University of Rwanda Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027: Eligibility, Benefits and Deadline

The University of Rwanda Mastercard Foundation Scholarship is a full undergraduate and master’s scholarship at the University of Rwanda (UR) for young Africans who are academically strong but face financial or social barriers. It covers tuition, registration fees, on-campus accommodation, a laptop, learning materials and, where needed, a return ticket to your home country. Rwandans, citizens of any African country, and refugees or displaced young people in Africa can apply.

The 2026/2027 undergraduate call (Cohort 5) closed on 12 October 2026, and the recruitment portal now shows it as closed. The undergraduate deadline is 12 October 2027 for the 2027/2028 intake. You must be admitted to UR before you can apply for the scholarship, so start with UR admission well before that date.

What the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UR is

The programme is a 10-year partnership between the University of Rwanda and the Mastercard Foundation that runs from 2021 to 2031. Over that period UR plans to enrol 1,200 Mastercard Foundation Scholars. Some scholarship websites give a figure of 1,400, but the programme’s own site says 1,200. In October 2026 the site counted 548 Scholars recruited so far, so several more cohorts are still to come.

These targets tell you who the selectors are looking for. Young women, refugees and young people with disabilities are priority groups, and most Scholars study STEM courses. If you are a non-Rwandan African applicant, you are competing for a smaller share of places, so your application has to be strong on academics and community work.

University of Rwanda Mastercard Foundation Scholarship benefits

Who can apply

• Nationality: Rwandan citizens, citizens of any other African country, or refugees and displaced young people living in Africa.
• Academic standard: you must be academically qualified and meet UR’s admission requirements for your programme.
• Admission first: you must secure admission to UR before applying for the scholarship. UNHCR’s notice of the 2026/2027 call said this directly.
• New students only: the programme is for newly admitted students who have not started at UR. Current UR students cannot apply.
• Leadership and service: you need to show leadership potential and a commitment to giving back to your community.
• Background: the programme targets talented young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The full eligibility list, including any age limit and the documents required, is in the official call PDF on the UR website. I could not open that file when checking this post, so read it yourself when the next call is published and compare it with the list above.

What the 2026/2027 call text added

Two scholarship listings that reproduce the 2026/2027 undergraduate call (Afrocareers and Scholarship Air) report the same extra rules. I am including them because they match each other, but treat the official call for 2027/2028 as final when it comes out.

• Age limit: 28 or younger when you apply, or up to 30 if you have certified proof of protracted hardship, such as refugee status, being a single mother or coming from a child-headed family.
• UR Reference Number: you must have generated a UR reference number and applied for admission before you apply for the scholarship.
• Proof of status: refugees and applicants with disabilities upload legal proof from UNHCR, the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) or another recognised body.
• File rules: every document as a PDF within the size limit in the call, named with your names and UR reference number.
• Other support: the same listings mention a monthly stipend and an annual return ticket allowance. The programme website does not list a stipend, so do not budget on one until the official call confirms it.

Where the 2026/2027 places went

The reported call offered 170 undergraduate scholarships, split by college. Medicine and health sciences took more than half, which matches the programme’s STEM target.

The split may change for 2027/2028. Still, if your grades fit a health or engineering programme, those are where most places have been.

Eligibility edge cases

• You already study at UR: you are not eligible. The programme takes newly admitted students only.
• You studied at another university and dropped out: the published rules do not mention this. Ask the programme office before you apply and be honest about it on the form.
• You are a refugee outside Rwanda: refugees and displaced young people living anywhere in Africa can apply, but you will need UNHCR or equivalent proof of status.
• You are 29: you only qualify if you can show certified proof of protracted life conditions. Otherwise the age cap of 28 applies.
• You hold another scholarship: the published material does not say whether you can combine awards. Expect to have to choose, and ask before accepting both.
• You are from outside Africa: you cannot apply. The award is limited to Rwandans, other Africans and refugees or displaced youth in Africa.

How to apply for the University of Rwanda Mastercard Foundation Scholarship

1. Apply to UR first: respond to UR’s undergraduate admission call and choose a programme on the eligible list. The scholarship call is published separately.
2. Watch for the scholarship call: UR posts it on its website, the programme website (mcfsp.ur.ac.rw) and both institutions’ official social media pages.
3. Read the call PDF in full: it lists the eligible programmes, the documents and the file rules for that year.
4. Prepare your documents before you open the form: scan everything clearly and follow the file rules in that year’s call.
5. Apply on the portal: use the Scholars recruitment portal, choose the undergraduate or postgraduate scholarship and complete every field.
6. Submit and keep your application number: you need it to log back in and to contact the programme office.

Questions go to mcfsp@ur.ac.rw or +250 783 016 900. Include your full name and application number in any email, as the portal asks.

Step-by-step application walkthrough

1. Generate your UR reference number: apply through UR’s undergraduate admission system first. The reference number is what links your scholarship form to your admission record.
2. Choose a programme with places: check the eligible programme list in the scholarship call and make sure your admission choice is on it.
3. Scan your documents to PDF: secondary school certificates and results, ID or passport, proof of refugee or disability status if it applies, and proof of protracted hardship if you are claiming the age extension. Name each file with your names and reference number.
4. Draft your written answers offline: write them in a document first so a weak connection does not wipe your work.
5. Fill the portal form: on mcfsprecruitment.ur.ac.rw, choose the undergraduate call, complete every field and attach every file.
6. Review before you submit: open each attachment to check it is the right file and readable.
7. Submit and save your application number: keep your phone and email active, because the programme uses them to call you for the next stage.

How to write a strong application for the UR Mastercard Foundation Scholarship

The programme does not publish its essay questions in advance, but its own criteria tell you what selectors want to see: academic ability, financial need, leadership and a commitment to give back. Every written answer should prove at least one of those with a specific example.

1. Open with your situation: who you are, where you live and what has made university hard to reach. Be factual, not dramatic.
2. Show leadership in action: one real project, club or responsibility, what you did and what changed because of it. Numbers help: how many people, how many weeks.
3. Connect your course to a plan: why this UR programme, and what you will do with it in your community or country.
4. Say how you will give back: the programme looks for a commitment to giving back to your community. A concrete idea beats a general promise.

A short example opening: “In my last two years of secondary school I ran a Saturday maths club for 30 younger pupils in our camp, because our school was short of maths teachers. I want to study Civil Engineering at UR so I can design the water points our settlement still lacks.” It names a real activity, a number and a goal tied to the course.

Avoid copied essays, answers that only repeat the question, and leadership claims with no example behind them. If you need a referee letter, our guide on the recommendation letter for a scholarship shows how to brief a teacher.

University of Rwanda Mastercard Foundation Scholarship deadlines

(based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens)

What happens after you apply

1. Screening: applications are checked against the eligibility rules, admission status and documents. The programme does not publish how this stage is scored.
2. Interview: the call text reported by listings says shortlisted applicants face an oral interview by independent panels.
3. Home visit: some applicants may get a visit at home to confirm their circumstances.
4. Offer: successful applicants are contacted by phone or email. UR has not published a results date.
5. Renewal: funding continues each year only with satisfactory academic performance, and Scholars are expected to stay in contact with UR after graduation.

Costs the scholarship may not cover

• Passport, visa and residence permit fees for non-Rwandan Scholars, unless the call says otherwise.
• Your first journey to Rwanda, if the return ticket is only provided at the end of a year or the end of the course.
• Medical costs beyond any insurance UR arranges.
• Personal spending, phone data and clothing, since the programme website lists no cash stipend.

Ask the programme office which of these it covers before you travel. The official site lists tuition, registration, accommodation, a laptop, learning materials and a return ticket if needed, and nothing more.

Common mistakes

• Applying for the scholarship before applying for UR admission.
• Picking a programme that is not on the scholarship list for that year.
• Uploading photos instead of PDFs, or unnamed files.
• Missing the deadline time: the 2026 call closed at 23:59 Kigali time (GMT+2), per the listings.
• Paying an agent. The call warns that no fees or intermediaries are needed at any stage.

How it compares with similar scholarships

Who should apply, and who should not

Apply if you are an African citizen, refugee or displaced young person in Africa, aged 28 or under (30 with proof of protracted hardship), you have the grades for a UR programme and you cannot afford university without help. Young women, refugees and applicants with disabilities are priority groups.

Skip it if you are already a UR student, you are from outside Africa, or you want to study a course UR does not include in the scholarship list. In that case one of the options in the table above may fit better.

Other Mastercard Foundation scholarships for African students

UR is one of several Mastercard Foundation partner universities. If you want a wider choice, compare it with the UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship and the funding covered in our University of Cape Town scholarships guide. Our list of scholarships for African students has more fully funded options and their deadlines.

FAQ on the University of Rwanda Mastercard Foundation Scholarship

Is the University of Rwanda Mastercard Foundation Scholarship still open?

No. The 2026/2027 undergraduate call closed on 12 October 2026. The undergraduate deadline is 12 October 2027, based on this year’s date.

Can non-Rwandans apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at UR?

Yes. Citizens of any African country and refugees or displaced young people in Africa can apply, and the programme aims for about 15% international Scholars.

Do I need University of Rwanda admission before applying?

Yes. You must secure admission to an eligible UR programme first and then apply for the scholarship on the recruitment portal.

What does the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at UR cover?

It covers tuition, registration fees, on-campus accommodation, a laptop, learning materials and a return ticket home if needed. Scholars also get mentorship, psychosocial support, leadership training and internships.

Sources and updates

Programme size, targets, eligibility and benefits come from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UR website. Call status and the 2026/2027 dates come from the programme’s recruitment portal. The admission-first rule comes from UNHCR Rwanda’s notice of 2 October 2026 announcing the 2026/2027 call. The official call PDF on the UR website could not be opened when this post was checked. The age limit, file rules, interview and home visit stages, 23:59 Kigali time cut-off and the 170 places by college are taken from the 2026/2027 call as reproduced by Afrocareers and Scholarship Air, which agree with each other. Information checked on 24 October 2026. I will update the dates when UR publishes the 2027/2028 call.

Jude Chinecherem

I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.