Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027

The Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027 offers eligible African students financial support to pursue a two-year master’s degree in France. The programme covers selected Scholars’ full financial needs and provides support throughout their studies.

However, African citizenship and a bachelor’s degree alone do not establish eligibility. Applicants must also qualify through an approved university, a recognised bridge or mentoring programme, or a route for applicants who currently hold or previously held UNHCR refugee status.

For the 2027 intake, the scholarship application deadlines are 23 November 2026 and 14 December 2026. These dates correspond to different master’s admission decision schedules. Scholarship selection results will follow in April 2027.

Before applying, check your eligibility carefully and prepare both applications together. Sciences Po requires applicants to submit a scholarship eligibility request and create a master’s admission application at the same stage to benefit from the application fee waiver.

Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027 at a Glance

Item	Details
Host institution	Sciences Po
Study destination	France
Scholarship programme	Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
Study level	Eligible two-year master’s programmes
Intended applicants	Eligible citizens of African countries
Financial support	Coverage of selected Scholars’ full financial needs
Study duration	Two years
Admission route	International Graduate Admissions Procedure
First scholarship deadline	23 November 2026
Second scholarship deadline	14 December 2026
Scholarship results	April 2027
Application fee waiver	Available to applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and follow the required process
Excluded programmes	One-year master’s and dual degree programmes

What Does the Scholarship Cover?

Sciences Po states that the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program covers the full financial needs of selected scholars throughout their two-year master’s degree.

The programme also provides comprehensive support during their studies. Support begins after successful applicants accept their offer, and incoming scholars can attend online information sessions to prepare for their arrival in France.

Support	What applicants should know
Financial support	The programme covers selected scholars’ full financial needs during the two-year degree.
Application fee waiver	Eligible applicants can submit their master’s application without paying the application fee after following the required procedure.
Support during studies	Scholars receive comprehensive support throughout the programme.
Preparation for arrival	Incoming scholars can attend online information sessions.
Family and dependants	The scholarship supports the scholar and does not extend to family members.

The current graduate application guidance does not publish a fixed monthly stipend or an itemised payment schedule. Therefore, applicants should consult their eventual scholarship offer for the precise financial arrangements.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants must meet both the scholarship requirements and Sciences Po’s academic admission requirements.

African Citizenship

You must hold citizenship of an African country.

If you hold dual citizenship that includes citizenship of a country outside Africa, you do not qualify under the published scholarship rules.

Bachelor’s Degree and an Eligible Application Route

You must hold a bachelor’s degree or currently be completing one. In addition, you must qualify through at least one of the following routes.

Eligibility route	Requirement
Approved university	You hold or are completing a bachelor’s degree at a university on Sciences Po’s published list.
Recognised bridge or mentoring programme	You hold or are completing a bachelor’s degree and have participated in a recognised programme offered by an approved organisation
UNHCR refugee status	You hold or are completing a bachelor’s degree and currently hold, or previously held, UNHCR refugee status.

These are alternative routes. For example, a student whose university does not appear on the approved list may still qualify through a recognised bridge programme or the UNHCR refugee-status route.

Nevertheless, every applicant must meet the remaining citizenship, age, academic and previous-study requirements.

Age Requirement

You must be under 35 on 1 September of the year in which you submit your scholarship application.

For an application submitted in 2026, the published wording therefore refers to 1 September 2026. Applicants close to the age limit should confirm their eligibility with the programme team before submitting.

Previous Master’s Study

You must not already hold a master’s degree or currently be pursuing one.

A bachelor’s graduate who meets the other requirements may apply. However, someone currently studying for a master’s does not qualify simply because they have not yet graduated.

First Application to the Programme

You must apply to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program for the first time.

Previous applicants should check this restriction carefully before starting another application.

Who Is Not Eligible?

The published rules exclude:

Applicants with dual citizenship that includes a non-African country.
Applicants who already hold or currently pursue a master’s degree.
Students currently enrolled at Sciences Po.
Students currently enrolled in, or graduated from, a French higher education institution.
Applicants who do not meet the required academic threshold.
Applicants who cannot establish one of the three eligible bachelor’s-degree routes.
Applicants seeking funding for a one-year master’s or a dual degree programme.

Admission eligibility and scholarship eligibility are separate. Consequently, an applicant may qualify to apply to Sciences Po while remaining ineligible for this particular scholarship.

Which Universities and Bridge Programmes Qualify?

Sciences Po publishes an official list of eligible universities. Applicants should check the exact institution name in that document rather than rely only on their country of citizenship.

For example, the list includes the University of Buea, University of Douala, University of Ghana, University of Ibadan, University of Nairobi and University of Cape Town, among many others.

These examples do not form the complete list. Use the current document available through the official scholarship page to confirm your institution.

Recognised Bridge and Mentoring Organisations

The published bridge programme document lists:

African Leadership Academy.
Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI).
Education for All Children.
Equity Bank Kenya — Wings to Fly.
COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa (CIYOTA).
Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE).
Open Dreams.
Oxford’s Refugee-Led Research Hub — Graduate Horizon.
Sciences Po — Academic Toolbox / Les clés de la réussite académique.
The Rotary Club of Dar es Salaam Oyster Bay.

For this route, prepare evidence of your bachelor’s studies and the required certificate confirming successful completion of the recognised programme.

Membership of an organisation or attendance at an unrelated event should not be assumed to satisfy this requirement.

Academic Requirements for Admission

Applicants must meet Sciences Po’s minimum academic results for the country of their home university.

There is no single universal GPA requirement in the supplied guidance. Instead, Sciences Po directs applicants to a country-specific academic requirements table.

Before starting, confirm:

The country under which Sciences Po assesses your qualification.
The relevant grading scale.
The minimum result required.
Any additional requirements for your chosen master’s programme.

Meeting the minimum threshold allows an application to proceed; it does not guarantee admission or funding.

The International Graduate Admissions Procedure generally serves applicants who hold, or will obtain during the current academic year, a non-French undergraduate qualification equivalent to a bachelor’s degree or 180 ECTS credits. Scholarship applicants must also satisfy the programme’s additional restrictions.

Eligible Master’s Programmes and Language Requirements

The scholarship supports eligible two-year master’s programmes at Sciences Po.

It does not cover one-year master’s programmes or dual degrees under the published graduate scholarship rules.

When choosing a programme, review its academic focus, language requirements and supporting documents. Your choice should connect clearly with your previous studies and future plans.

Do You Need French or IELTS?

The scholarship welcomes applicants from both Anglophone and Francophone backgrounds. However, admission depends on the language requirements of the chosen master’s programme.

Therefore:

Do not assume every programme requires French.
Do not assume every programme accepts the same English test or score.
Do not assume a previous degree taught in English automatically provides an exemption.
Submit the language evidence required for your selected programme.

Check these requirements early, especially if you need to book a test.

Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027 Deadlines

Sciences Po provides two deadlines for the scholarship application.

Scholarship application deadline	Associated master’s admission decision
23 November 2026	By 11 February 2027
14 December 2026	By 1 April 2027

Scholarship selection results will arrive in April 2027, regardless of which application deadline you use.

These admission decision dates do not represent scholarship award dates. An applicant may receive an admission offer before learning whether the scholarship committee has selected them.

Furthermore, the Admissions Office will email eligible applicants a separate deadline for completing and submitting their master’s application under the fee-waiver process. Follow that deadline precisely.

If you apply for more than one scholarship, Sciences Po advises using the earliest applicable deadline.

How to Apply: The Two-Platform Process

Applicants must coordinate the scholarship eligibility process with their master’s admission application.

Step 1: Check Scholarship and Academic Eligibility

First, confirm that you meet every scholarship condition.

Then review the country-specific academic requirements and the entry requirements of your preferred master’s programme.

This initial check matters because scholarship eligibility depends on admission to Sciences Po.

Step 2: Prepare Your Supporting Documents

Gather the documents for both applications before requesting the fee waiver.

Start early with academic references, transcripts and language evidence. These can take longer to obtain than the application forms themselves.

Step 3: Submit the Scholarship Eligibility Request

Use the dedicated Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program platform linked from the official graduate scholarship page.

Provide the documents needed to establish your identity, bachelor’s studies and eligibility route.

Step 4: Create Your Master’s Application at the Same Time

At the same stage, create your application through the Sciences Po admissions platform.

Do not wait for the scholarship eligibility result before creating this application.

Sciences Po states that applicants who fail to create their master’s application at this stage cannot benefit from the fee waiver later, even if they subsequently qualify for the scholarship.

Step 5: Follow the Fee-Waiver Email

If you meet the eligibility criteria and have already created your master’s application, the Admissions Office will email instructions for completing and submitting it without paying the application fee.

The email will include a deadline. Because the response period can be short, prepare the full application before the message arrives.

Step 6: Complete the Admission Process

Submit all required documents through the admissions platform within the specified timeframe.

The international graduate selection process has two successive stages: admissibility and admission.

A fee waiver does not guarantee success at either stage.

Step 7: Await Scholarship Review

If Sciences Po admits you and confirms your scholarship eligibility, your application can proceed to scholarship selection.

The committee reviews eligible admitted applicants and invites shortlisted candidates to an online interview.

Finally, the programme team communicates scholarship decisions in April 2027.

Required Documents

Separate the scholarship eligibility documents from the complete master’s admission file.

Scholarship Eligibility Documents

Document	Purpose
Passport, national identity card, UNHCR card or travel document	Establish your identity
Bachelor’s degree certificate or evidence of current undergraduate study	Establish your academic status
Evidence of study at an approved university	Support the approved-university route
Bachelor’s study evidence and recognised programme certificate	Support the bridge or mentoring route
Bachelor’s study evidence and refugee-status documentation	Support the UNHCR route

Submit the combination that matches your eligibility route. You do not need to claim all three routes.

Master’s Admission Documents

Your selected programme determines the complete admission checklist. Prepare to provide the academic records, references, motivation statement and language evidence that Sciences Po requests.

The scholarship guidance specifically warns that missing or non-compliant documents can make an application incomplete and ineligible. Examples include missing transcripts, missing language results and academic recommendations submitted from personal email addresses.

Accordingly, contact your referees early and ask them to follow Sciences Po’s current submission instructions.

How Does Sciences Po Select Scholars?

The scholarship committee considers more than academic results.

Its published criteria include significant barriers to education, commitment to Africa’s development and the potential to lead lasting change.

Barriers to Education

Applicants should explain the economic, social, geographical or other circumstances that have affected their access to education.

Give clear, relevant context. Where appropriate, explain how you continued your studies despite these challenges.

Commitment to Africa’s Development

Show how your goals connect with a specific challenge facing your community, country or the continent.

Sciences Po highlights public policy and political, environmental and societal transitions. A focused explanation of the problem you hope to address will help communicate your purpose.

Leadership and Community Impact

Leadership can emerge through entrepreneurship, public service or community initiatives.

For example, you might discuss a project you helped organise, the people it served, the obstacles you encountered and the results you achieved. Use your own experience and avoid claiming outcomes you cannot support.

The programme gives particular consideration to young women, refugees and displaced persons, and applicants with disabilities as part of its commitment to inclusion and equal opportunity.

Scholarship Interview

Shortlisted admitted applicants receive an email invitation to an online interview.

Sciences Po states that interviews take place through Zoom and last approximately 25 minutes.

Prepare to explain:

Why you chose your master’s programme.
How your academic and personal experiences shaped that choice.
Which challenges you want to address.
What your initiatives taught you about leadership.
How the programme could support your future contribution to Africa.

Meeting the eligibility requirements and gaining admission do not guarantee an interview. Likewise, an interview invitation does not guarantee a scholarship.

Write Your Own Application Responses

Sciences Po explicitly asks applicants to demonstrate independent, personal reflection. Its guidance warns that relying on artificial intelligence for the written assignments may lead to a lower evaluation.

Write your own responses, use concrete experiences and ensure your application accurately represents your work and goals.

Mastercard Foundation Scholarship or Émile Boutmy Scholarship?

These are separate funding opportunities at Sciences Po, with different eligibility rules and application arrangements.

Applicants comparing their options can consult the Émile Boutmy Scholarship 2027 guide for details of that tuition-support scheme.

However, eligibility for one scholarship does not establish eligibility for the other. If you pursue more than one opportunity, check each deadline and any rules governing combined awards.

Applicants considering other European destinations can also explore the VLIR-UOS ICP Connect Scholarships 2027, which have their own nationality, residence and programme requirements.

What Happens After the Scholarship Decision?

Successful applicants receive an official offer explaining their rights and responsibilities as Scholars. Read it carefully before accepting.

After acceptance, the programme team begins supporting your preparation for study in France.

The offer applies only to the academic year for which Sciences Po issues it. If you defer admission by one year, you lose eligibility to take up that scholarship offer.

If Sciences Po admits you but does not award the scholarship, you must secure another source of funding.

Common Application Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming African citizenship alone makes you eligible.
Checking your country but not your university or alternative eligibility route.
Applying while already pursuing a master’s degree.
Ignoring the restriction concerning French higher education institutions.
Starting only the scholarship application and leaving the master’s application until later.
Confusing an admission decision with a scholarship decision.
Missing the submission deadline in the fee-waiver email.
Assuming every master’s programme has the same language requirements.
Submitting incomplete documents or non-compliant references.
Using generic responses instead of your own experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027 fully funded?

Sciences Po states that the programme covers selected Scholars’ full financial needs during their two-year master’s studies. The current graduate application guidance does not specify a fixed monthly stipend.

What is the final scholarship application deadline?

The second published deadline is 14 December 2026. The earlier deadline, 23 November 2026, corresponds to an earlier master’s admission decision schedule.

Can I apply if my university is not on the list?

Potentially. You may qualify through a recognised bridge or mentoring programme, or through current or previous UNHCR refugee status, provided you meet all other requirements.

Can final-year bachelor’s students apply?

Yes. The scholarship rules allow applicants who currently complete a bachelor’s degree, subject to the relevant eligibility route and admission requirements.

Can I apply if I already have a master’s degree?

No. The scholarship excludes applicants who already hold or currently pursue a master’s degree.

Can I apply for a dual degree?

No. The published graduate scholarship guidance excludes dual degrees and one-year master’s programmes.

Does the scholarship require French?

The scholarship itself welcomes anglophone and francophone applicants. However, you must meet the language requirements of your chosen master’s programme.

Does a fee waiver guarantee a scholarship?

No. Fee-waiver eligibility, admission and scholarship selection are separate decisions.

When will scholarship results arrive?

Sciences Po states that scholarship selection results will arrive in April 2027.

Can I defer the scholarship?

The offer applies only to its stated academic year. Deferring admission by a year means you can no longer take up that scholarship offer.

Official Information and Application Access

Use the official graduate scholarship page to access the scholarship platform, admissions platform, approved institution lists and academic requirements table.

Last checked: 31 October 2026.