Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at Sciences Po 2027: Eligibility, Deadlines and How to Apply

Most fully funded master’s scholarships for Africans send you to the UK, the US or Canada. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Sciences Po is one of the few that pays for a full two-year master’s in continental Europe. It covers tuition and living costs in Paris, and you can apply in English or French.

This guide covers who qualifies for the 2027 intake, the two deadlines, the documents to prepare, and the mistakes that get files rejected.

What the scholarship covers

Sciences Po describes it as “a comprehensive grant”. The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition and living expenses in France for the whole time you study at Sciences Po, which is the two years of your master’s. Scholars also get:

• help before you leave for France, support when you arrive, and an official welcome programme
• housing in Paris reserved for Mastercard Foundation Scholars
• personal support throughout your studies
• careers support, including a careers fair focused on jobs and internships in Africa, an entrepreneurship track and Sciences Po’s business incubator
• a mentoring programme run with the Africa Division of Sciences Po Alumni

Two limits are worth knowing early. The scholarship does not cover family members or dependants. An offer is also valid only for the year it is issued, so if you defer your admission by a year, you lose the scholarship.

Who is eligible, in plain English

You must meet every one of these conditions:

1. You are a citizen of an African country. If you also hold citizenship of a country outside Africa, such as a British or American passport, you are not eligible. Two African nationalities are fine.
2. You hold, or are finishing, a bachelor’s degree, and one of these applies to you:
   • your university is on Sciences Po’s list of eligible universities (PDF), or
   • you took part in one of the recognised bridging or mentoring programmes (PDF), or
   • you hold, or have held, UNHCR refugee status.
3. You are under 35 on 1 September 2026, the year you apply.
4. You do not already have a master’s degree and are not currently studying for one.
5. You have never applied to this programme before. Sciences Po does not let you apply twice.

You are not eligible if you are currently a Sciences Po student, or if you are studying at or graduated from a French higher education institution.

Is my university on the list?

The eligible-universities list (dated July 2026) covers more than 30 African countries. Entries for Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa (check the PDF before applying):

• Nigeria: Lagos Business School, University of Benin, Covenant University, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Port Harcourt, University of Jos, Nile University, Pan-Atlantic University, Obafemi Awolowo University
• Ghana: Ashesi University, Catholic University of Ghana, GIMPA, KNUST, University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana
• Kenya: Daystar, Egerton, Maseno, Masinde Muliro, Moi, JKUAT, Kenyatta, Strathmore, Technical University of Kenya, University of Eldoret, University of Nairobi, USIU-Africa
• South Africa: African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Stellenbosch, University of Cape Town, University of Johannesburg, University of Pretoria, Wits

If your university is not listed, you can still qualify through a listed bridging programme, such as the African Leadership Academy, FAWE or Equity Bank’s Wings to Fly. You can also qualify with refugee status.

Which master’s programmes count?

Only Sciences Po’s two-year master’s programmes, taught in person in Paris. Dual degrees, joint degrees, one-year master’s and the School of Journalism’s master’s programmes are excluded. You do not need to speak French to get the scholarship, but you must meet the language requirement of the programme you choose. Many programmes are taught in English.

The two deadlines, and which one to pick

Sciences Po deadlines are 11.59pm Paris time. In winter that is the same as 11.59pm in Lagos, 12.59am the next day in Johannesburg, 1.59am the next day in Nairobi, and 10.59pm in Accra.

Our advice: the scholarship decision arrives in April 2027 whichever deadline you choose. So the later 14 December date gives you no disadvantage on the scholarship itself and three more weeks to polish your essays and chase recommendation letters. Pick 23 November only if your file is already complete, or you need an early admission answer for another application.

Step-by-step: how to apply

1. Check the academic minimum first. Sciences Po publishes a table of minimum grades by the country of your home university. If you fall below it, Sciences Po tells you not to apply for the scholarship, because the scholarship depends on being admitted.
2. Choose one eligible two-year master’s on the Sciences Po admissions website, and check its language requirement. Some language test results take up to three months to arrive, so book your test now.
3. Create your master’s application on the Sciences Po admissions platform through the international graduate admissions procedure, the only route that qualifies. Do this before or at the same time as your scholarship eligibility request. If you skip this step, you lose the fee waiver even if you are later found eligible.
4. Request your references immediately. You need at least two academic recommendations. Your referees fill in Sciences Po’s own form, which the platform sends them, and references sent from a personal email address can make your file incomplete.
5. Submit the scholarship eligibility request on the dedicated Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program platform. Sciences Po’s page says it will be “available soon”, so check the official page regularly.
6. Watch your email. If you are found eligible, the Admissions Office emails you instructions to submit your master’s application without paying the €150 fee. Sciences Po warns that the time allowed is very short, so your file should already be complete when that email arrives.
7. Submit the master’s application by the deadline in that email, then click Submit. Paying or being waived the fee does not submit your file.
8. Interview. If you are admitted and shortlisted, you are invited to an online interview on Zoom lasting about 25 minutes.
9. Decision. Scholarship results come in April 2027. If you are selected, you get an offer letter setting out Scholars’ rights and responsibilities.

Documents to prepare now

For the scholarship eligibility check:

• proof of identity: a passport, national ID card, UNHCR card or travel document
• your bachelor’s degree certificate, or proof that you are currently studying at a listed university
• or, if your university is not listed, proof of your bachelor’s studies plus a certificate showing you completed a recognised bridging programme
• or proof of your bachelor’s studies plus documents confirming your refugee status

For the Sciences Po master’s application:

• a description of your previous studies and your transcripts
• a CV
• a motivation letter in the language of your chosen programme
• at least two academic recommendations
• a language test result, if your programme requires one
• everything uploaded as PDF, maximum 2 MB per file

Sciences Po’s older scholarship FAQ also asked for proof of financial need, such as tax notices or recent payslips for you or your parents. It said bank statements were not accepted. Keep these ready in case the 2027 platform asks for them.

Tips that actually move the needle

• Connect three things in one story. Reviewers are told to look for a clear link between your chosen master’s, your background and your career plan. “I want to study public policy” is weak. “I ran a youth water-access project in Kano, saw a policy gap, and this master’s in public policy trains me to fix it” is strong.
• Show what you have already done. The programme looks for entrepreneurial or public-service initiatives with potential impact in Africa. One concrete project, with numbers if you have them, beats a list of club memberships.
• Write it yourself. Sciences Po explicitly says that using AI for the written assignments tends to produce generic answers and may lower your score. Use your own voice and real experiences.
• Name the barriers honestly. Selection weighs whether you faced significant economic, social or geographical barriers to education. Priority consideration goes to young women, refugees and displaced people, and people with disabilities. Explain your situation plainly and without exaggeration.
• Chase referees early. Missing references are one of the most common reasons files end up incomplete. Brief each referee with your CV and goals, and give them a deadline a week before yours.

Common mistakes that get applications rejected

• Applying to a one-year master’s, a dual degree or a journalism master’s, none of which is eligible.
• Applying through the domestic (French) procedure instead of the international graduate procedure.
• Requesting the scholarship without first creating the master’s application, which loses you the fee waiver.
• Uploading an incomplete file. Sciences Po does not reject incomplete files automatically, so they simply go unassessed, and you cannot add documents after submitting.
• Paying anyone who promises to “secure” the scholarship. Sciences Po’s only fee is its own €150 application fee, and eligible applicants have it waived.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply with an HND or a degree from a university that is not on the list?
Only if you also completed one of the listed bridging programmes or have UNHCR refugee status. You also need a bachelor’s degree, or a qualification Sciences Po accepts as equivalent, for master’s admission. Check with Sciences Po admissions if you are unsure.

I graduated in 2019 and I’m 33. Can I still apply?
Yes, as long as you are under 35 on 1 September 2026, have no master’s degree and meet the other criteria.

Do I need IELTS?
It depends on your programme’s language requirement. Check your programme’s page on the Sciences Po admissions site. The scholarship itself has no language condition.

What if I’m admitted to Sciences Po but don’t get the scholarship?
Your admission stands, but you must find other funding. You also can’t apply for this scholarship again in a later year.

How many scholars are selected each year?
Not yet announced for 2027. For its 2024 to 2033 phase, Sciences Po aims to support 1,450 students and young professionals across all its Mastercard Foundation programmes.

Who do I contact with questions?
The programme team at info.mcfsp@sciencespo.fr, after reading the official FAQ.

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Official sources

• Sciences Po: Join the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the graduate level
• Sciences Po: Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program overview
• Sciences Po: Scholars Program FAQ
• Sciences Po Admissions: international graduate procedure