How to Apply — Because Every Partner Does It Differently

The Four Application Models

Every MCF partner falls into one of these four categories. Identifying which model your target partner uses is the first step before you do anything else.

Model A — Apply to the university first, then the MCFSP supplemental

Partners: UC Berkeley.

1. 1
   Apply to your degree programme

   Through the university's standard admissions process. At Berkeley this runs from September to early January; if your programme has several rounds, apply in the first one.

2. 2
   Your department nominates eligible candidates

   From among its admissions applicants.

3. 3
   February

   Nominees are invited

   To complete a supplemental MCFSP application.

4. 4
   March

   Interview

   Online interviews for selected candidates.

5. 5
   Late March – April

   Award decision

Who it suits: students confident in their admissions candidacy at a highly selective institution. You invest in the university application first — the scholarship selection comes after you are in the pool.

Berkeley specifics: the partnership plans to fund 201 master’s students over ten years. Visa and SEVIS fees are covered. Scholars in programmes longer than two semesters do an internship in Africa, and Berkeley covers the round-trip airfare and a living stipend for it.

Model B — MCFSP pre-screening comes before university admission

Partners: McGill University, University of Edinburgh, Sciences Po.

1. 1
   Check eligibility and attend an information session

   McGill publishes these each cycle on its MCFSP page; the session is where you get the link to the application form.

2. 2
   Submit the MCFSP pre-screening application

   Only applicants who meet the eligibility requirements are invited to apply.

3. 3
   Provide additional documents if pre-screened
4. 4
   Receive a fee waiver and McGill admissions instructions

   Then complete the full McGill graduate application.

5. 5
   February – April

   Conditional offer and scholarship decision

Who it suits: students who want to assess scholarship eligibility before committing to the full application process. McGill's pre-screening removes the upfront cost of applying — you only proceed with the full graduate application if you have been pre-screened as a scholarship candidate. Previously deferred applicants must reapply through the scholarship process.

Edinburgh: you apply only for the scholarship at first, not for the degree. For 2027/28 you had to attend a mandatory information session (15–24 September 2026). Applications open on 13 October 2026, the Applicant Declaration Form is due on 19 October 2026 at 5pm, and the main application closes on 19 November 2026 at 5pm. Interviews run from February to March 2027. If you get a scholarship offer, you are then invited to apply for your degree.

Sciences Po: you first check your eligibility and request an MCF application fee waiver; requests are open from October to mid-December 2026. If you are eligible, Sciences Po tells you how to submit your master’s application with the fee waived. Selection for the scholarship happens after admission. Sciences Po says the detailed 2027 timeline will be published shortly.

Model C — Integrated single application

Partners: University of Cambridge.

Cambridge: the MCFSP application is embedded in the standard course application. You turn on funding in the application and write a scholarship statement on your career so far, your leadership potential, your goals and how you hope to contribute to sustainable futures in Africa. Applications for 2027/28 opened in September 2026. Submit by your course’s funding deadline, usually in early December or early January — check your course page. If you need the application fee waiver form, it is due by 18 November 2026. Departments make offers between December and February, and scholarships are offered in March or April.

Who it suits: students who prefer not to manage two separate processes. The efficiency is real, but it comes with one cost: you have less time and space to tailor a standalone scholarship application. Your scholarship materials are submitted alongside everything else.

Model D — Direct application to the university's MCFSP portal

Partners: KNUST, Makerere, University of Rwanda, USIU-Africa, CMU-Africa, UCT, Ashesi, AUB, and most African partners.

1. 1
   Apply for admission

   To the university's admissions application (or apply simultaneously — this varies by partner).

2. 2
   Submit the MCF scholarship application

   Directly to the university's scholarship office. At AUB, for example, you select the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program in the Financial Opportunities section of the graduate application and also complete AUB's Financial Aid Application (not required for PhD applicants).

3. 3
   Selection by the university's MCFSP committee
4. 4
   Award with or alongside the admission decision

Who it suits: students applying to African partner universities. The process is more integrated with the university's standard admissions and generally more accessible in terms of timeline and process complexity.

Key Timelines for 2027 Entry

Deadlines change every cycle. Treat the dates below as a guide, not a definitive calendar, and always verify on the partner university's current MCFSP page. The Foundation’s Where to Apply list shows which partners are open right now.

International partners (Cambridge, Edinburgh, Berkeley, Sciences Po)

1. 1
   September – October 2026

   Application windows open
2. 2
   November 2026 – January 2027

   Submission deadlines
3. 3
   February – March 2027

   Interviews (where held)
4. 4
   March – May 2027

   Final decisions
5. 5
   September – October 2027

   Study starts

Published dates so far: Edinburgh closes on 19 November 2026; Cambridge funding deadlines fall in early December or early January; Sciences Po fee waiver requests run to mid-December 2026. McGill is the exception: its pre-screening for Fall 2027 ran earlier and is already closed. The University of Toronto had not announced its 2027–28 cycle as of October 2026.

African partner universities (examples)

African partners do not share one calendar. Some have already closed for 2027 entry, while others open in 2027.

1. 1
   30 September 2026

   UCT undergraduate deadline (passed)
2. 2
   31 October 2026

   UCT postgraduate deadline
3. 3
   Around February – March 2027 (expected)

   USIU-Africa call for September 2027

   USIU-Africa says calls usually open about six months before each intake. It had no open call in October 2026.

4. 4
   Mid-2027 (expected)

   Makerere call for 2027/2028

   The 2026/2027 call closed on 5 June 2026. Expect the next call around the same time, but wait for the official notice.

Special cases

Oxford (via AfOx): Oxford admissions deadlines fall in January; the AfOx MCFSP process runs alongside standard admissions. Check AfOx's current page for the specific cycle.

AUB: runs its own cycle. For Fall 2026–27, on-campus master's and PhD scholarship applications closed on 26 March 2026 (English proof due 31 May 2026), and online master's applications closed on 18 May 2026 (English proof due 30 June 2026). Expect the Fall 2027–28 deadlines around the same months, but confirm on AUB's MCF page — do not assume timing matches either group above.

Scam Alert — This Is Real and Widespread

The Mastercard Foundation has issued an official scam warning about Facebook posts advertising MCF recruitment and asking for an application fee. The Foundation says these groups are not linked to it, and asks people to report suspected fraud to local law enforcement and to the Foundation.

The Foundation never charges application fees. Never.

Applications go exclusively through official partner university portals — domains ending in .edu, .ac.uk, .ox.ac.uk, or the specific partner's official domain. A partner may charge its own normal admission fee (the Foundation reimburses it if you are selected), but if you are on a website that is not an official partner domain and it is asking for money, close the tab immediately and report it to ethics@mastercardfdn.org.

Required Documents — Baseline Across All Partners

These are the documents required across the MCF partner network. Specific requirements vary — treat this as the baseline and verify each partner's current application page for what is mandatory, optional, or excluded.

1. 1
   University application form

   Or the integrated MCF application, depending on the partner model. This is the foundation of everything else.

2. 2
   Academic transcripts

   From all previous institutions. Unofficial transcripts are often accepted initially; official certified copies are typically required upon award.

3. 3
   Proof of academic qualifications / degree certificates

   Actual certificates, not just transcripts. Both are usually required.

4. 4
   CV or resume

   Academic and professional history. Keep it factual. The essays are where narrative goes — the CV is for facts and dates.

5. 5
   Two or three letters of recommendation

   Academic and/or professional. Not character references. Referees should know your specific work. Brief your referees — do not send an email request with no context.

6. 6
   Personal statement / motivation letter

   The core written component. See the Writing Essays page for specific guidance.

7. 7
   Evidence of financial need

   Tax returns, payslips, income statements, previous grant or bursary letters. The goal is to document your situation specifically, not just describe it.

8. 8
   Bank statements (where accepted)

   Not every partner asks for bank statements. Check your specific partner's document list before preparing these.

9. 9
   Proof of African citizenship

   Valid passport or national identity document. This is non-negotiable — MCF is for African citizens.

10. 10
    Additional essays or supplementary statements

    Each partner has its own prompts. Cambridge asks for a scholarship statement that includes how you hope to contribute to sustainable futures in Africa. Berkeley has its own set. Do not submit generic essays — they are spotted immediately.

11. 11
    GMAT / GRE scores (where required)

    Some programmes, especially in the US, may require these. Check the specific programme requirements — not all partners need standardised test scores.

12. 12
    English language proficiency scores

    Required by Cambridge, Oxford, and Edinburgh for non-native English applicants — IELTS or TOEFL typically, with minimums that vary by programme. AUB accepts the AUB-EN test, TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, GRE Verbal, GMAT Verbal or the Duolingo English Test.

After You Apply

Processing and tracking

Processing time depends entirely on the partner university. There is no central tracking system — the Foundation refers all status questions to the partner. If your specific partner has not communicated a timeline, it is reasonable to email their MCFSP coordinator after four weeks.

Interview invitations

Invitations are sent to shortlisted candidates only. Silence is not an official rejection at most partners — but you should check whether your partner publishes a clear "no interview = unsuccessful" policy.

Feedback policy

Most partners do not provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants. This is a consistently reported frustration. The practical implication: if you are not selected, you will need to assess your application yourself or get external feedback before reapplying.

Results timeline

Six to twelve weeks after submission at most international partners. Often faster at African partners. Re-application in future cycles is permitted at most partners. There is no stated penalty for previous unsuccessful applications.