2026 MasterCard Scholarship at UC Berkeley (University of California Berkeley, USA) | Fully Funded
The MasterCard Scholarship at UC Berkeley is intended to build a community of ethical, entrepreneurial, and energetic young leaders who will participate and lead the transformation of Africa’s socio-economic development.
The University of California, Berkeley is part of a collaborative, international network of educational institutions and non-profit organizations that believe that education is the key to social and economic progress, founded by The Mastercard Foundation.
In this post, Scholarship Region will give a comprehensive knowledge about the scholarship, its criteria, advantages, along with its application process.
2026 MasterCard Scholarship UC Berkeley Details:
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is an emerging commitment and to date the Program has made more than USD $1.2 billion in commitments towards the education and leadership development of over 40,000 young people.
MasterCard Scholarship at UC Berkely is a program funded by the Center for African Studies at UC Berkeley to support students across the entirety of undergraduate and master’s degree programs, both undergraduate and master’s degree students. Doctoral degree students are not eligible for this Program.
In the next nine years, up to 2030, the Program at UC Berkeley will support more than 108 master’s degree students.
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MasterCard Scholarship at the University of California Berkeley 2026 Requirements:
In order to be eligible for the MasterCard Scholarship at University of California Berkeley 2026, you will have to meet the following requirements:
- Being a citizen of a Sub-Saharan African country: This includes Africans that are refugees or displaced within the African continent. This scholarship is not for the citizens of North African countries. People with dual citizenship, asylee status, refugee status or permanent resident status in the United States, Canada, UK or in the European Union are not eligible.
- Academic Excellence: The Scholarship is open to admitted applicants into a UC Berkeley master’s degree program. The admission to the University is determined by the evidence of academic excellence.
- Demonstrating leadership potential: The Program seeks participants who have a commitment to the development of the skills and dispositions related to transformative leadership that is to say, that which involves others in an ethical way towards creating positive and sustainable change.
- Socio-Economic Background: The Scholarship aims to take advantage of people with exceptional ability coming from a socio-economically disadvantaged background and who would otherwise lack access to quality further education.
- Committed to contribute to your community, country, or continent: We seek well-rounded students who are concerned about activities outside of the classroom. Some of these may be directly related to your field of study, but some may also relate to other issues (social, economic, political) that you are working and passionate about. Applicants will be required to describe their achievements in their UC Berkeley application as well as in the Scholarship application.
- Expressed desire to and intention to return to home country after completion of studies: We seek students who are interested and passionate about issues facing their communities, and who will use their UC Berkeley education to further prepare themselves with the knowledge and training to assist them upon return. While it is important work to do abroad, the Program’s goal is for Scholars to be able to return home, having established valuable professional connections through internships, academic training and placement for professional jobs.
MasterCard Scholarship UC Berkeley Duration and Reward
- The Scholarship is completely funded.
- Mastercard Foundation Scholars are awarded a full scholarship covering the cost of receiving a master’s degree, including travel, tuition, Berkeley student fees, visa and SEVIS fees, housing, food, living expenses, and cohort signature programs that will emphasize leadership and entrepreneurship.
- MBA students must apply for other sources of funding from Haas Business School by applying for Haas scholarships, which means that the application must be submitted before the Round One or Two application deadline.
How to Apply for MasterCard Scholarship University of California Berkeley 2026 (Step by Step)
Master’s degree students are required to apply for the university via the regular admissions process in order to be considered for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
- If a student is applying to a degree program, he/she will be asked to apply for the Scholarship after the student has applied for admission to the degree program and has met the eligibility requirements.
- Mastercard Foundations Scholars Program candidates must first submit an application for a graduate degree program before they will get consideration for the Mastercard Foundations Scholars Program. All degree programs are not eligible. A list of Master’s Degree programs is available.
- Each graduate degree program has different eligibility requirements and applicants should thoroughly check those. If a graduate program has more than one admission round with separate admission deadlines, only those applicants who apply in the first round can be considered for the Scholars Program.
- The Graduate Division also has in-depth information about the admission process for international students.
- Questions about admission requirements shall be made directly to the respective graduate program.
- More details on the Scholars Program application process to the master’s program are presented here. We will be accepting applications through the fall of 2028.
- While the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program does not accept undergraduate students, the University of California, Berkeley does accept students at this level.