Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UC Berkeley 2026
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UC Berkeley 2026-2027 supports talented young Africans who face money and access barriers to higher education. The programme helps students with strong academic records and clear goals for service to their communities. Application timelines vary by graduate programme, so students need to check dates with care.
UC Berkeley works with the Mastercard Foundation as part of a global network of universities and partner groups that believe education can drive social and economic progress. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program focuses on ethical, active young leaders from Africa who are ready to use their learning to support long-term change at home. So far, the programme has committed over USD $1.2 billion to support the education and leadership growth of more than 40,000 young people.
The Mastercard Foundation strategy, Young Africa Works, aims to enable 30 million young people, especially young women, to secure good and dignified work by 2030. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program helps reach this goal by giving strong financial, social, and academic support to students through secondary school and university, and by backing their move into further study or work.
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UC Berkeley
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UC Berkeley gives full support for selected master’s students from Africa. The focus is on young leaders who care about social and economic progress on the continent and who have already shown clear effort in their studies and community life.
Scholars receive money support, mentoring, and leadership training so that they can focus on study, service, and future work. The programme looks for students who want to return home after their studies and help address real issues in their communities.
Scholarship benefits
Mastercard Foundation Scholars receive a full package that covers most of the main costs of a master’s degree at UC Berkeley. The scholarship support includes:
- Travel to and from Berkeley.
- Tuition and UC Berkeley student fees.
- Visa and SEVIS fees.
- Health insurance.
- Housing and food.
- General living expenses.
- Access to cohort signature programmes that focus on leadership and entrepreneurship skills.
This support means that scholars can give their main energy to their master’s work, leadership growth, and service projects, rather than constant worry about money.
Who can apply for the scholarship
To be considered for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UC Berkeley, applicants should meet several key conditions.
- Citizenship:
- Applicants must be citizens of an African country.
- This includes Africans who have been forced to leave their homes or who have refugee status within Africa.
- People with dual citizenship, asylee status, refugee status, or permanent residency in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or the European Union are not eligible.
- Academic talent:
- Applicants must first gain admission to a UC Berkeley master’s degree programme.
- UC Berkeley looks for clear academic strength and proof of excellence in past studies.
- Leadership potential:
- The programme seeks students who show strong promise as leaders.
- These are people who engage others in an ethical way, listen, and work to create positive and lasting change.
- Barriers to higher education:
- The scholarship is meant for students who have faced serious barriers to quality higher education.
- Barriers may be social, financial, personal, practical, or linked to health.
- Commitment to give back:
- Applicants should have a track record of serving their communities, countries, or the wider continent.
- This might be through clubs, social projects, economic or policy work, or other causes they care about.
- These efforts should be described in the UC Berkeley graduate application and in the later Scholars Program application.
- Intention to return home:
- Applicants are expected to show a clear wish to return to their home countries after studies and post-graduation training.
- The aim is to support students who want to use their UC Berkeley education to address issues at home, while still forming useful links through internships, academic work, and jobs.
Application timeline for UC Berkeley master’s applicants
Application steps for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program are linked to the regular UC Berkeley graduate admission process. Students need to follow both sets of steps.
- September through early January:
- Prospective master’s applicants first apply to UC Berkeley through the standard graduate application route.
- Application deadlines vary by programme, usually between September and early January, with many set in December.
- If a graduate programme has several admission rounds, only those who submit in the first round, before January, can be considered for the Scholars Program.
- 15 November:
- The Scholars Program and some graduate programmes can offer a limited number of admission application fee waivers.
- Applicants from African countries who fill in the basic demographic section and list at least two referees in the UC Berkeley online application by 15 November will receive an email invite to apply for a fee waiver.
- Decisions on fee waivers are sent out before 1 December.
- February:
- The Scholars Program at UC Berkeley invites candidates who have been nominated by their graduate programmes to complete a separate supplemental application.
- March:
- Selected candidates are invited for an online interview with the Scholars Program team.
- Late March or early April:
- Final scholarship decisions are shared with applicants.
Students can read the full steps and specific details on the UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation graduate application process page.
How the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program supports future work
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is built to help African students gain both degrees and practical skills for life after graduation. Support goes beyond tuition to social and academic help, such as:
- Guidance on internships and early career plans.
- Mentoring from staff and older scholars.
- Peer support inside the scholar cohort.
By linking these supports with the Young Africa Works plan, the programme helps more young people move into real work that is fair, stable, and meaningful. Many scholars choose paths in public service, social enterprise, research, and private sector roles that serve their home communities.
For more information, visit MCFSP at UC Berkeley.
