Applications Open for MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at UCT, Deadline: 30 September 2016

The MasterCard Foundation in partnership with the University of Cape Town (UCT) is offering 300 scholarships over 10 years to academically talented yet economically disadvantaged students from Sub-Saharan Africa for study at UCT.

The Scholars Program is a $500 million initiative to educate young people – particularly from Africa – to lead change and make a positive social impact in their communities. Scholars will receive comprehensive scholarships, academic support, peer mentorship, career guidance, internship opportunities, transition-to-work support and access to a global alumni network.

The scholarship’s tenure is for the full period of the academic program for which the Undergraduate Scholar has enrolled, with the second and subsequent years dependent on satisfactory academic progress and co-curricular involvement.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible, applicants must be:

Academically talented, must value learning and be driven to complete their education.
Economically disadvantaged and facing significant financial barriers to accessing education.
Committed to giving back to their own communities once studies are completed, to return to their home countries and take a leadership role in promoting social and economic improvement.
Future leaders committed to embracing ethical leadership to improve the lives of others.
Commitment to community service through previous and/or past engagements with community outreach activities
Citizens and residents of a Sub-Saharan African country.
Wanting to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level (Masters by research and coursework or research Masters, only). Honours applicants will be considered from 2016.
Applying to study in the fields of Commerce, Engineering and Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law or Sciences at the University of Cape Town.
All prospective Scholars must first be admitted to the University of Cape Town to be considered for the Scholarship. Although each academic department has its own criteria, a minimum of 60% for the Honours, or equivalent degree is the overall academic criterion required for entry into the Masters’ degree.
Preference will be given to ‘first-generation’ students, i.e. those who are the first ones in their families to go to university.

How to Apply

Applicants can apply via the given website.

Eligible Countries

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,Comoros, Congo DR, Congo-Brazzaville, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi,Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo,Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

For more information, please visit MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program.