Mastercard Foundation Scholarships at ALU Rwanda and ALCHE Mauritius 2027: Who Qualifies, What's Covered and How to Apply

QUICK ELIGIBILITY CHECK

Answer these five questions before you start.

1. Timing. Have you completed your final secondary-school examinations, or will you have your results before you apply?

2. Grades. Are your results strong? ALCHE asks scholarship applicants for at least a B average, and both institutions have subject requirements, including Mathematics for some degrees.

3. Financial need. Could your household genuinely not afford the fees, and can you provide documents explaining your household's financial circumstances?

4. Leadership. Can you show leadership or service in your community, and explain what you want to change?

5. Time. Can you complete the admission application and the scholarship stage before 14 November 2026 (ALCHE) or 30 November 2026 (ALU)?

If you answered yes to all five, read on. Remember that each institution sets its own rules, so check both separately.

WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program funds young Africans facing financial hardship to study at partner universities. Two of those partners belong to the same African Leadership group: the African Leadership University (ALU) in Kigali, Rwanda, and the African Leadership College of Higher Education (ALCHE) in Pamplemousses, Mauritius. Both use project-based, mission-driven learning, and both are recruiting now for early-2027 intakes. These are competitive full-ride opportunities for selected applicants: places are limited, and admission does not guarantee funding. ALU says it has enrolled 768 Mastercard Foundation Scholars since the partnership began, 68% of them young women.

ALU RWANDA AND ALCHE MAURITIUS COMPARED

Intake

- ALU Rwanda: January 2027

- ALCHE Mauritius: February 2027

Deadline

- ALU Rwanda: 30 November 2026

- ALCHE Mauritius: 14 November 2026 for international applicants; 23 January 2027 for Mauritian citizens

Degrees open for this intake

- ALU Rwanda: Entrepreneurial Leadership and Software Engineering (International Business and Trade is May and September only)

- ALCHE Mauritius: Computer Science, Entrepreneurial Leadership, International Business and Trade, Software Engineering

Tuition without scholarship funding

- ALU Rwanda: US$3,000 a year for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Software Engineering; US$4,000 for International Business and Trade (fees payable if you are not awarded a scholarship)

- ALCHE Mauritius: set out in ALCHE's separate published fee sheets for international and Mauritian students

What the scholarship covers

- ALU Rwanda: described as a full-ride scholarship

- ALCHE Mauritius: described as a full-ride scholarship covering full tuition and additional financial support

Scholarship priorities

- ALU Rwanda: low-income students, refugee backgrounds, students with disabilities; strong leadership potential, a clear mission and high impact potential

- ALCHE Mauritius: demonstrated financial need and high academic achievement first, with at least a B average; female applicants, applicants with disabilities and applicants aged 26 and below especially encouraged (not an age limit)

When you apply for the scholarship

- ALU Rwanda: during your admission application, in the finances stage, using ALU's financial aid portal and calculator, before you submit the full application

- ALCHE Mauritius: during your admission application, through a separate scholarship form that opens once you pass the eligibility check

If you are not selected

- ALU Rwanda: you may still be considered for partial ALU grants, or enrol as a self-funded student

- ALCHE Mauritius: no fallback is described on the scholarship page

THE DEADLINES, CHECKED

ALU's own application page states that applications for the January 2027 intake close on 30 November 2026. ALCHE's international deadline of 14 November 2026 is supported by a UNHCR Rwanda notice of 9 October 2026, and ALCHE's own application page confirms the same date for its February 2027 intake. ALCHE is the earlier deadline, so if you are considering both, start there.

HOW TO APPLY TO ALU RWANDA

1. Register on ALU's application portal (link at the end of this guide).

2. Stage 1: complete your personal details, academic history and parent or guardian details, and upload your documents.

3. Stage 2: say you need financial aid. You will receive a link to the financial aid portal. You do not need an admission offer before this step.

4. Complete the Expected Family Contribution calculator. If you are eligible, the full financial aid application opens.

5. Complete the sections on household income, yourself, any ALU partner affiliations, an essay explaining your financial situation, and how your education has been funded so far.

6. Upload supporting documents for every claim you make.

7. Complete the ALU Fit Challenge in one sitting: a timed 8-minute section and an untimed section of 10 to 12 minutes. ALU says it does not affect your admission decision.

8. Submit the financial aid application, then return to the main portal and submit your full ALU application before 30 November 2026. Once submitted, it cannot be edited. ALU then makes separate admission and financial aid decisions.

HOW TO APPLY TO ALCHE MAURITIUS

1. Start an admission application on ALCHE's portal and select the Mauritius campus.

2. Complete the scholarship eligibility check. Only applicants who are eligible for admission can continue to the scholarship application.

3. If eligible, complete the scholarship application: household income, personal details such as humanitarian and guardianship status, how your education has been funded, essays and short videos on set themes, and referral letters from people in good standing in your community.

4. Upload supporting documents to verify everything you declare.

5. Complete the ALCHE Fit Challenge, which takes about 25 minutes.

6. Submit before 14 November 2026. ALCHE reviews admission applications on a rolling basis and says to expect an admission decision within two to four weeks; the scholarship review committee then assesses scholarship applications.

7. If admitted as an international student, complete the Mauritius entry permit process with ALCHE's immigration team. This includes posting original documents, a medical report and, if you are 18 or over, a police certificate.

KEY DATES

- 14 November 2026: ALCHE deadline for international applicants (February 2027 intake)

- 30 November 2026: ALU deadline (January 2027 intake)

- 23 January 2027: ALCHE deadline for Mauritian citizens

- January 2027: ALU intake begins in Kigali

- February 2027: ALCHE intake begins in Mauritius

YOUR ELIGIBILITY AND PREPARATION CHECKLIST

- I have my national exam results and secondary school transcripts in English or French.

- My results meet the entry requirements for my chosen degree at that institution, including Mathematics where required.

- I have proof of B2-level English, such as WAEC or NECO English at C6 or above.

- I have a valid ID, and a passport valid for at least four years if I am applying to Mauritius.

- I have documents explaining my household's financial circumstances, such as payslips, bank or mobile money statements, or letters from a parent, guardian or community leader.

- I have documents for any special circumstances, such as refugee status, disability, guardianship or bereavement.

- I have examples of leadership and community service that I can write and speak about.

- For ALCHE, I have at least one person in good standing in my community who will write a referral letter.

- I have set aside time, and a stable internet connection, for the Fit Challenge.

- I will submit before 14 November (ALCHE) or 30 November (ALU), not on the final day.

WHO IS UNLIKELY TO QUALIFY

Students still waiting to sit their final secondary-school exams with no results expected in time; households able to pay a significant share of the fees; applicants with weak results; students who want degrees these institutions do not offer; and anyone who cannot document their household's financial circumstances.

IZONAI REALITY CHECK

These are competitive full-ride opportunities for selected applicants, and both institutions say only a limited number are awarded per intake. Admission and funding are separate decisions: ALU, for example, can admit you and then offer you a scholarship, put you on a waitlist, or decline your financial aid application. Treat the scholarship as possible, not promised, and plan for each outcome. Prove every claim with documents, start early, and apply only through the official portals. Both institutions warn that they never charge application fees or work with paid agents.

NEXT STEP WITH IZONAI

Share this guide with a student who has strong results and limited means. One share could change someone's life. For more verified scholarships and opportunities, explore izonai.digital, and join The IZONAI Opportunity Brief at izonai.digital/join to receive new deadlines before they close.

INDEPENDENT GUIDE

IZONAI Digital is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the Mastercard Foundation, ALU, ALCHE or UNHCR. IZONAI does not accept or process applications. Apply only through the official university websites, be wary of anyone who charges a fee to guarantee a scholarship, and confirm every detail with the institution before you apply.

Published: 25 October 2026. All details in this guide were checked against official ALU and ALCHE pages and a UNHCR Rwanda notice on 25 October 2026. The official links are at the end of this guide.

At both institutions the scholarship is part of the admission process. You start an admission application and must meet that institution's admission requirements to be considered. The financial aid or scholarship stage is completed within that application, so you do not need a final admission offer before you begin it. The two institutions set different requirements and priorities, so check each one separately.

ALU RWANDA (January 2027 intake)

- Completed secondary school, with a recognised A-level equivalent certificate.

- English at B2 level for an unconditional offer. ALU accepts, for example, WAEC or NECO English at C6 or above, KCSE English at C, IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 100.

- Programme rules apply. For the January 2027 intake, ALU lists Entrepreneurial Leadership and Software Engineering; its application guide says International Business and Trade runs only in May and September.

- Applicants educated outside Rwanda need an equivalence certificate before enrolment.

- Scholarship priorities: ALU describes a full-ride award for low-income students, students from refugee backgrounds and students with physical or learning disabilities, who show strong leadership potential, a clear mission and high impact potential.

ALCHE MAURITIUS (February 2027 intake)

- Meet ALCHE's admission requirements. For WASSCE (Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia), ALCHE asks for five subjects at B3 or above including Mathematics, with English at C6 or above. For KCSE, it asks for seven subjects passed at B or above.

- Minimum age 17 at the start of studies.

- Scholarship requirements: you must be unable to afford ALCHE tuition with any other form of aid, and show financial need and socio-economic disadvantage that official documents can verify.

- Strong national exam results of at least a B average.

- Evidence of leadership potential and active contribution to your community.

- Eligible to study in Mauritius: a Mauritian citizen, or readily eligible for a student residence permit.

- ALCHE especially encourages female applicants, applicants with physical or learning disabilities, and applicants aged 26 and below. This is encouragement, not an age limit.

You must meet each institution's admission requirements to be considered for its scholarship, and the scholarship stage is completed within the admission application. Scholarships are competitive, and both institutions say only a limited number are available per intake. Admission does not guarantee funding: ALU may offer, waitlist or decline a scholarship, and applicants who are not selected may still be considered for partial ALU grants or may enrol as self-funded students. You must provide documents that verify every financial claim you make. ALCHE scholarship applicants also submit essays, videos and community referral letters. Both institutions require an online Fit Challenge. International students going to Mauritius must complete an entry permit process after admission.

Your national examination results (A-level equivalent) and secondary school transcripts, issued in English or French; proof of identity (passport, national ID or birth certificate) and, for Mauritius, a passport valid for at least four years; proof of English proficiency; household income documents such as payslips, employer letters, bank or mobile money statements, a guardian's letter or a community leader's letter confirming income; documents about personal circumstances where relevant, such as death certificates, guardianship letters or past scholarship letters; a CV and letters of recommendation (recommended at ALU; community referral letters are required for the ALCHE scholarship); and essays, plus short videos for ALCHE.

OFFICIAL LINKS AND SOURCES

- ALU: Apply now (January 2027 deadline): alueducation.com/apply-now ↗ (opens in a new tab)

- ALU: Admissions application guide (requirements, financial aid steps): alueducation.com/admissions-application-guide ↗ (opens in a new tab)

- ALU: Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: alueducation.com/mastercard-foundation-scholars-program-at-alu ↗ (opens in a new tab)

- ALCHE: Apply now (February 2027 intake deadlines): alcheducation.com/apply-now ↗ (opens in a new tab)

- ALCHE: Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: alcheducation.com/mastercard-foundation-scholars-program ↗ (opens in a new tab)

- ALCHE: Admissions and international student requirements: alcheducation.com/admissions ↗ (opens in a new tab)

- UNHCR Rwanda: Mastercard Foundation scholarship deadlines notice (9 October 2026): help.unhcr.org/rwanda/2026/10/09/call-for-application-different-under-and-postgraduate-scholarship-opportunities-under-mastercard-foundation-scholars-programme ↗ (opens in a new tab)