Mastercard Foundation Scholarships 2027: Open Calls and Deadlines

Search for a Mastercard Foundation scholarship for 2027 and you will find many pages with the same name, yet for every call on this page you apply to a university, not to the foundation. The Mastercard Foundation, a foundation based in Canada, funds programmes that universities run, and each university publishes its own call. We currently list three that accept applicants from Africa. The doctorate in Toronto closes on 1 October 2026. The postgraduate scholarships at the University of Cape Town close on 31 October 2026, and the entrepreneurship fellowship at Queen's University closes on 1 December 2026.

How Mastercard Foundation scholarships work

The foundation provides the money. The universities recruit, select and administer, and that split explains why the calls look so different from each other.

In Cape Town, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is run by The University of Cape Town in partnership with the foundation, and both of your applications go to UCT. The public health doctorate is recruited by the University of Toronto through the Africa Health Collaborative and its partner universities. The fellowship is run online by the innovation centre at Queen's University.

Each partner decides who is eligible, what the award pays and when the call closes. One brand therefore covers a comprehensive postgraduate scholarship in Cape Town, a funded doctorate in Toronto and an 8-month online fellowship with a small stipend.

The Scholars Program has a clear target. The UCT page describes it as support for academically talented young people who face significant social and economic barriers to higher education and who are committed to serving their communities. The selection criteria follow that profile, so write with it in view.

Open calls for 2027, by deadline

1 October 2026: public health doctorate in Toronto

Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) closes first, on 1 October 2026 at 23:59 EST (Toronto time). At least 7 scholarships are offered for the 2027-2028 academic year, for the Doctor of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Each gives full financial support for tuition, travel expenses, housing, food, books and other expenses for the duration of the programme.

Be realistic about this one. The call is meant for recent alumni and graduating students of Africa Health Collaborative partner universities. Attending one of the information sessions, held in August and September, was mandatory for an application to be considered, and the link to the form was shared at those sessions. If you missed them, prepare for the next round. Successful applicants hear by late October and are then invited to complete a separate programme application to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

31 October 2026: postgraduate scholarships at UCT

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UCT 2027 for Postgraduates funds an eligible postgraduate diploma in the Faculty of Health Sciences, an honours degree or a master's programme at UCT, in South Africa. The scholarship application closes on 31 October 2026. The package covers tuition fees for your chosen programme, a laptop, accommodation on UCT's campuses, living expenses, medical aid, a study visa where applicable and annual travel to and from UCT. It runs for the full programme and is renewable each year, subject to satisfactory results and conduct and to taking part in its development activities.

1 December 2026: entrepreneurship fellowship at Queen's

Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship 2027 closes last, on 1 December 2026. It is not a degree scholarship. It is an 8-month online programme, and up to 60 fellows selected in its final phase receive a stipend of CAD 500 in total.

Who can apply

For two of the calls, nationality is the easy part. UCT accepts citizens of any African country, and the Queen's fellowship is open to African students and recent graduates. The conditions that decide your chances are the ones each university adds.

UCT asks for an application to an eligible taught programme: a postgraduate diploma in Health Sciences, or an honours degree or coursework master's in any of UCT's six faculties. Part-time study is not covered. Neither are research-only qualifications such as a master's by dissertation or a PhD. The selection criteria add academic talent, significant financial barriers to education, commitment to your community and the potential to lead ethically.

The Toronto doctorate is far narrower. You must be a citizen of a Sub-Saharan African country and currently live in the region, be a graduate of an Africa Health Collaborative partner institution and not yet have started doctoral studies. You must also be admissible to the programme, show academic excellence and leadership in your earlier degrees, and commit to returning home for the last two years of the programme.

The Queen's fellowship takes students and recent graduates of any post-secondary institution in Africa, from every discipline and at undergraduate, master's or PhD level.

How to prepare your application

Count two applications for each degree scholarship, not one.

The UCT page sets out three steps. You check the study options, apply to UCT for the programme, and then submit the Scholars Program application. The faculty sets its own programme requirements and deadlines, so 31 October 2026 tells you when the scholarship form is due, not the programme application. Ask the faculty now.

The selection criteria work as a checklist, and each item needs evidence rather than adjectives. Transcripts carry the academic case. The financial part needs an honest, specific account of what has stood between you and higher education, because a vague line about hardship tells a panel nothing. For community work, name what you did, for whom and what changed.

For the Toronto doctorate, the official page says your motivation for the field, your career goals and your commitment to Africa's future play a key role. Scholars commit to returning home for the last two years, so describe the work you would take up there.

The entrepreneurship route at Queen's University

Not every Mastercard Foundation opportunity is a degree. Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship 2027 is built for students and recent graduates who want to turn an idea into a venture, and it runs fully online over 8 months, so you take part from home.

The fellowship moves through three phases called Explore, Ignite and Launch. You advance by meeting assignment deadlines, and each phase keeps a smaller group than the one before. Up to 60 fellows reach the final phase, join an incubation programme with coaches and mentors, and receive the stipend of CAD 500 in total. A pitch competition for seed funding closes the programme.

The page asks for at least 10 hours a week, so plan the workload before you apply. Assignments and pitches must be completed in English, although mentorship may be offered in English and French. Applicants who are not fluent can team up with someone who meets the English-language requirement.

The first phase starts from two questions: who is your customer, and what can you do for them? Answer both in a few lines before you open the form, then submit well before 1 December 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one application for all Mastercard Foundation scholarships?

Not for the calls on this page. Each is submitted to the university that runs it, on that university's form and by its own deadline.

Are Mastercard Foundation scholarships fully funded?

The two degree awards cover study and living costs, from tuition to housing. The Queen's fellowship is different: up to 60 fellows receive a stipend of CAD 500 in total.

Can I still apply for the Toronto public health scholarship?

Only if you meet its conditions and attended one of its information sessions. The deadline is 1 October 2026 at 23:59 EST (Toronto time). Across Africa that moment falls in the early hours of the next day, so finishing on 1 October in your own time zone keeps you inside it.

Can South African citizens apply for the UCT scholarship?

Yes. The UCT call is open to citizens of any African country, including South Africa, who apply for an eligible postgraduate programme.