University of Rwanda Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program | Fully Funded
Overview
The University of Rwanda Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027 offers fully funded undergraduate and Master's study at the University of Rwanda in Kigali and its secondary campuses. It is supported by a 10-year partnership (2021-2031) with the Mastercard Foundation and is aimed at academically talented young Africans who face significant socio-economic barriers to higher education. Alongside a degree, scholars receive leadership development, entrepreneurship skills and career transition support.
The programme prioritises young women (70 percent), certified refugees and displaced youth (25 percent), persons with disabilities (10 percent) and students in STEM fields (80 percent). Fields covered include science, technology, engineering and mathematics, agriculture and environmental sciences, health sciences and public health, and education, business and social sciences.
What you get
The package covers 100 percent of tuition, registration and examination fees, paid on-campus accommodation or a stipend, a monthly stipend for meals and daily living, a laptop, textbooks and laboratory tools, and health insurance. International scholars and refugees receive an annual return travel allowance. Scholars also get psychosocial counselling, academic tutoring, language support, career guidance, industry internships, entrepreneurship incubation funds, leadership workshops and a regional scholar network.
Who can apply
Applicants must be citizens of Rwanda or another African country, or certified refugees or displaced persons living in Africa. They need strong academic results that meet the entry criteria for their chosen programme and must demonstrate real financial hardship or serious barriers to tertiary education. Undergraduate applicants must be under 28, or up to 30 for people with certified protracted life conditions such as refugees or child-headed households. Master's applicants must be under 40 for men and under 45 for women. Applicants need a record of community involvement and a commitment to give back, and must be newly entering students, so currently enrolled students at the University of Rwanda or elsewhere are not eligible.
How to apply
Applicants first apply for admission to an eligible undergraduate or two-year Master's programme at the University of Rwanda. They then register on the scholars programme recruitment portal and complete the online form across seven sections: personal identification, academic background, family information, socio-economic circumstances and leadership experience. Uploads include a passport photo on a white background, a national ID or passport, refugee status ID or disability certificate where relevant, secondary school certificates or degree transcripts and leadership certificates, together with statements on financial hardship and plans to give back.