The main scholarships for African students in late October 2026 that are still open or opening soon are the UCT Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (31 October 2026), the University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (19 November 2026), the Gates Cambridge Scholarship (8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027) and the Mastercard Foundation AfOx MBA scholarships at Oxford (6 January 2027). Several well-known awards, including Chevening and the Commonwealth scholarships, have already closed for this cycle.
If you are searching for scholarships for african students, you probably want a list that tells you what is open now, who can apply and where to start. This guide sorts the awards by what is still possible today, explains how the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program works, and gives a plan for the awards that have closed. The facts come from an African Exponent list published on 21 September 2026 and modified on 22 September 2026, a CV Studio guide published on 25 August 2026, a University of Cambridge Mastercard Foundation Scholars page dated 12 September 2025 and a fraud notice on the Mastercard Foundation site. These are secondary or partner pages, not every award’s official site, and the deadlines come from a list that may contain errors, so confirm each date on the funder’s page. We have not verified every amount. Also note that award rules often limit eligibility by citizenship, residence or age, so read each one closely. For the wider picture, see our Chevening scholarship, Gates Cambridge scholarship and DAAD scholarship guides.
Which Scholarships for African Students Are Open Now?
Four listed awards have deadlines after 23 October 2026. The table uses the African Exponent list, with the date it gives.
The same list also shows awards that have closed: the ASU Mastercard Foundation Innovation and Technology scholarships (27 September 2026), the Chevening UK scholarships (6 October 2026), the ARC Ltd to GSSP programme (7 October 2026), the Nordic Scholarship Programme (11 October 2026) and the Commonwealth Master’s and PhD scholarships (20 October 2026). If one of these suits you, note it for next year.
What Does the UCT Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Offer?
African Exponent says it covers tuition, accommodation, living expenses, a laptop, medical aid, visa costs, annual travel, mentoring and leadership training. The listed deadline is 31 October 2026.
The list describes it for academically strong young Africans with leadership potential and a commitment to social impact, and says you must also apply for and receive UCT admission separately. With today’s date in late October 2026, you have about a week. Start the admission file first, then the scholarship application, and check the University of Cape Town’s page for the exact process.
How Does the Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Program Work?
It has several steps before the main application. African Exponent lists an information session, a declaration form and a main application.
- Information session: required, with a window that ended on 24 September 2026.
- Declaration form: 19 October 2026.
- Main application: 19 November 2026.
The list says the programme is for Africans aged 35 or under, born on or after 1 January 1992, who have faced barriers to education and show leadership in tackling climate change. Because the information session window and declaration date may already have passed, check the university’s page today to see whether you can still enter. The steps and cut-offs are as listed by one source, so confirm them.
What About the Gates Cambridge Scholarship?
It is open to applicants from outside the UK and the listed deadlines are 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on course. African Exponent also lists a 2025 to 2026 maintenance rate of 22,050 pounds for 12 months.
The list says it covers university fees, maintenance, airfares and visa costs, and gives about 70 awards a year. Other pages give different maintenance figures, so use the official rate. Our Gates Cambridge scholarship guide explains the rounds and how to prepare.
What Is the Mastercard Foundation AfOx MBA Scholarship?
It is an MBA at Oxford’s Saïd Business School for African nationals living in Africa, with up to three awards. The deadline listed is 6 January 2027.
The list says it covers course fees and a living grant of at least 21,805 pounds, plus training and networking support. It also says applicants must have overcome hardship, hold no prior master’s degree and be committed to Africa’s development, and that no separate application is needed beyond the MBA application. Check the Oxford page before you apply, because the living grant is stated as a minimum.
How Does the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Work?
It is not one scholarship but a network of partner university programmes. CV Studio says you apply directly to a partner university, not through a central portal.
CV Studio reports more than 45,000 scholarships committed, a stated goal of 100,000, more than 20,000 alumni and more than 60 partner institutions. It names USIU-Africa, the University of Nairobi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Makerere University and the University of Rwanda. It says each partner sets its own deadlines and documents, there are no application fees, and you must hold citizenship of an African Union member state. It also lists academic ability, financial need and community engagement as key criteria. These numbers come from one guide and should be checked on the programme’s own pages.
What Do Mastercard Foundation Programmes Usually Ask?
Citizenship, grades, financial need and leadership, with documents. CV Studio lists transcripts, recommendation letters and a personal statement.
The Cambridge page shows a typical postgraduate version: African citizenship and residence in Africa, a one-year course, and the academic entry requirement, which for many courses means a first-class undergraduate degree. It excludes some courses, such as the MBA, and encourages women, refugees, internally displaced people and people with disabilities to apply. Rules differ by university, so follow the partner’s page. Our documents required for scholarship application guide and recommendation letter for scholarship guide help you prepare the file.
How Should You Use the Next Two Weeks?
Pick one or two awards, not all four. A rushed file for each usually does worse than a careful file for one or two. This plan is our suggestion.
- Today: check your citizenship, residence, age and degree against each award’s page.
- This week: if you target UCT, finish the admission application and the scholarship form before 31 October 2026.
- By mid November: if you target Edinburgh, confirm whether the declaration step is still open, then draft the main application for 19 November 2026.
- By early December: if you target Gates Cambridge or AfOx, ask your referees now using the steps in our recommendation letter guide, and book your English test if one is needed.
- Before each deadline: upload the files a day early and save the confirmation email.
Keep a simple sheet with the award, deadline, documents and status. It prevents the most common failure, which is losing track of a step that sits before the main application.
Which Awards Should You Plan for Next Cycle?
Chevening, the Commonwealth scholarships and the ARC GSSP programme. They closed in October 2026, but they repeat each year.
African Exponent lists the Commonwealth Master’s scholarship as covering tuition, airfare, a monthly stipend of 1,712 pounds (2,000 pounds in London) and a study travel grant, for citizens or refugees of eligible low and middle income Commonwealth countries with at least an upper second-class degree. It lists the ARC GSSP programme as 12 awards for postgraduate study in actuarial science, insurance or agricultural statistics at host institutions in Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, South Africa and Ghana, with a two-year work commitment in Africa. Next year’s dates are not known, so expect similar timing but confirm on each page. Our Chevening scholarship guide shows how that route works.
What Other Countries Fund African Students?
Several government programmes open to international applicants. Our own guides cover them.
Look at the MEXT scholarship for Japan, the Turkiye Burslari scholarship, the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, the Chinese Government Scholarship and the Australia Awards. Eligibility depends on your country, so check the lists on each programme’s page. Our PhD scholarships guide covers doctoral funding.
How Do You Build a Strong Application?
Show academic strength, leadership and a clear plan to give back. The listed awards repeat those themes.
African Exponent’s descriptions mention leadership potential, commitment to improving others’ lives, social impact and development in Africa. Collect examples of real work: a project, a community role, a result. Then match each example to an award’s wording. Our motivation letter for scholarship, scholarship essay and scholarship interview questions guides help with the writing and the interview. This advice is our suggestion, based on the themes in the sources.
Are These Awards Open to Every African Country?
Not always. The lists describe the target as Africans, but each award sets its own citizenship and residence rules.
CV Studio says Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program applicants must hold citizenship of an African Union member state, and that a second citizenship from outside the continent can make you ineligible. The Cambridge page requires African citizenship and residence in an African country, with special rules for refugees and internally displaced people. The Commonwealth awards depend on a list of eligible countries. Read the eligibility section of each award before you spend time on the file.
Do You Need IELTS or Another English Test?
It depends on the award and the university. The sources we read do not give one rule.
Some universities accept alternatives or waivers, but the sources do not list them. Check each partner’s language page. If a test is your barrier, our scholarships without IELTS guide may help.
How Do You Spot Scholarship Scams Aimed at African Students?
The Mastercard Foundation says it never solicits funding, issues credit cards or requests payment from individuals. Its site asks people to report suspicious activity.
Be careful when a website or agent:
- Charges a fee to apply or to “reserve” a Mastercard Foundation place.
- Guarantees the award.
- Contacts you from a free email address.
- Asks for payment to a personal account.
- Asks for your passport details on a non-official page.
CV Studio says there are no application fees and advises applying only through each institution’s official website. Our scholarship scams guide explains how to verify any offer.
What Mistakes Cause Problems?
Missing the university admission step, using old deadlines and trusting list sites cause most problems. Check each point first.
- Applying for a scholarship without applying for admission.
- Using last year’s deadline.
- Trusting a list without checking the funder’s page.
- Ignoring the age limit, such as 35 or under for Edinburgh.
- Applying to the wrong programme for your citizenship.
- Skipping the information session or declaration form.
- Paying anyone for a place.
- Waiting until the last day.
Our scholarship rejection reasons guide covers other file problems.
FAQs
Which scholarships for African students are open now?
UCT (31 October 2026), Edinburgh (19 November 2026), Gates Cambridge (8 December or 6 January) and AfOx (6 January 2027), per one list.
Can I apply to the Mastercard Foundation directly?
CV Studio says you apply to a partner university, not a central portal.
Are there application fees?
CV Studio says none. Never pay to apply.
Has Chevening closed?
The list shows 6 October 2026. Plan for next cycle.
Do I need to be African to apply?
For these awards, yes. Citizenship or residence rules apply.
Where do I check dates?
On each funder’s or university’s official page.
Conclusion
Scholarships for African students are still open this week and next, but the biggest deadlines fall between 31 October 2026 and 6 January 2027. Prioritize UCT, Edinburgh, Gates Cambridge and AfOx, and apply for admission alongside each scholarship. Note the closed awards for next year, avoid fees, and confirm every date on the official page.
