The University of British Columbia Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027 for study in Canada (Fully Funded)

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Application Deadline: September 6, 2026

Applications are now open for the 2027 University of British Columbia Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC will provide 351 academically talented young people from Africa with access to quality and relevant university education at UBC. After graduating, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars will then utilize their learning and experiences to contribute to the economic growth and social transformation of their communities in Africa.

Requirements

To be eligible for consideration for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Masters’ Degree Program at UBC, the applicant must:

• have completed a Bachelor’s degree;
• not already have a Master’s degree;
• be 35 years old or younger at the time of application (i.e. born in 1990 or after);
• be a citizen or a refugee of an African country;
• be applying for a Master’s degree in one of the eligible programs listed below;
• meet the minimum academic requirements of the program they are applying to.

DECIDE your Program(s) of Interest from the list.

This scholarship is for the following programs ONLY

• Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Faculty of Forestry
• Faculty of Science

Submit an expression of interest by September 6th, 2026.

General Stream– For all interested candidates (except refugees), click here (https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_abEbecGlW7Z0LMW) to submit an expression of interest.

Refugee and Displaced Persons Only Stream– If you are submitting an expression of interest, click here (https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UT66EElsr19oGi) to submit an expression of interest.

Round 1

Applicants who are eligible will be invited to apply to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program by September 15th – 30th, 2026.

The selection process for applications is based on the following criteria:

• Academic merit of the candidate that qualifies for admissions to the program of choice
• Track record as a transformative leader and service within their community.
• Quality of application in line with the Program theme.
• Potential impact on the development of the applicant’s home country.

Your fully completed application should include (all in one application form online):

1. Complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application Form. 
   Note: for the personal statements, succinctly answer each question.
2. Submit a CV/resume.
3. Provide two reference letters on official letterhead. Attach these to the application. DO NOT email them 
4. Transcripts.

Round 2

4. Apply to your UBC Faculty by November 1st – 20th, 2026. Late applications will not be considered.

1. Once your Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application is complete, successful applicants will receive an email with instructions to submit an online application to UBC. Review the instructions for faculty applications
2. You may be eligible for a fee waiver if your citizenship and correspondence address is located in one of the world’s 50 least developed countries, according to the United Nations. Please visit this website to check which countries are on the list: If your country is not listed above, please request a fee waiver when you are submitting your Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application package. If you are invited to move to the Faculty Application step, we will provide instruction on how to use a fee waiver during the program application process. If you submit your application without applying your fee waiver, we are unable to provide a refund.

• Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Faculty of Forestry
• Faculty of Science

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the University of British Columbia Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program