What You Can Count On
Standard Coverage — Nearly Universal Across Partners
These items are covered at effectively every MCF partner university. If a partner does not include one of these, it is the exception worth specifically verifying — not the rule.
Almost Always Covered
- Full tuition fees for the complete degree duration
- Accommodation (on-campus or equivalent stipend)
- Books and learning materials
- Monthly living / maintenance stipend
- Return economy airfare to home country (or equivalent allowance)
- Visa application fees
- Health insurance or medical cover
- Mentorship and leadership programming costs
Covered at Specific Partners
- Laptop: Explicitly provided at Cambridge, CMU-Africa, University of Rwanda, KNUST, and USIU-Africa. Edinburgh online scholars receive a laptop and internet stipend.
- Immigration Health Surcharge (UK): Covered at Cambridge and Oxford only.
- Settling-in allowance: Oxford provides a one-time payment for initial set-up costs.
- Emergency / Thrive Fund: Oxford has this specifically named. For genuine hardship during the programme.
- Africa-based internship: Berkeley covers round-trip airfare and living stipend for Africa-based internships in 2+ year master's programmes.
- Transport to/from home region: USIU-Africa mentions this explicitly in addition to standard airfare coverage.
Important Limits
What Is NOT Covered
The most important exclusion: Family members and dependents.
Edinburgh's FAQ states it directly: "The Programme only covers costs for an individual, and we are unable to provide financial or practical support for family members." This is the case at all partners without exception. If you have a spouse, children, or other dependents, you are responsible for every cost associated with them. This is the single most cited source of financial stress among scholars throughout the programme.
Other Exclusions Across Partners
- PhD programmes (except at AUB, which is the notable exception in the network)
- Dual or concurrent degree programmes — Berkeley's FAQ explicitly excludes these
- Application fees at non-partner institutions
- Part-time programmes at most partners (Edinburgh has an online option that is the main exception)
- Personal travel expenses beyond the allocated return flights
- Clothing, furniture, or personal consumables beyond what a living stipend covers
Partner Breakdown
Coverage by Partner — Five Examples
These are drawn from official partner pages. Details change between cycles — always verify on the partner's current MCFSP page before applying.
University of Cambridge
UK — Postgraduate only
University of Oxford (via AfOx)
UK — Postgraduate only
KNUST — Kwame Nkrumah University
Ghana — Undergraduate
University of Rwanda
Rwanda — Undergraduate & Master's
USIU-Africa
Kenya — Undergraduate
Wellbeing
Psychosocial Support — This Is Real, Not Marketing
Every MCF partner provides structured psychosocial support. This is not a one-line bullet on the scholarship website — it is a formal programme component at all partners. The Foundation designed it to address specific, documented challenges: financial pressure from family at home, cultural isolation in foreign environments, and imposter syndrome in elite academic contexts. These are consistently cited by scholars as real difficulties. The support exists because the programme was built around them — not to brand the scholarship more attractively.
At All Partners
- Designated Scholars Program staff (pastoral support, not only admin)
- Peer mentorship from senior scholars and alumni
- Extended orientation (before and after arrival) for transition support
- Career development services
At Specific Partners
- Oxford: Thrive Fund for emergency needs plus dedicated peer network.
- Berkeley: Dedicated scholars coordinator with specific cultural transition support.
- Edinburgh: "Transitions and Mentoring Toolkit" specifically for scholars navigating cross-cultural academic environments.
- University of Rwanda: Explicitly listed as a core programme component alongside academic mentorship.
- CMU-Africa: Wellbeing support integrated into the scholar experience from day one.
The Baobab Platform & Baobab Summit
These provide community and networking support across the entire MCF scholar network — not just at individual partner universities. The Summit brings scholars together from all over the world annually. The Platform serves as an ongoing digital community for alumni and current scholars alike.
Built In, Not Optional
The Leadership Development Component
This is built into the programme at all partners. It is not optional, not an add-on, and not extra cost. The scholarship funds it.
Oxford
A Leadership and Impact Programme runs in Year 1. Year 2 includes a 4 to 6 month Ubuntu period of service within an African organisation. Both are funded and scheduled as part of the scholarship.
Edinburgh
A Climate Leadership Programme with placements and workshops is embedded in the scholar experience. This is consistent with Edinburgh's focus on climate and sustainability.
Berkeley
Structured leadership training is part of the programme, alongside the Africa-based internship requirement for 2+ year master's degrees. Berkeley covers the airfare and living stipend for the internship.
African Partner Universities
Community service and engagement activities are woven throughout the degree at KNUST, Makerere, University of Rwanda, USIU-Africa, and others. These are structured, not informal suggestions.