Edinburgh Online Mastercard Scholarship in UK for Africans 2026 | Fully Funded

The University of Edinburgh Online Mastercard Scholarship will provide 3 year part-time online Master’s scholarships & 2-year part-time postgraduate Diploma scholarships to students living or working in Africa.

The program will be recruiting exceptional young people with great academic and leadership experience who have overcome barriers to their education and are diligently committed to pursuing their studies to apply for an Online Scholarship at the University of Edinburgh.

Find out more about the process of applying for an online postgraduate scholarship with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Edinburgh in this post.

Edinburgh Online Mastercard Scholarship Summary

• Host Country: United Kingdom (UK)
• Study Abroad: Study in UK 
• Category: Postgraduate Scholarships | Masters Scholarships | Diploma Scholarships 
• Eligible Countries: All African Countries 
• Reward: Full Scholarship | Monthly Stipends | Laptop
• No IELTS Required 
• Deadline: November 21, 2025
• Scholarship Alerts: To receive Scholarship Alerts on WhatsApp, Click HERE

2026 University of Edinburgh Online Mastercard Scholarship Details:

Online studies are an excellent way to earn a qualification for those who would like to continue working and prefer to study in their local context (for example, to be closer to their families).

Masters programmes normally aim at those who have completed an undergraduate degree and want to develop more specialized knowledge in the same subject or similar career area.

The Edinburgh Online Mastercard Scholarship is designed to cover three years of part-time online study for specific programs

Edinburgh Global Mastercard Online Scholarship Requirements:

To be considered for the University of Edinburgh Global Mastercard Online Scholarship, you must:

• Applicants must qualify academically for admission to the University of Edinburgh for a relevant degree programme listed.
• You will generally need to have achieved the equivalent of a UK Second Class (Upper) Bachelor’s (Hons) degree or higher. Find out more about the postgraduate entry requirements for your country: Postgraduate entry requirements
• Applicants will have faced  significant barriers to education (social, financial, personal, practical or health related).
• Applicants must have graduated from an undergraduate study by September 2026 and must have a degree certificate and official final transcript to upload alongside their application by 21 November.
• Applicants must be residents and citizens or hold refugee status in a Sub-Saharan African country.
• Applicants must have faced barriers to education and early career
• Applicants must demonstrate a track record of leadership and service within their community.
• Applicants must demonstrate experience, or at least ambition, in making a meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis
• Applicants must be 35 or under as of 1 September 2026.
• Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled (or apply to enrol) at a separate university whilst on the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship.
• If applying for the online Masters programme: Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled (or apply to enrol) at a separate university whilst on the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship.
• If applying for the online Postgraduate Diploma: Applicants can either have an undergraduate or Master’s degree from a Sub-Saharan African university (provided they will graduate from either degree). 
• If you have a Master’s degree, our admissions team will review your first degree (undergraduate) to meet the postgraduate diploma entry requirement. The Scholars Program will review your Master’s degree transcripts to confirm your university’s graduation date and location. 
• We particularly welcome applications from female scholars, scholars from refugee and displaced backgrounds, and scholars with disabilities.

Edinburgh Global Mastercard Online Scholarship Duration and Reward

The Edinburgh Global Mastercard Online Scholarship is designed to cover three-years of part-time online study.

The scholarship will cover the

• Covers full approved tuition fees: scholars will not pay for any part of the tuition fees.
• Academic stipend to allow for access to high-quality internet, and laptop.
• The opportunity to attend an in-person gathering.
• Participation in activities as part of the wider Scholars Program climate leadership programme at the University of Edinburgh, including regular online workshops, online coaching and support.
• A dedicated Online Coordinator
• Additional support is offered to scholars with disabilities based on an assessment of needs.

How To Apply for Edinburgh Online Mastercard Scholarship 2026

If you are interested in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh, please apply for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship first.

Applicants can apply for either:

• Online Masters (part-time over 3 years) OR
• Online Post-graduate Diploma (part-time over 2 years)

If you receive a scholarship offer from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program then you can apply for the academic programme.

If you have already secured a place on an eligible degree programme, please indicate in your Mastercard Foundation Scholarship application form that you have already secured a place on the degree programme.

If you have any queries regarding the Mastercard Foundation Scholarships, please contact us at: mcfsp@ed.ac.uk

Applications for 2025/26 will open on 14 October 2025 at 10.00 am GMT and close on 21 November 2025 at 5.00 pm GMT.

Click on the button below to visit the scholarship webpage and submit your application.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Deadline: November 21, 2025