Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at Sciences Po

Organization: Sciences Po (with the Mastercard Foundation)

Type: Scholarship

Location: Global

Deadline: December 14, 2026

Age: Up to 34

Funding: Fully Funded

Sciences Po in Paris and the Mastercard Foundation fund young people from across Africa to take a two-year Master's degree at Sciences Po, covering the full cost of tuition and living in France. The programme looks for applicants who have faced real barriers to education and want to drive change in Africa, with particular consideration for young women, refugees and displaced people, and people with disabilities. **What you get:** - The full cost of tuition and living expenses in France for your two years at Sciences Po - Housing in Paris reserved for Mastercard Foundation Scholars - Help before you leave for France, support when you arrive, and a welcome programme for your first weeks - Careers support, including a careers fair focused on jobs and internships in Africa, an entrepreneurship track and Sciences Po's business incubator - A mentoring programme run with the Africa Division of Sciences Po Alumni - A waiver of the 150 euro Sciences Po application fee once you are found eligible for the programme **What you'll do:** - Study a two-year, in-person Master's programme at Sciences Po in Paris - Join a cohort of Scholars through joint projects, team building and mentoring - Take part in leadership and impact activities, including a track with the Sciences Po Centre for Entrepreneurship **Key dates:** - 23 November 2026, 11.59pm Paris time: apply by this date to get your Master's admission decision by 11 February 2027 - 14 December 2026, 11.59pm Paris time: final scholarship deadline, with your Master's admission decision by 1 April 2027 - April 2027: scholarship results, whichever date you applied by - Studies start with the 2027 intake and last two years **More information:** - How to apply: at the same time, submit an eligibility request on the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program platform AND create a Master's application on the Sciences Po admissions platform. If you skip the admissions application at this step, you lose the fee waiver - Once found eligible, the Admissions Office emails you the steps to submit your Master's application without paying the fee, with a very short window, so finish your Master's file (references and language test results included) before that email arrives - Selection: application review, then a shortlisted online interview on Zoom of about 25 minutes, then a decision by the selection committee - Only the International Graduate Admissions Procedure leads to this scholarship; one-year Master's and dual degree programmes do not qualify - The offer is valid only for the year it is issued; deferring your admission means losing the scholarship - Sciences Po asks you not to use AI to write the scholarship essays and says doing so may lower your evaluation - Questions: info.mcfsp@sciencespo.fr

Sciences Po (with the Mastercard Foundation)Scholarship

Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at Sciences Po

Dec 14, 2026 23:59:00 CET

Opportunity type

Scholarship

Funding

Fully Funded

Location

Global

Deadline

Dec 14, 2026 23:59:00 CET

About this opportunity

What you get:

The full cost of tuition and living expenses in France for your two years at Sciences Po
Housing in Paris reserved for Mastercard Foundation Scholars
Help before you leave for France, support when you arrive, and a welcome programme for your first weeks
Careers support, including a careers fair focused on jobs and internships in Africa, an entrepreneurship track and Sciences Po's business incubator
A mentoring programme run with the Africa Division of Sciences Po Alumni
A waiver of the 150 euro Sciences Po application fee once you are found eligible for the programme

What you'll do:

Study a two-year, in-person Master's programme at Sciences Po in Paris
Join a cohort of Scholars through joint projects, team building and mentoring
Take part in leadership and impact activities, including a track with the Sciences Po Centre for Entrepreneurship

Key dates:

23 November 2026, 11.59pm Paris time: apply by this date to get your Master's admission decision by 11 February 2027
14 December 2026, 11.59pm Paris time: final scholarship deadline, with your Master's admission decision by 1 April 2027
April 2027: scholarship results, whichever date you applied by
Studies start with the 2027 intake and last two years

More information:

How to apply: at the same time, submit an eligibility request on the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program platform AND create a Master's application on the Sciences Po admissions platform. If you skip the admissions application at this step, you lose the fee waiver
Once found eligible, the Admissions Office emails you the steps to submit your Master's application without paying the fee, with a very short window, so finish your Master's file (references and language test results included) before that email arrives
Selection: application review, then a shortlisted online interview on Zoom of about 25 minutes, then a decision by the selection committee
Only the International Graduate Admissions Procedure leads to this scholarship; one-year Master's and dual degree programmes do not qualify
The offer is valid only for the year it is issued; deferring your admission means losing the scholarship
Sciences Po asks you not to use AI to write the scholarship essays and says doing so may lower your evaluation
Questions: info.mcfsp@sciencespo.fr

Who can apply

Citizenship of an African country. Dual citizens holding a non-African citizenship are not eligible
A completed or in-progress Bachelor's degree from a university on Sciences Po's list (about 130 universities in 37 African countries), OR a Bachelor's plus a recognised bridging or mentoring programme from the approved list, OR a Bachelor's plus current or past UNHCR refugee status
Under 35 on 1 September of the year you apply
No Master's degree already held or in progress
First time applying to this programme
Must meet Sciences Po's minimum academic results for your home university's country, and be admitted to a two-year Master's at Sciences Po
Not eligible: current Sciences Po students, and anyone enrolled at or graduated from a French higher education institution
No French requirement for the scholarship itself, but you must meet the language requirement of your chosen Master's programme

AI Verification

✓ AI Verified

Our AI read the official sources and cross-checked the key facts. Here is what held up, and what it could not confirm.

This opportunity is run by an established organization, and we confirmed its key details against the official source. As always, never share sensitive personal or financial information until you are sure a request is genuine.

LOT Verification ScoreStrong

Cross-checked 9 of 10 key facts

Confirmed Our best read Not stated

Good to know

+Run by Sciences Po with the Mastercard Foundation; Sciences Po has been a partner since 2017 and aims to support 1,450 students and young professionals in this phase
+Covers the full cost of tuition and living expenses in France, plus reserved housing in Paris
+No fee to apply for the scholarship, and eligible applicants also get the 150 euro admission fee waived
+Clear published eligibility, documents, selection steps and dates

Worth checking yourself

!You must also apply to and be admitted to a two-year Sciences Po Master's; the scholarship is decided only after admission, and can come months later
!The Sciences Po admission fee is 150 euros, waived only once you are declared eligible for this programme; if you are found ineligible you can still apply for the Master's but must pay it, and you will not be considered for the scholarship
!Eligibility is narrower than 'all African citizens': your Bachelor's must be from one of about 130 listed universities in 37 countries, unless you did an approved bridging programme or hold refugee status. Check the list before starting
!Anyone already enrolled at or graduated from a French university is not eligible, nor is anyone who already holds a Master's
!The scholarship does not extend to family members or dependants
!Small mismatch on the first round: the scholarship page says apply by 23 November for an 11 February admission decision, while the general admissions calendar gives 29 November for that decision; aim for 23 November if you want the earlier answer

Sources checked

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