Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2026 at Arizona State University, USA | Fully Funded

The Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program at Arizona State University awarded 40 places for the 2025/2026 academic year. If you are a citizen of an African country aged 18–33 with an undergraduate degree and a track record of community leadership, bookmark this post and prepare now for the next cycle, which runs through 2030. The program covers full tuition, housing, a food and living stipend, medical expenses, airfare to and from Kigali, Rwanda, and your English proficiency test and visa application costs. You study an ASU online master’s degree while based physically at Kepler College in Kigali for the duration of the program.

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Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2026 at Arizona State University Summary

Scholarship Overview	Scholarship Details
Scholarship Name ⇒	Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Arizona State University
Host Country ⇒	United States of America (USA)
Study Abroad ⇒	Study in USA
Study Level ⇒	Postgraduate | Masters
Benefits ⇒	Fully Funded — Full tuition, housing, food and living stipend, medical expenses, airfare to/from Kigali, visa costs, English test costs, application costs
Funded By ⇒	Mastercard Foundation
Eligible Countries ⇒	African countries only
Application Deadline ⇒	Closed for 2026

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About the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is run by the Mastercard Foundation, a Canadian private foundation established in 2006 with an endowment of over CAD $40 billion, making it one of the largest private foundations in the world. The Foundation runs scholarship programs across more than 20 partner universities globally, with a specific focus on African youth who have demonstrated academic ability but face financial barriers to higher education.

Must Read: University of St Andrews International Excellence Scholarship | How to Apply

The ASU partnership is one of the Foundation’s newer models. Rather than sending scholars to a physical campus in the US, it pairs an ASU online master’s degree with in-person residential support through Kepler College in Kigali, Rwanda. Kepler is a Rwandan higher education institution that runs the day-to-day support, mentorship, and community programming for scholars while they complete their ASU coursework remotely. The program runs from 2025 to 2030 and will place a total of 160 scholars across five annual cohorts of 40. The Foundation explicitly targets women, refugees, displaced persons, and people with disabilities for each cohort.

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Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2026 at Arizona State University Eligibility Requirements

You must meet all of the following to apply:

• You must be a citizen of an African country
• You must be between 18 and 33 years old on or before the application deadline
• You must hold an undergraduate degree conferred by July 2025 (for the 2025/2026 cohort — verify the equivalent date for the next cycle)
• You must not have started or completed any other graduate or master’s degree before August 2025
• You must be able to relocate to and live in Kigali, Rwanda for the full duration of the two-year program
• You must meet the English proficiency requirements for admission to your chosen ASU degree
• You must demonstrate a track record of leadership and community service — the Foundation looks for evidence of this in your application, not just a claim
• You must demonstrate that your academic ambitions exceed your current financial resources

Key disqualifier: if you have already started or completed a master’s or graduate degree before the program start date, you are not eligible regardless of your other qualifications.

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What the Scholarship Covers

The program is fully funded. Here is every cost it covers:

• Full tuition fees for your ASU online master’s degree
• Housing for the duration of the program at or near Kepler College in Kigali
• Food and living stipend paid for the full two years
• Medical expenses covered throughout the program
• Return airfare to and from Kigali, Rwanda
• Visa application costs reimbursed
• English language proficiency test costs covered
• Program application costs covered
• A two-month summer intensive experience in the United States at ASU, aligned with your field of study

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Required Documents for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at Arizona State University

• Completed online application form
• Academic transcripts (all institutions attended)
• Undergraduate degree certificate or diploma
• Proof of English language proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent) — or documentation confirming English as your medium of instruction
• Personal statement covering your academic goals, professional goals, and community leadership
• Letters of recommendation
• CV / résumé

Your personal statement carries more weight in this application than in most scholarship programs. The Mastercard Foundation selects for demonstrated community engagement and leadership — not academic grades alone. Before you write your statement, read the Foundation’s published selection criteria on the official Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program website. Generic statements about wanting to give back to Africa will not pass the first review stage.

Check Out: How to Write a Personal Statement for Scholarship | Tips and Free Template

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Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at Arizona State University (Step by Step)

The scholarship application and the ASU admission application are two separate processes. The scholarship comes first.

1. Go to the official Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program website and find the ASU partnership application portal
2. Create an account and complete the scholarship application form in full
3. Upload all required documents through the portal — transcripts, degree certificate, English proficiency evidence, personal statement, CV, and recommendation letters
4. Submit your scholarship application before the deadline
5. If your scholarship application is successful, the program team will guide you through the ASU admission process — you do not apply to ASU independently at this stage
6. Monitor the email address you registered with for confirmation, shortlisting notifications, and further instructions

Do not submit your ASU application before receiving guidance from the program team. The two processes are linked and must happen in the correct order.

For detailed information and updates, visit the official scholarship page.

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Application Deadline

The 2026 intake is closed. The program runs through 2030, with one cohort of 40 scholars selected per year. Monitor the official Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program website for the opening date of the next application cycle. Based on previous cycles, applications for the 2027 cohort are expected to open in late 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at ASU fully funded? Yes. The program covers tuition, housing, a food and living stipend, medical expenses, airfare, visa costs, and your English test fees. There are no program costs you are expected to cover yourself. The funding comes directly from the Mastercard Foundation and is not a loan.

Can Nigerian students apply for the Mastercard Foundation ASU Scholarship? Yes. Nigeria is an African country and Nigerian citizens are eligible to apply. The program targets African youth broadly, with no restriction on specific countries within Africa. You must meet the age, academic, and residency requirements like all other applicants.

Do I have to move to Rwanda for this scholarship? Yes. The residential base for this program is Kepler College in Kigali, Rwanda — not Arizona State University in the United States. You complete your ASU master’s degree online while living at Kepler. A two-month summer intensive at ASU in the United States is included, but the full two years are otherwise based in Kigali. If you cannot commit to living in Rwanda for the program duration, you do not qualify.

What master’s degrees can I study through this program? The program focuses on technology and innovation fields. Check the official Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program page for the current list of eligible ASU online master’s degrees — the available programs are confirmed each cycle and may change between intakes.

What GPA do I need for the Mastercard Foundation ASU Scholarship? The eligibility criteria do not specify a minimum GPA. The program requires you to qualify academically for admission to your chosen ASU master’s degree, which includes English proficiency. Check the admission requirements for your specific ASU program on the ASU website for the exact academic entry requirements.

When does the Mastercard Foundation ASU Scholarship open for 2027? The 2026 cycle is closed. Based on the program’s five-year structure running from 2025 to 2030, a new cohort is selected each year. The 2027 application window is expected to open in late 2026. Check the official Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program website for the confirmed date.

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Official Application Portal

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