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Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UCT

University of Cape Town, with the Mastercard Foundation · South Africa

Level
Honours, coursework master’s, or a health-sciences postgraduate diploma
Where
South Africa
Money
Full cost of the programme
Fields
Law, Medicine, Engineering

In short

A full-cost award at the University of Cape Town for an African student who has a real financial or social barrier, and who already has, or is seeking, a place on an eligible postgraduate programme. The bachelor’s round for 2027 has closed. The postgraduate round is the one still open.

The health-sciences postgraduate diploma is the direct medical route. Coursework master’s and honours degrees can cover law, engineering and other fields UCT actually teaches, but only if that programme is on the scholars list. A research-only master’s is not what this round describes.

Who can apply

  • You are a citizen of an African country. Sierra Leone qualifies.
  • You face a financial or social barrier to study. The programme also asks to hear from women, refugees, displaced people, and people with a disability.
  • You have an offer, or you are applying, for an eligible postgraduate diploma in Health Sciences, an honours degree, or a coursework master’s at UCT.
  • The scholarship is taken up only by someone UCT has offered a place. Apply to the academic programme, not only to the scholarship.

Papers they ask for

  • The documents the UCT application itself asks for: degree, transcript, and the proof of identity the faculty names.
  • Whatever the scholars form asks about your financial and social circumstances. Do not leave that section thin. It is the point of the award.
  • A faculty application if the course you want closes before 31 October. Some UCT courses do.

What it pays

  • Tuition
  • A laptop
  • Housing on campus
  • Living costs, medical aid, and travel to and from Cape Town
  • A study visa, where you need one

How to apply

  1. Open the UCT faculty page for the exact diploma, honours or coursework master’s, and note that faculty’s own closing date.
  2. Apply for admission.
  3. Apply to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UCT before 31 October 2026.
  4. If both are required, do not assume one form covers the other. The university’s how-to-apply page is the checklist.

Read this before you file

  • The undergraduate scholarship for 2027 closed on 30 September 2026. Do not use an old bachelor’s advert.
  • Housing, a laptop, medical aid, travel and a study visa are part of the published package. Confirm the current list on the UCT page before you budget as if something else will be paid.
  • Cape Town living costs sit on top of any gap the package does not name. Read the page, then the faculty page.

Checked against the provider’s page on 11 October 2026. If this note and that page disagree, the provider is right. Lanbuk does not award this scholarship.