Application for the UP and MasterCard Foundation Grant Program for Africans in South Africa – 2021/2022. Entry is now open at the University of Pretoria in USA.
This scholarship is available for high achieving African students interested in studying at undergraduate or postgraduate levels. The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program is a 10-year, $500 million global initiative to educate and develop next-generation leaders who will contribute to social and economic transformation. If your application is successful, the Program will cover the following: Full tuition fees, Accommodation and meals in a UP residence or UP-accredited accommodation, A modest monthly stipend, Textbooks and printed material, Medical aid cover for the duration of the study, VISA costs, Reasonable travel costs (including flight ticket) to and from your home, Leadership development opportunities, and Academic advising and counselling support.
The vision of UP is to be a leading research-intensive university in Africa, recognized internationally for its quality, relevance and impact, as also for developing people, creating knowledge and making a difference locally and globally.
The Scholarships are one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world. The aim of the program is to create a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.
UP AND MASTERCARD FOUNDATION GRANT ELIGIBILITY
Scholars are selected on the following criteria:
- Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia and Zimbabwe. are eligible to apply.
- Candidates should be citizens of the Sub-Saharan African country.
- Applicants should come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and demonstrate financial neediness.
- Candidates should demonstrate leadership potential and ought to be involved in a giving back project e.g. in a community, at school, church etc
- Academic excellence is paramount and students have to maintain a high academic average at all times.
- Candidates need to be first time applicants as first-year students in the degree programme.
- Applicants whose first language is not English are usually required to provide evidence of proficiency in English at the higher level required by the University.
UP AND MASTERCARD FOUNDATION GRANT APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
- Steps to apply are given below:
- Step 1;
- You may apply online
- To use the online application system, you will need Internet access and an email address that you can access regularly. As soon as you submit your online application, a student number (EMPLID) will be sent to this email address as confirmation of receipt.
- Alternatively, you can submit a hard copy of your application form to the University of Pretoria address.
- Step 2
- The application will be evaluated by members of the relevant faculty and you will be informed of the outcome.
- Undergraduate applicants are required to write the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the National Benchmark Test (NBT).
- Step 3
- Download application forms for the MCFSP from the website.
- Only applications that have been submitted (with the International Office and registered on the website of the scholarship) before 31 August , 2021 will be considered.

Leonel has been Teacher at Alliant International University since 2013. He began to write about admission details at Course Discovery.