Cambridge Master Degree Scholarships 2027 by Mastercard Program Open
A fully funded Cambridge Master’s degree is now within reach for eligible young Africans who can turn their academic record and leadership plans into a credible contribution to Africa’s sustainable future. The University of Cambridge Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is open for 2027–2028 entry and covers full tuition plus a monthly maintenance allowance. It is not a general Cambridge scholarship: applicants must be African citizens, normally resident in Africa, and apply for an eligible full-time one-year Master’s course.
The decisive point is timing. You do not submit a second, later scholarship form. You must select the Mastercard Foundation funding option and complete its statement within your Cambridge course application before that course’s funding deadline.
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Who should apply—and who should not?
You should apply if you are an African citizen with a bachelor’s degree, a strong academic fit for an eligible Cambridge course, and a serious plan to create impact in Africa. Cambridge says candidates must normally live in an African country. A temporary absence for work or study can be explained, while refugees and internally displaced people are an express exception to the normal residence rule.
The programme focuses on climate resilience and sustainability, but this does not limit applicants to a narrow list of environmental degrees. Cambridge recognises that sustainable futures need expertise across disciplines. However, the course itself must be a full-time, one-year postgraduate programme. The MBA, Master of Corporate Law, Master of Finance and Master of Accountancy are excluded.
Admission and scholarship selection are connected but not identical. You must meet the academic threshold of your chosen course; Cambridge’s university minimum is normally equivalent to a UK 2:1 bachelor’s degree, while many courses ask for a higher level. Your scholarship statement must then show leadership potential, career and education history, the value of the scholarship, and how you will contribute to sustainable futures in Africa.
What the Cambridge Mastercard Foundation award actually pays for?
The confirmed financial package covers full tuition and a monthly maintenance allowance. That removes the two largest costs of a Cambridge Master’s degree, but applicants should not invent benefits that the official call has not promised. The programme page does not publish a maintenance amount or confirm separate travel, visa, health or family allowances; budget only on the confirmed support until Cambridge gives selected scholars their formal award information.
This is why the scholarship is most valuable to applicants who would otherwise be blocked by Cambridge’s tuition and living-cost burden, but who can demonstrate that the degree is part of a practical leadership pathway rather than simply an overseas study plan.
Does IELTS decide eligibility?
No single IELTS score applies to every Mastercard Foundation applicant because the English condition belongs to the Cambridge course, not the scholarship. Cambridge accepts IELTS Academic, IELTS for UKVI Academic, IELTS One Skill Retake and IELTS Online, as well as certain TOEFL and Cambridge English tests. The required score depends on the course page.
Some applicants may not need to submit a test result—for example, those who meet Cambridge’s majority-English-speaking-country education rules. Do not assume that an English-medium degree elsewhere automatically creates a waiver. Check the exact course requirement before you apply; language evidence can be uploaded later after an offer for most courses.
How to apply in three steps
- Choose the right course: Search Cambridge’s Postgraduate Course Directory, confirm that it is a full-time one-year Master’s programme, and read its academic, English and funding-deadline requirements.
- Submit one complete Cambridge application: Apply through the Applicant Portal, choose the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program funding option, and upload the course documents requested.
- Make the scholarship statement do real work: Explain your academic and leadership record, why the degree is necessary for your next step, and the specific sustainable impact you will pursue in Africa. A generic promise to “give back” is weaker than a clear problem, plan and intended contribution.
Cambridge requires applicants to submit their own applications; agents cannot submit a postgraduate application on the applicant’s behalf.
Deadline and fee waiver warning
The last date to apply for the University of Cambridge Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027/2028 is the funding deadline shown on your selected course page, usually in early December or early January. Do not rely on a standard course closing date if it falls later: scholarship consideration depends on the earlier funding deadline. Cambridge states that relevant funding deadlines fall at 11:59pm UK time.
Most Master’s applicants pay a £85 application fee before submission. However, Mastercard Foundation applicants who are not automatically fee-waived under Cambridge’s eligible-country rules may request a dedicated Mastercard Foundation fee waiver before submitting. Start the application first, request the waiver in good time, and do not pay before checking, because Cambridge will not grant a waiver after payment.
Read the official Cambridge Mastercard Foundation application guidance, eligibility page, fee-waiver rules and English-language requirements before submitting.