Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh

What Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh does

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh is a nonprofit educational scholarship initiative founded in 2016 and operated as a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation (a philanthropic foundation) and the University of Edinburgh, a charitable body registered in Scotland (registration number SC005336). The program is administered through Edinburgh Global, the university's central international engagement office, and serves three principal segments: African students from across the continent, refugees and asylum seekers (including those sourced from Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya), and widening-participation students eligible for Una Europa mobility grants. Approximately 29 staff run the program alongside the wider Edinburgh Global services infrastructure.

The offering portfolio is administrative rather than technology-based. Core products include the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (full scholarships for African undergraduates and postgraduates), the Wits-Edinburgh Sustainable Africa Futures Doctoral Programme (a doctoral research partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand funded by the Mastercard Foundation), and a suite of mobility programmes managed through the Study and Work Away (SWAY) Service — Study Abroad, International Exchange, European Exchange, Erasmus+ Traineeships, the NICE Programme, INCiTE and SOLSTICE Summer Schools, the Go Abroad Fund, and the Air Miles Initiative. Technology components cited (Una Europa Language Tandem Tool, micro-credentials in sustainability) are partnership products rather than proprietary AI or software assets; no public APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is grant-funded philanthropy rather than commercial revenue: the Mastercard Foundation provides the primary scholarship capital, Edinburgh Global contributes the academic administration, and the University Development Trust supplies supplemental funding for mobility activities. No revenue, ARR, or pricing model applies to the program itself — the pricing details in the source data (£26,000 per academic year tuition, £13,250 per semester) refer to the host university's published fees that the scholarship covers on behalf of scholars. Distribution runs through Edinburgh Global's centralized application portal, two college-level visiting-student offices, the Student Immigration Service, and the Una Europa alliance of 11 European research universities.

Name

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh

Legal name

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh

Website

https://global.ed.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh funds and administers full scholarships for African students, refugees, and widening-participation students to study at the University of Edinburgh via Edinburgh Global.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Scholarships

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/Institutional Scholarships & Tuition Waivers (EDAIAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Country/Region-Specific Scholarships (Inbound/Outbound) (EDAIAOAC), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ), Mobility Grants & Short-Term Study/Travel Awards (EDAIAOAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Erasmus+ and Government-Sponsored Exchange Partnerships (EDAIABAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education scholarships
• Student mobility programs
• International study exchange
• African student scholarships
• University partnership alliances

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh provides full scholarships to African students, including refugees and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral studies at the University of Edinburgh. Administered through Edinburgh Global (the University's international office), the program also offers study abroad, student exchanges, Erasmus+ traineeships, and Una Europa alliance mobility opportunities across 11 European partner universities.

Product overview

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh is an educational scholarship and mobility programme embedded within Edinburgh Global, the university's internationalisation service. The offering is not a technology product but a portfolio of educational services comprising: the core Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program providing full scholarships for African students; study abroad programmes for visiting international students; European and international exchange opportunities for Edinburgh students; Erasmus+ research traineeships; and Una Europa alliance offerings including summer schools, language learning tools, and micro-credentials. Additional short-term mobility programmes include the NICE Programme, INCiTE Summer School, SOLSTICE Summer School, Go Abroad Fund, and Air Miles Initiative. These services are administrative programmes managed through the Study and Work Away (SWAY) Service, not technology products with AI capabilities or public APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wits-Edinburgh Sustainable Africa Futures Doctoral Programme: A doctoral programme partnership between University of the Witwatersrand and University of Edinburgh for African scholars
• Digital Education Practitioner Networks

Products and services

• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program A scholarship programme supporting students from Africa to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Edinburgh, with focus on leadership and academic excellence. Covers full tuition and living costs.
• Study Abroad Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Seven Mastercard Foundation scholars participated in the UnaVEx virtual exchange addressing global challenges in intercultural contexts
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• Edinburgh Global (University of Edinburgh)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh Global is the University's international office that administers the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. It manages global partnerships, student mobility programmes, and international engagement activities for the University of Edinburgh.
• Una Europa AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUna Europa is a pan-European alliance of eleven top research universities including University of Edinburgh, Freie Universität Berlin, University of Helsinki, University of Copenhagen, KU Leuven, University College Dublin, University of Bologna, Jagiellonian University, University of Lausanne, and others. The alliance offers student mobility, joint programmes, research collaboration, and staff development opportunities.
• Kakuma Refugee CampminorOthersThe Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has supported students from Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, providing educational pathways for displaced youth to study at the University of Edinburgh.
• University of Edinburgh Student Immigration ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Student Immigration Service provides visa advice and immigration guidance to international students, including Mastercard Foundation Scholars and study abroad participants.
• Wits-Edinburgh Sustainable Africa Futures Doctoral ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaborative doctoral programme between the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa and the University of Edinburgh, supported by the Mastercard Foundation, focusing on sustainable development research in Africa.
• Universitas 21supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of research universities that the University of Edinburgh participates in for international collaboration and student exchange.
• LERU (League of European Research Universities)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Edinburgh is a member of LERU, an alliance of Europe's leading research-intensive universities.
• The Coimbra GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of European universities that includes the University of Edinburgh for collaborative academic and research initiatives.
• UArcticsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative network of universities in the circumpolar Arctic region for research and education collaboration.
• U7+ AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of G7 university leaders engaging on global policy issues.
• FU Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university in the Una Europa alliance offering starter funding for joint teaching and research projects, with up to €10,000 available for collaborative initiatives with Edinburgh academics.
• Leiden UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUna Europa partner university offering seed funding (€5,000-€15,000) for cross-border projects including Early-Career Researcher Mobility, Lifelong Learning Innovation, and Strategic Interdisciplinary Initiatives.
• University College DublinsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUna Europa partner offering Irish language and culture summer school programmes for staff and students.
• University of HelsinkisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUna Europa partner hosting the 2026 Una Europa Staff Week focusing on higher education professional development topics.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Sciences Po: Sciences Po hosts a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme for African students, particularly in social sciences. Direct peer with the same funder and scholar profile.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Stanford University: Stanford hosts one of the most established Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program cohorts, providing scholarships and leadership development for African students. It is the most direct comparable peer, sharing the same funder, programme model, and target demographic.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at American University of Beirut: AUB hosts a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program cohort focused on African students, particularly those from refugee and disadvantaged backgrounds. Same funding model and scholar profile make it a clear direct peer.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: KNUST is a major African host of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, focused on STEM scholars. Direct peer sharing the same funder and African-targeted scholarship model.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at McGill University: McGill hosts a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program cohort for African undergraduate and graduate students. Direct peer in programme design and target demographic.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at University of Pretoria: University of Pretoria is a key African partner university within the Mastercard Foundation Scholars network. Direct peer with comparable mission and population served.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at University of Cape Town: UCT is a leading African host university for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, targeting the same African student demographic but with a different geographic and academic setting. Direct peer along funding source and programme model.

Emerging players

• Edinburgh Global (University of Edinburgh International Office): The host administrative unit that runs the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Edinburgh. While not a separate company, it is the immediate operating entity and direct operational counterpart.
• Una Europa Alliance: Pan-European alliance of 11 research universities that provides mobility, joint programmes, and micro-credentials for Scholars. Strategic ecosystem partner that amplifies the Scholars Program's reach.
• Wits-Edinburgh Sustainable Africa Futures Doctoral Programme: Sub-brand partnership with University of the Witwatersrand for doctoral training. Adjacent programme under the same Mastercard Foundation funding umbrella, representing a programmatic extension rather than a true competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/edinburghuniversity_global
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcfscholarsed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh