
The University of Edinburgh describes the programme as providing postgraduate scholarship opportunities through both on-campus and online study.
The programme has previously included:
- Tuition support
- Study-related support
- Living support for applicable on-campus scholars
- Leadership and development opportunities
- Academic support
- Community/network opportunities
The exact package should be checked against the 2027/28 scholarship information and the specific study mode.
The university’s official scholarship information states that the programme includes one-year on-campus Master’s scholarships, three-year part-time online Master’s scholarships, and two-year part-time postgraduate diploma scholarships.
Important: Don’t advertise every Edinburgh Mastercard award as having identical funding. Funding and study structure depend on the specific programme.
🚨 Important Change for 2027/28
This is the section I would make very prominent because it is a new process change.
The University of Edinburgh has changed the application process for the 2027/28 cycle.
Applicants must attend a mandatory virtual information session.
The sessions take place:
September 15–24, 2026
Applicants who do not complete this stage cannot simply skip directly to the scholarship application.
This is a very important detail for anyone searching:
Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027 application
Important Application Dates
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Mandatory information sessions | Sept. 15–24, 2026 |
| Scholarship applications open | Oct. 13, 2026 |
| Applicant Declaration Form closes | Oct. 19, 2026, 5 PM UK |
| Main scholarship application closes | Nov. 19, 2026, 5 PM UK |
| Assessment | Late Nov. 2026–Jan. 2027 |
| Initial decisions | Early Feb. 2027 |
| Interviews | Feb.–March 2027 |
| Final outcomes | March 2027 |
| Programme starts | September 2027 |
These dates are taken from the University of Edinburgh’s official 2027/28 timeline.
⚠️ Very important clarification
Some scholarship websites describe October 19, 2026 as the deadline.
That is not the final main application deadline.
The official University of Edinburgh timeline says:
Applicant Declaration Form: October 19, 2026 at 5 PM UK
and:
Main Scholarship Application: November 19, 2026 at 5 PM UK.
However, applicants should complete the declaration early because the university says it may close earlier once the application limit is reached.
How to Apply for the Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027/28
Step 1 — Check eligibility
Confirm that you meet:
- Nationality/residency
- Age
- Academic
- Barrier-to-education
- Leadership
- Climate-impact requirements
Step 2 — Attend the mandatory information session
Attend one of the sessions held between:
September 15–24, 2026.
This is now a required part of the process.
Step 3 — Receive invitation
Eligible information-session attendees are invited to continue through the application process.
The university states that invitations to eligible attendees are issued through SurveyMonkey Apply on October 13, 2026.
Step 4 — Complete the Applicant Declaration Form
The first application stage is the Applicant Declaration Form.
Deadline:
October 19, 2026 at 5 PM UK time
The university recommends completing it as soon as possible because it can close early if the application limit is reached.
Step 5 — Complete the main scholarship application
Successful applicants from Stage 1 are invited to complete the main application.
Deadline:
November 19, 2026 at 5 PM UK time.
Do You Apply to the University First?
This is another important point.
For this scholarship process, the University of Edinburgh currently states:
Applicants should initially apply for the scholarship, not the chosen degree programme.
If the scholarship application is successful and a scholarship offer is made, the applicant will then be invited to apply for the chosen degree through the university’s normal admissions process.
That is an important difference from many other UK scholarships.
Eligible Study Options
The programme supports postgraduate opportunities connected to sustainability and climate-related development.
The University of Edinburgh describes the programme as including:
On-campus Master’s
A one-year full-time postgraduate programme.
Online Master’s
A three-year part-time structure for eligible programmes.
Online Postgraduate Diploma
A two-year part-time programme.
Applicants should use the official programme list to identify which specific degrees are available in the 2027/28 cycle.
Academic Requirements
Applicants need to qualify academically for the relevant postgraduate programme.
The university says applicants will generally need a qualification equivalent to a UK Upper Second-Class Bachelor’s degree or higher.
Applicants should also check the University’s country-specific postgraduate entry requirements.
Academic eligibility alone is not sufficient.
The scholarship also looks for:
- Leadership
- Community service
- Barriers to education
- Climate impact
- Potential for positive change
Documents You Should Prepare
Applicants should prepare their documents early.
Potential documents include:
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Degree certificate | Academic qualification |
| Official transcript | Academic record |
| Personal information | Eligibility |
| Personal statement | Background and goals |
| Leadership evidence | Community impact |
| Climate-impact evidence | Development goals |
| Refugee documentation | Where applicable |
| Other supporting documents | Programme-specific requirements |
The University states that Master’s applicants must have their degree certificate and official final transcript available to upload by November 19, 2026.
For help preparing scholarship documents:
Go Get Scholarship — Personal Statement & Documents Guide
Who Is This Scholarship Best For?
This scholarship is particularly relevant to young African applicants who:
- Have strong academic backgrounds
- Have experienced barriers to education
- Have leadership experience
- Have community-service experience
- Care about climate change
- Want postgraduate education
- Want to create measurable impact in Africa
It is not simply a scholarship based on high grades.
Your story, leadership, barriers and future impact matter.
How to Prepare a Strong Application
1. Explain your barriers clearly
Don’t simply write:
“I come from a poor background.”
Explain the actual educational barrier and how it affected your opportunities.
2. Show leadership
Leadership doesn’t necessarily mean holding a formal title.
You can demonstrate leadership through:
- Community projects
- Youth organisations
- NGOs
- Education projects
- Environmental projects
- Entrepreneurship
- Volunteer work
3. Connect your goals to climate challenges
The programme specifically asks applicants to demonstrate experience or ambition relating to the climate crisis.
4. Show measurable impact
Instead of:
“I want to help my community.”
Explain:
What problem?
Who will benefit?
What will you do?
What skills will you gain?
What measurable change do you expect?
5. Don’t copy generic scholarship essays
Your personal statement should be based on your real experiences.
Your website’s Personal Statement & Documents Guide can be linked here.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Missing the mandatory information session
This is particularly important for 2027/28.
❌ Assuming October 19 is the final deadline
October 19 is the Applicant Declaration Form deadline.
The main application closes November 19.
❌ Waiting until October 19
The declaration form may close earlier if the application limit is reached.
❌ Applying for the wrong programme
Check the eligible degree list.
❌ Ignoring the climate focus
Climate impact is an important part of the programme’s eligibility criteria.
❌ Writing only about financial need
The programme evaluates much more than financial circumstances.
Application Checklist
- I am from an eligible African country
- I meet the age requirement
- I have the required academic qualification
- I have experienced significant barriers to education/career
- I have leadership/service experience
- I can demonstrate climate-impact experience or ambition
- I registered for the mandatory information session
- I attended the information session
- I prepared my degree certificate
- I prepared my official transcript
- I prepared my personal statement
- I completed the Applicant Declaration Form
- I submitted before October 19 if invited
- I completed the main application before November 19
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship?
It is a postgraduate scholarship programme supporting eligible young people from Africa who have experienced barriers to education and demonstrate leadership and commitment to climate-related impact.
Is the Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship fully funded?
The programme provides substantial scholarship support, but the exact funding package depends on the specific study format and programme. Applicants should check the official 2027/28 information before assuming that every award covers identical expenses.
Who can apply?
Eligible citizens/residents or refugees from African countries who meet the academic, age, leadership, barrier and climate-impact requirements can apply.
What is the age limit?
Applicants must be 35 or under in the year the programme begins. For 2027/28, applicants must be born on or after January 1, 1992.
What is the October 19 deadline?
October 19, 2026 at 5 PM UK time is the deadline for the Applicant Declaration Form.
What is the main application deadline?
The main Postgraduate Assessment and Scholarship Application closes November 19, 2026 at 5 PM UK time.
Is the information session mandatory?
Yes. For 2027/28, prospective applicants must attend a mandatory virtual information session between September 15 and 24, 2026.
Do I apply for the Master’s degree first?
For this scholarship process, the university currently says applicants should initially apply for the scholarship rather than the chosen degree. Successful scholarship applicants are then invited to apply through the University’s standard admissions process.
Can students from Pakistan apply?
No, not for this particular Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, because the current eligibility criteria require applicants to be citizens/residents or refugees in an African country.
Final Advice
The University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027/28 is an important opportunity for eligible young African applicants, but the 2027/28 process has a significant new requirement.
Don’t wait for October.
The mandatory information sessions run from September 15–24, 2026.
Then:
October 13, 2026: applications open
October 19, 2026: Applicant Declaration closes
November 19, 2026: main scholarship application closes.
Applicants should always verify the latest requirements directly with the University of Edinburgh before submitting.
Official source: University of Edinburgh — Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
