UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship in USA 2027

The Center for African Studies and the Mastercard Foundation are engaged in a ten-year partnership to support 201 master’s degree students from African countries who are academically talented and committed to transformative change on the continent. The Program recruits widely across Africa and encourages applications particularly from women, people with disabilities, and those who are refugees or displaced.

• Table of Content
• About MasterCard Foundation
• UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship
• Aim and Benefits of UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship
• Requirements for UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About MasterCard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation is an international non-governmental organization established by Mastercard in 2006. The organization, which is based in Toronto, Ontario, has supported work in 49 countries.In 2018, Mastercard Foundation shifted to a specific focus on Africa, through its Young Africa Works strategy. The foundation develops programs primarily focused on reducing gender and economic inequality, expanding access to quality education, increasing the opportunities for decent work, and supporting overall economic growth.Funding is primaril... continue reading

UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship

Aim and Benefits of UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship

Mastercard Foundation Scholars receive a comprehensive scholarship equivalent to the costs associated with earning a master's degree, which includes:

• Travel
• Tuition (Berkeley student fees),
• Visa and SEVIS fees
• Housing, food, living expenses, and
• Cohort signature programs which will focus on leadership and entrepreneurship. 

Requirements for UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Qualification

• Being a citizen of an African country: This includes Africans who have been forcibly displaced or have refugee status within the African continent. Those with dual citizenship, asylee, refugee or permanent resident status in the US, Canada, UK or EU are not eligible.
• Having academic talent: All prospective Scholars must first be admitted to a UC Berkeley master's degree program to be considered for the Scholarship. An important criteria for admission to the University is demonstrated academic excellence.
• Demonstrating leadership potential: The Program seeks those committed to developing the skills and mindsets associated with transformative leadership, i.e, that which engages others in an ethical manner to generate positive and lasting change.
• Experienced significant barriers to accessing higher education: This Scholarship is designed for those extremely talented individuals who might have faced barriers to quality higher education, including social, financial, personal, practical or health related.
• Having demonstrated the commitment to give back to your community, country, or continent: We are looking for well-rounded students who are engaged in activities beyond the classroom. Some may be directly related to your field of study, but this may also include other issues (social, economic, political) that you are working on and passionate about. Applicants should elaborate on their achievements both in their application to UC Berkeley, and then later in the application for the Scholars Program.
• Having expressed the desire and intention to return to your home country after completing your studies and post-graduation training: We are looking for students who are engaged with and passionate about issues affecting their communities, and who will take advantage of their education at UC Berkeley to better equip themselves with the knowledge and training to address these issues upon return. While important work can be done from abroad, the intention of the Program is to enable Scholars to return home, after forming valuable professional connections through internships, academic training and job placements. 

Other considerations

All other things being equal, we will give priority to candidates who:

• Did their undergraduate degree at an African university.
• Do not already have a post-graduate degree (i.e., master's or doctorate).
• Have not already benefited from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.

Check also:
Commonwealth Master's Scholarship to Study in UK 2027/2028
Mandela Washington Fellowship for Africans 2027 (Fully Funded to USA)

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Master's degree applicants must first apply to an eligible master's degree program before they can be nominated for the Mastercard Foundations Scholars Program. If a graduate program has multilple admission rounds with staggered deadlines, only those who submit applications in the first round can be considered for the Scholars Program.

Each graduate degree program has specific requirements and deadlines. Applicants should carefully review these. The Graduate Division also provides detailed information on the admissions process. Direct questions regarding admission requirements should be made to the specific graduate program. We outline more details of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application process for master's program here. We will recruit Mastercard Foundation Scholars through the fall of 2028.

For more Information, visit UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship webpage