2026 Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of the Western Cape
Published: 16 Jun 2025
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is specifically targeted towards young people whose access to higher education is impeded by economic and social barriers. The Program places a particular emphasis on reaching young women, refugees and forcibly displaced youth, and persons with disabilities, who are encouraged to apply.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UWC supports academically talented youth from South Africa and other parts of the African continent. The aim of the Program is to equip youth with the necessary tools and education to drive transformative change which will positively impact their communities and countries. For the 2026 academic year, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UWC will provide fully-funded opportunities for young scholars to study for undergraduate qualifications
Mastercard Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship
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Mastercard Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship Benefits
Mastercard Foundation Scholars will be provided with:
- Tuition fee
- Pre-arrival support and an official on-boarding welcome programme
- Housing in a UWC residence on campus
- Personalised support throughout their studies, ensuring that every Mastercard Foundation Scholar has the best possible experience at UWC
- A monthly stipend and meal allowance
- Medical aid
- Laptop
- Study materials allowance; and
- Holistic wrap around support programmes.
Mastercard Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship Courses
- Computational, Mathematical and Physical Sciences
- Economics
- Foundation phase
- History
- Information Science
- Linguistics
- Mathematical Sciences
- Public Administration
- Women’s and Gender Studies
Requirements for Mastercard Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship
For Undergraduate Studies:
- Be no older than 26 years for the undergraduate studies;
- Meet the University's minimum admissions requirements (for program/discipline-specific information, visit www.uwc.ac.za) and must have applied for academic admission to the University for 2026;
- International applicants must apply for exemption through Universities South Africa (USAf) to determine if they meet South Africa's minimum higher education admission requirements. (For exemption applications and additional information, please visit https://usaf.ac.za/facilitating-entry-to-sa-universities/).
- Be prepared to register for full-time undergraduate study in January 2026;
- Provide evidence that access to university studies is impeded by social and economic barriers.
Application Deadline
August 30, 2025How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to
Mastercard Foundation on student.uwc.ac.za to apply
Step 1: Apply for admission to study at UWC
- Applicants intending to apply to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UWC must first submit an academic application to study at UWC for the 2026 academic year. To apply, please use the following link: admission-and-financial-aid/apply. Take note of the application closing dates for the desired programme/discipline.
- Only applicants who have successfully submitted their academic application and obtained a UWC application number are eligible to apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UWC, as a UWC application number is required to complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program application form.
Step 2: Apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UWC
Once you have successfully submitted your application to study at UWC, apply to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program by completing the online application available via study/partnerships/mastercard-foundation-scholars-program.
For more details, visit Mastercard Foundation scholarship webpage
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