Fully Funded 2025 University of British Columbia Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program for Study in Canada.

Applications are now open for the 2025 University of British Columbia Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The University of British Columbia (UBC) is pleased to be partnering with The Mastercard Foundation to foster the next generation of African leaders. After supporting over 171 Mastercard Foundation Scholars in its first phase, The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC will provide 351 academically talented young people from Sub-Saharan Africa with access to quality and relevant university education at UBC. After graduating, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars will then utilize their learning and experiences to contribute to the economic growth and social transformation of their communities in Africa.

Apply to join the next-generation of leaders who are committed to driving change through sustainable leadership and community-led development. We empower young people in 4 main ways:

Access & Thrive: Enable young people particularly women, refugees, internally displaced people and persons with disabilities, to access high quality education with intentional and tailored wrap-around support that will ignite them to be transformative leaders driving inclusive and socio-economic change in Africa.
Community-Engaged Learning: UBC is invested in articulating an experiential education to enable students to apply their knowledge to help address critical social and environmental issues through collaboration with diverse community partners and stakeholder. This progressive learning journey enables students to align with community aspirations. Phase 2 will deepen its existing network with partners in Africa to provide Mastercard Foundation Scholars with meaningful transition into their careers.
Dignified & Fulfilling Work: Our scholars benefit from academic and social support programs such as GradStart, faculty-focused orientation, degree program specific orientations, and programs focused on student wellbeing and personal development.
Agency & Voice: Mastercard Foundation Scholars are provided opportunities in a variety of hands-on learning experiences and enriched educational training to develop their skills, mindsets, agency, and voice that will enable them to transition to meaningful employment and/or entrepreneurship.

Requirements:

To be eligible for consideration for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Masters’ Degree Program at UBC, the applicant must:

Have completed a Bachelor’s degree.
Not already possess a graduate or PhD degree.
Be 35 years old or younger at the time of application.
Be a citizen or refugee of a Sub-Saharan African country.
Have lived a significant part of their life in a Sub-Saharan African country.
Present economically disadvantaged financial circumstances.
Have achieved academic excellence under difficult circumstances.
Show leadership qualities or potential.
Demonstrate an interest in and commitment to giving back to their home community.
Be a person who requires a Canadian study permit to study in Canada.
Not be a person who claimed or will claim asylum or protected person status after arriving in Canada.
Commit to returning to Africa to apply their training and skills for the betterment of others.

Benefits

Tuition & BooksFlights & Immigration support
Room and BoardStipends for living expenses
Health InsuranceCareer services & Support
Access to a global Mastercard Foundation alumni network
**Social Entrepreneurship Fund (Initiative for scholars who are enterprising and want to start a venture back on the continent)

Method of Application

Steps to Apply

Step One: Assess Your Eligibility

Decide your Program(s) of Interest from the provided list.
Consult the Minimum Academic Requirements/International Credentials for Graduate Students, listed by country, to determine your academic eligibility.
Consult the program website to ensure you possess the appropriate background experience.

Step Two: Additional Tests

If your Bachelor’s degree was not taught in English, make arrangements to take an English Proficiency Exam (TOEFL or IELTS).

Step Three: MCFSP Application Package

Complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application by October 31st, 2024.
Submit the package electronically in a single PDF document via email to mcfsp.admissions@ubc.ca.

Step Four: UBC Faculty Applications