The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Oxford, run through the Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx), is about as strong as fully funded scholarships get for African students. It is a partnership between Oxford and the Mastercard Foundation, and the ambition is large: together they aim to support 400 young African scholars through fully funded taught Master’s degrees at Oxford.
This one genuinely lives up to the “fully funded” label, and it goes further than most. It covers your tuition and living costs, but it also pays for your return flight, your visa and health surcharge fees, a settling in allowance, and gives you access to an emergency fund. On top of the money sits a structured leadership programme and a funded period of service back in Africa. It is designed not just to get you to Oxford, but to build you into a leader who returns home with impact.
It is also unambiguously built for Africans who intend to give back. Every part of the eligibility points the same way: you must be an African citizen, ordinarily resident in Africa, without a previous graduate degree, with a track record of leadership and service, and a clear plan to help address Africa’s biggest challenges. If that is you, this is one of the most complete opportunities on this site. Read the eligibility carefully, because a few of the conditions quietly rule people out.
Scholarship benefits
- Full tuition fees for a one year taught Master’s course at Oxford, covered for the full duration of your fee liability.
- A grant for living costs, paid at the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend rate.
- An economy return flight to and from Oxford.
- Payment of your visa and Immigration Health Surcharge fees.
- A settling in allowance to help you get established.
- Access to a Thrive Fund for emergencies during your studies.
- A bespoke Leadership and Impact Programme in your first year, developing collaborative, cross sector leadership skills.
- A funded Ubuntu Period of Service after your Master’s: a 4 to 6 month placement in a leading Africa based organisation, with mentoring from African academics and practitioners.
- Lifelong membership of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars alumni and the AfOx Alumni Network, plus mentorship from AfOx Research and Innovation Fellows.
A note on scope so you target the right course. The programme funds taught one year Master’s study, with disciplines spanning food systems, health sciences, sustainable water and energy, governance and public policy, and entrepreneurship, organised around four AfOx themes: Healthy People, Integrated Societies, Green Futures, and Innovation for Prosperity. Oxford has also expanded the offer to include the part time PG Diploma in Global Health Research for 2026/27 entry, which covers 14 months of course fees plus study support.
Eligibility checklist
- ✔ You are a citizen of an African country and ordinarily resident in Africa. For applicants from refugee or displaced backgrounds, AfOx makes necessary residence considerations.
- ✔ You hold, or are applying for, an offer for a full time one year taught Master’s course at Oxford (or the PG Diploma in Global Health Research for that specific award), and you applied through the graduate admissions portal by the relevant funding deadline. Open field applications are not eligible.
- ✔ You have not previously completed a graduate degree. This is a common disqualifier, so check it before you invest time.
- ✔ You can demonstrate a genuine track record of leadership and service within your community.
- ✔ You align with the AfOx values: collegiality, empathy, commitment, transparency and inclusivity.
- ✔ You can show how your past work or future plans will contribute to Africa’s major challenges, such as pandemic threats, the climate crisis and youth employment.
- ✔ If you have a displacement background, you indicated this on your graduate application by answering YES to the question about being a refugee, stateless person, asylum seeker or forcibly displaced person.
Application tips for African students
- Your real deadline is the course funding deadline, and it comes early. There is no separate scholarship application to start with. You apply for your Master’s through Oxford’s graduate admissions portal by the main December or January funding deadline for that course. Oxford advises submitting your form and all supporting documents at least a week before that date, so treat late autumn as your working deadline.
- Check your specific course deadline yourself, because they vary. The exact funding deadline differs from course to course. Look up your chosen course on Oxford’s A to Z course listing well in advance rather than assuming a single university wide date.
- Do not apply “open field.” Applicants who apply without selecting a specific eligible course are explicitly not considered. Choose a defined, eligible taught Master’s.
- Make your leadership and service record concrete. The panel looks at leadership experience and capacity, alignment with AfOx values, and your commitment to Africa’s development, alongside academic merit. Name what you led, what changed, and how it ties to Africa’s challenges, rather than speaking in generalities.
- If you are from a group AfOx prioritises, make sure it shows. AfOx particularly welcomes applications from people from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, women, refugees or displaced people, and people with disabilities. If you have a displacement background, remember to select YES to the displacement question on the graduate application so residence considerations can be applied.
- Get your documents and references ready early. A strong Oxford graduate application needs transcripts, references and often a written work or research proposal depending on the course. Since your admission application effectively is your scholarship application, its quality carries double weight here.
- Understand the two year shape before you commit. This is not only a Master’s. The funded Ubuntu Period of Service afterward expects you to deliver an impact project in Africa, so be ready to speak to what you would do with that placement.
How to apply
There is no standalone scholarship form at the first stage. You are considered by applying to Oxford in the normal way and meeting the criteria. Follow these steps:
- Step 1. Choose an eligible full time one year taught Master’s course (or the PG Diploma in Global Health Research) using Oxford’s graduate course listing, and read the Application Guide carefully.
- Step 2. Submit your application for graduate study through the Oxford graduate admissions portal by the main December or January funding deadline for your chosen course. Aim to submit at least a week early.
- Step 3. If you have a displacement background, answer YES to the displacement question on the application so the correct residence considerations are applied.
- Step 4. If you are an eligible offer holder, Oxford’s Student Fees and Funding team will contact you by email and invite you to complete a scholarship application form. Eligible candidates are then invited to a virtual interview for the AfOx Graduate Scholarship Program.
- Step 5. Await the selection outcome. Selection for the PG Diploma in Global Health Research award, for example, was expected to take place by August 2026.
Full details of the programme, eligible courses and the criteria are on the official AfOx Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program page, which links through to Oxford’s graduate admissions portal.
Frequently asked questions
Is the AfOx Mastercard scholarship fully funded?
Yes, and comprehensively so. It covers full tuition and a living costs grant at the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend rate, plus an economy return flight, visa and Immigration Health Surcharge fees, a settling in allowance, and access to an emergency Thrive Fund. It also includes a leadership programme and a funded period of service in Africa.
Who can apply?
African citizens ordinarily resident in Africa who hold or are applying for an offer on an eligible full time one year taught Master’s at Oxford, have not previously completed a graduate degree, can show leadership and service, align with AfOx values, and are committed to Africa’s development. Residence considerations are made for people from refugee or displaced backgrounds.
Do I apply for the scholarship or the course first?
The course. You apply for your Master’s through Oxford’s graduate admissions portal by the December or January funding deadline for that course. Eligible offer holders are then contacted by Oxford and invited to complete the scholarship application and a virtual interview. There is no separate first stage scholarship form.
When is the deadline?
There is no single date. You must meet the main December or January funding deadline for your specific course, and these vary by course, so check your chosen course’s funding deadline on Oxford’s course listing. Oxford recommends submitting at least a week before that date.
Does having a previous Master’s affect my eligibility?
Yes. You should not have previously completed a graduate degree. This condition rules out applicants who already hold a Master’s or other postgraduate degree, so confirm it applies to you before applying.
What is the Ubuntu Period of Service?
It is a funded 4 to 6 month placement in a leading Africa based organisation, undertaken after your Master’s, where you design and deliver an impact project with mentoring from African academics and practitioners. It is a core part of the programme, not an optional extra.
What does the scholarship look for in applicants?
The selection panel weighs four areas: academic merit and potential, leadership experience and capacity, alignment with AfOx values and themes, and commitment to Africa’s development. Applications from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, women, refugees or displaced people, and people with disabilities are particularly welcomed.