The MasterCard Foundation is in collaboration with the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) to provide Scholarship Awards Program for eligible and suitable students to enroll for the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program for undergraduates.
Description of the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Awards Program
The MasterCard Foundation has worked with the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) in its global Scholars Program. This initiative will provide academically gifted youth from Africa with the opportunity to attend world-class universities despite socioeconomic, gender, displacement, or handicap barriers.
The MasterCard Foundation Program at USIU-Africa will award full-tuition scholarships to talented Africans who are applying for their first undergraduate degree. Scholars will be expected to lead changes in their communities and contribute to significant development throughout the continent after completing their studies, as they will be equipped with internationally recognized and locally applicable qualifications.
Eligibility for the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Awards Program
Youth not exceeding 29 years old in the following categories are eligible:
1. Young women
2. Young men
3. Refugees and displaced youth
4. Youth with disabilities
Please be informed that young women are strongly advised to apply.
Students must posses the following qualities:
- Academic Talent
They must value learning and have a personal motivation to complete their education. Must meet the university admissions requirement as per the Kenya Commission for University Education or its equivalent.
2. Dedication to Giving Back
Applicants should show a commitment to improving their communities through previous and/or past engagements with community outreach activities.
3. Leadership Potentials
Scholars must show commitment to becoming change makers, role models, and mentors who embrace ethical leadership.
Must be interested in, and meet USIU-Africa’s admissions criteria and academic qualifications to undertake, any of the approved 11 undergraduate degree programs for the Scholars Program at USIU-Africa as follows:
- School of Science of Technology (SST)–Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Technology, Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and Technology;
- School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SPHS)–Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics;
- School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts (SCCCA)–Bachelor of Arts in Animation, Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing;
- Chandaria School of Business (CSOB)–Bachelor of Science in Finance, Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Accounting;
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS)–Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
What to Know about Scholarships
A scholarship is an award of financial assistance for a student to further their education at a private elementary or secondary school, or a private or public post-secondary college, university, or other academic institution.
Scholarships are awarded based upon different condition such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion athletic skill, financial need, among others. Or some combination of these criteria.
The Various Scholarships you should know are
Merit-Based:
The most popular merit-based scholarships, awarded by either private organizations or directly by a student’s intended college, recognize academic achievement or high scores on standardized tests.
Most such merit-based scholarships are paid directly by the institution the student attends, rather than issued directly to the student.
Need Based:
Some private need-based awards are confusingly called scholarships, and require the results of a FAFSA (the family’s EFC). However, scholarships are often merit-based, while grants tend to be need-based.
Student-Based:
These are scholarships for which applicants must initially qualify based upon gender, race, religion, family, and medical history, or many other student-specific factors. Minority scholarships are the most common awards in this category.
Career Specific:
These are scholarships a college or university awards to students who plan to pursue a specific field of study. Often, the most generous awards to students who pursue careers in high-need areas such as education or nursing.
College-Specific:
College-specific scholarships are offered by individual colleges and universities to highly qualified applicants. They give these scholarships on the basis of academic and personal achievement. Some scholarships have a “bond” requirement.
They may require recipients to work for a particular employer for a specified period of time or to work in rural or remote areas; otherwise, they may be required to repay the value of the support they received from the scholarship.
Athletic
Awarded to students with unique skill in a sport. Often this is so that the student will be available to attend the school or college and play the sport on their team, although in some countries government funded sport scholarships are available, allowing scholarship holders to train for international representation.
Brand Scholarship
These scholarships are sponsored by a corporation that is trying to gain attention to their brand, or a cause. Sometimes these scholarships are referred to as branded scholarships. The Miss America beauty pageant is a famous example of a brand scholarship.
Creative Contest Scholarship
These scholarships are awarded to students based on a creative submission.
Contest scholarships are also called mini project based scholarships, where students can submit entries based on unique and innovative ideas.
You can learn more about this opportunity here.
Application Deadline: February 20, 2023
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