Last Updated: August 2026
The University of Edinburgh Mastercard Scholarship 2027 is a fully funded postgraduate opportunity for eligible young people from African countries who have faced significant barriers to education, show leadership and community service, and want to contribute to climate-related change. The 2027/28 cycle requires a mandatory information session between 15–24 September 2026, while the main scholarship application closes 19 November 2026 at 5pm UK time.
The biggest mistake this year is treating the scholarship like a normal online form. Edinburgh won’t give every applicant the form immediately: eligible candidates must attend a briefing session first, pass the preliminary screening, and then receive an invitation through SurveyMonkey Apply.
Quick Facts
| Item | 2027/28 details |
| Scholarship | Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program |
| University | University of Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Level | Postgraduate Master’s / online postgraduate routes |
| Eligible applicants | Citizens and residents of African countries, including eligible refugee/displaced applicants |
| Funding | Full approved tuition, accommodation, travel, living-cost stipend and study materials |
| Main deadline | 19 November 2026, 5pm UK time |
| Earlier deadline | Applicant Declaration Form: 19 October 2026, 5pm UK time |
| Start | September 2027 |
Funding: What Does the Scholarship Cover?
The on-campus award covers the major costs needed to complete the one-year Master’s at Edinburgh: approved tuition, accommodation, travel, living costs and study materials. It also includes leadership and transition support built around climate action.
| Covered | Not covered |
| Full approved tuition | Costs for family members/dependents |
| Accommodation | Family accommodation |
| Travel | Family travel and visa costs |
| Living-cost stipend | Personal costs outside the scholarship package |
| Study materials | Unforeseen dependent expenses |
| Climate Leadership Programme | — |
The University doesn’t publish one fixed cash value for the complete package because costs such as tuition and accommodation vary. Don’t use an invented “£X total value” figure on your application or website listing.
CTA: Start with the official application instructions and register for a September session before preparing the scholarship form. Official Edinburgh application instructions
Who Can Apply? Eligibility Check
The strongest candidates meet every core eligibility condition; Edinburgh says it cannot make exceptions.
| Requirement | Official requirement | Quick check |
| Nationality/residence | Citizen and resident, or qualifying refugee status, in an African country | Do you meet both location rules? |
| Academic level | Generally UK 2:1 equivalent or higher | Does your degree meet the selected programme’s entry level? |
| Education barrier | Significant social, financial, personal, practical or health-related barriers | Can you explain the barrier clearly? |
| Leadership | Track record of leadership and community service | Do you have evidence, not just a title? |
| Climate impact | Experience or ambition to make meaningful climate-related impact | Can you connect your goals to climate action? |
| Age | 35 or under in the 2027/28 programme year; born on or after 1 January 1992 | Check your date of birth |
| Previous postgraduate study | Not for the Master’s scholarship route | No completed postgraduate degree |
| Documents | Final degree certificate and final official transcript | Have both ready by 19 Nov 2026? |
Applicants from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and other non-African countries shouldn’t apply for this specific Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation scholarship unless they separately hold an eligible African status that meets the official criteria.
Which Master’s Programmes Qualify?
The University of Edinburgh Mastercard Scholarship 2027 doesn’t fund every Master’s programme. Current on-campus eligible programmes include Africa and International Development, Climate Change Finance and Investment, Data, Inequality and Society, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Food Security, Environment and Development, Environmental Sustainability, Operational Research, Planetary Health and Sustainable Energy Systems.
The University warns that this list can change. Check the official programme page before you build your application around a particular degree.
The 2027 Application Process Has Changed
This year’s biggest procedural change is the mandatory information session. Edinburgh will hold virtual sessions from 15 to 24 September 2026, and attending one does not guarantee an invitation; you must also meet the eligibility requirements.
Eligible attendees receive notification on 13 October 2026 and, if invited, access the application through SurveyMonkey Apply. The Applicant Declaration Form closes on 19 October 2026 at 5pm UK time, while the main application closes on 19 November 2026 at 5pm UK time. Edinburgh can close the earlier form once its application limit is reached.
Documents and Practical Preparation
For the postgraduate scholarship application, Edinburgh explicitly requires your final official university degree certificate and final official transcript. If you don’t have those documents by 19 November 2026, the University says you should not proceed.
Don’t waste time collecting documents that Edinburgh doesn’t list for this stage. Country-specific equivalence, certified translations or additional admissions documents may depend on your chosen Master’s programme, so check that programme separately before paying for third-party evaluation services.
Is IELTS Required?
No IELTS or other English-test result is required when you submit the scholarship application. However, Edinburgh may require English-language evidence later for degree admission, and the programme says it will facilitate testing for successful candidates where necessary.
How to Make the Essays Answer Edinburgh’s Real Questions
After the initial eligibility screen, shortlisted applicants answer short essay questions covering their personal story, academic and leadership experience, and future ambition. Edinburgh then uses those responses for scholarship review and university admissions assessment.
Your strongest evidence should therefore show a clear chain: barrier → action → community result → climate-related goal. A job title such as “project coordinator” proves very little unless you explain what you changed, who benefited and what you plan to build after the Master’s.
The programme also evaluates climate-justice alignment, leadership/service and potential impact in your home country. Keep each answer anchored to one real example instead of repeating your CV.
Rejection Risks and a Working-Backward Timeline
Edinburgh doesn’t publish a current 2027 acceptance rate or applicant count, so any website claiming a precise “X% chance” is guessing. The safe strategy is to treat the scholarship as highly selective and remove preventable mistakes before the first screening.
Work backward from the deadlines:
| Date | Your action |
| By 31 Aug 2026 | Check nationality, age, degree and programme eligibility |
| 1–14 Sep | Prepare your leadership, barrier and climate-impact evidence |
| 15–24 Sep | Attend one mandatory information session |
| 13 Oct | Check your invitation and SurveyMonkey Apply email |
| By 16 Oct | Finish the Applicant Declaration Form |
| 19 Oct, 5pm | Submit the declaration before the cutoff |
| 1–15 Nov | Draft, review and proof your main essays and documents |
| 19 Nov, 5pm | Submit the main application |
The most avoidable failure is missing the information session or assuming the main November deadline is the only date that matters.
How to Apply: 8 Steps
- Check every eligibility condition. Confirm your African nationality/residence, age, degree level, postgraduate history and leadership/climate profile.
- Choose an eligible degree. Don’t assume any Edinburgh Master’s qualifies; use the current Mastercard programme list.
- Register for a September information session. Sessions run from 15–24 September 2026.
- Attend the session. Registration alone isn’t enough; attendance is mandatory.
- Wait for the eligibility invitation. Edinburgh says eligible attendees will hear on 13 October 2026.
- Complete the Applicant Declaration Form. Submit it by 19 October 2026 at 5pm UK time; Edinburgh may close the form early if it reaches its limit.
- Complete the main scholarship application. Upload your final official degree certificate and transcript and answer the short essay questions about your experience, leadership and ambitions.
- Submit and monitor your email. Edinburgh uses SurveyMonkey Apply for the application workflow, and shortlisted on-campus candidates receive interview invitations in early February 2027.
CTA: Don’t leave the documents and essays until November. The September information-session stage comes first, so register for a session and start your evidence file before 15 September 2026. Register for an Edinburgh information session
Selection Process and Interview
Edinburgh assesses academic merit, transformative leadership and community service, climate-justice alignment, potential impact on the applicant’s home country, and the barriers the applicant has faced. Shortlisted candidates then complete an interview; Edinburgh says interviews last about 60 minutes, and the team requests a reference at this stage.
For successful applicants, the scholarship offer is followed by the normal University of Edinburgh degree application and admissions process.
❓ FAQ
Should I apply for the scholarship or for admission to the degree first?
Yes, apply for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship first if it is your only Edinburgh scholarship application. Successful scholars then receive support to apply for their chosen degree through the University’s standard admissions process.
Is attending an information session mandatory?
Yes, attending one September 2026 virtual information session is mandatory. Attendance alone doesn’t guarantee an invitation because Edinburgh also checks your eligibility before giving you access to the application.
Do I need to take an English language test?
No, you don’t need an English-test result for the scholarship application itself. Edinburgh may require English-language evidence for degree admission and says it will facilitate testing for successful candidates where required.
What documents do I need to apply for this scholarship?
You need your final official university degree certificate and final official transcript. Edinburgh says you should not proceed if those documents won’t be available by 19 November 2026.
Can I apply for both the online and on-campus Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program?
No, you must choose either the online route or the on-campus route. Edinburgh says applicants cannot submit both routes because the programme wants candidates committed to one study mode.
Can I apply for the scholarship if I have a Master’s already?
No for the Master’s scholarship route; applicants should not have already completed a postgraduate degree. The online Postgraduate Diploma route has different rules for applicants who already hold a Master’s from an African university.
Do I have to pay a degree application fee?
Not at the scholarship stage if the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is your only Edinburgh scholarship application. If you receive the scholarship, Edinburgh says the relevant degree application fee will be waived; applicants pursuing other Edinburgh programmes may face different fee requirements.
Does the scholarship fund family members?
No, the programme covers the successful scholar rather than family members or dependents. Edinburgh says accommodation provided through the programme also cannot house family members.
