Apply for Mastercard Foundation Scholarships for Graduate Study

Stage 1: Application to the Scholarship (Eligibility)

Applications for the scholarship take place between the months of October and December. Applications for the scholarship must be submitted before midnight (Paris Time) on November 25 2020.

Eligible applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• You must be a resident and citizen of a Sub-Saharan African country;
• You must have at least a Bachelor's degree at the start of the following academic year;
• You must not be holding or currently pursuing a Master’s degree;
• You must be under 35;
• Minimum C1 level in English or French depending on the programme you are applying to (see language requirements);
• You must be able to show that you lack financial means to pursue higher education (please note that you will be asked to submit documentation attesting to your financial needs).

Candidates must apply online on the dedicated website.

Candidates will be asked to:

• Give personal information;
• Attach a letter of recommendation from the institution supporting their application to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (if your institution does not appear on the list below or does not host a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, the person signing your recommendation letter needs to contact the team at info.mcfsp@sciencespo.fr to become a partner of the program);
• Provide information and proof concerning their educational and extra-curricular experiences.

As part of their application, candidates for the scholarship will be asked to outline their diverse experiences and their vision of the issues that specifically affect the African continent. The candidates’ answers will be reviewed by the scholarship award committee.

Candidates are encouraged to start their Sciences Po application and their application to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program simultaneously. They should however only submit their application to Sciences Po after having received a notification that the application fee has been waived.

Please note: Eligibility for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program does not guarantee admission to Sciences Po, which entails a separate application process.

Stage 2: Application to Sciences Po (Admission)

Candidates eligible for the scholarship should then submit their application to Sciences Po according to the international graduate admissions procedure.

Please note: applications must be submitted before December 6, 2020.

Stage 3: Scholarship award

18 full scholarships are offered for 2021 to candidates eligible for the scholarship and admitted to a Master’s Programme.

Please note: admission to Sciences Po does not guarantee a scholarship award. In case of deferral of entry to Sciences Po, the Mastercard Foundation scholarship award will be lost.