AfOx-Linacre Scholarships (Mastercard Foundation)

What the AfOx-Linacre Scholarship gives you

You get a fully funded place on a one-year taught Master's course at Linacre College, University of Oxford. The scholarship covers your full tuition fees plus a living-cost grant set at the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend rate (the standard UK research grant for living costs). On top of that you get an economy return flight, your visa and Immigration Health Surcharge fees, a settling-in allowance, and access to an emergency fund (the Thrive Fund). You also join a Leadership and Impact Programme and an alumni network. After you finish, AfOx helps you into a 4-to-6-month placement with an Africa-based organisation, with a modest salary and travel and visa support. The award is funded through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and the Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) at Oxford.

Who can apply

• Nationality and residence: You are a citizen of an African country and normally live there.
• Degree level: You are applying for a one-year, full-time taught Master's at Oxford through Linacre College.
• Field of study: The base and Wanakaset variants accept any subject. Other variants are tied to specific courses, for example humanities, geography and the environment, environmental change and management, refugee and forced migration studies, or biodiversity and water science.
• No prior graduate degree: You have not already completed a postgraduate degree.
• Leadership and engagement: You can show leadership experience, involvement in your community, and a commitment to solving African challenges such as health, the climate crisis or youth employment.
• A specific course: You apply for one named course, not as an open-field applicant.

Applicants from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, women, refugees and displaced people, and people with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.

How to apply

There is no separate scholarship form. Apply for your chosen Master's course through the Oxford graduate admissions portal by the December or January funding deadline for that course. If you hold an offer and are eligible, AfOx contacts you by email and invites you to an online interview held between April and June. Results are announced by July 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is cut narrowly by nationality, degree level and the no-prior-graduate-degree rule, so the eligible group is smaller than for open scholarships. That said, the Oxford and Mastercard Foundation name draws strong candidates from across Africa. Selection weighs leadership and a clear commitment to Africa's development as much as grades, so a documented record of both is what sets you apart. Meet the specific course deadline early and pick a course where you clearly fit the criteria.