Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cape Town

• Tuition fees for your chosen programme of study.
• A laptop.
• Accommodation on UCT's campuses.
• Living expenses.
• Medical aid.
• A study visa, where applicable.
• Annual travel to and from UCT.
• Academic and peer support, plus skills, leadership, mentorship and career development programmes.
• Duration: the full period of the UCT programme, renewed annually subject to satisfactory academic performance, personal conduct and participation in the programme's activities.

For the 2027 intake at UCT:

• Bachelor's degree applicants: Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application deadline was 30 September 2026 (undergraduate applications are now closed).
• Postgraduate diploma (Faculty of Health Sciences), honours and master's applicants: deadline 31 October 2026.
• Check the relevant UCT faculty for programme-specific admission requirements and deadlines.

1. Review UCT's study options and choose your programme.
2. Apply for admission to UCT through the UCT online application portal (applyonline.uct.ac.za). Scholarship applications are only considered once you have applied to UCT.
3. Submit the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application form with your UCT Campus ID or applicant number, full name as on your birth certificate or passport, the email address used for your UCT application, and your home address. Choose undergraduate or postgraduate studies. Open the application form; programme details are at the official apply page.
4. Upload every required supporting document (all types are mandatory) and state whether you have applied to the Program at other partner universities.
5. Applicants already holding an undergraduate application at UCT may still apply for the scholarship if they meet all criteria, but only those who receive a UCT admission offer are eligible for it.

• Proof of address (for example a bank statement, utility or municipal bill, or a school letter to your parents or caregiver at their home address).
• Proof of financial status, such as parents' or guardian's bank statements or details of social or government grants; also the number of people in your household.
• Curriculum vitae of no more than 3 pages: full educational background, employment history if any, extra-curricular activities, community activities and leadership positions.
• Essay of no more than 2,000 words. Undergraduate: why you are applying, goals the Program will help you achieve, what inspired your education, obstacles you overcame, how you have helped others. Postgraduate: the qualities that define leadership and how the Program will empower you to contribute to economic growth and social development at home, nationally and across the continent, with details of community service, leadership or entrepreneurship.
• One recommendation letter (up to 2 files) from a teacher, lecturer, religious leader or previous employer, including the referee's full name and contact details.
• Each file up to 40 MB; accepted formats include pdf, doc, docx, rtf, txt, odt, ppt, xls.

Selection looks for applicants who are:

• Academically talented, with a demonstrated commitment to learning and a drive to complete their education.
• Limited in their ability to access education owing to significant financial barriers.
• Committed to investing in their community through the skills and knowledge they gain.
• Future leaders committed to ethical transformation and positive contribution to their community and wider society.

Only applicants who receive an offer of admission to UCT can be awarded the scholarship.