Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at EARTH University, Costa Rica: Complete Guide for African Applicants

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at EARTH University gives young people from disadvantaged communities in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean a funded place on the university’s four-year degree in Agricultural Sciences in Costa Rica. Nigerian school leavers can apply if they meet EARTH University’s admission criteria and their family finances would otherwise prevent them from attending university. There is no separate scholarship application: you apply for admission to EARTH, and the scholarship is considered through that application and a family socioeconomic study. The award covers tuition and basic living expenses, with mentoring, tutoring and career support on top. Applications for the current cycle close on 15 November 2026.

It is one of the few undergraduate awards in our guide to fully funded scholarships for Africans that is decided by financial need as much as by grades, so the socioeconomic part of the process matters as much as your school results.

Quick Facts

Item	Detail
Scholarship	Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at EARTH University
Institution	EARTH University, Costa Rica
Level	Undergraduate, four-year degree in Agricultural Sciences
Application window	1 September to 15 November 2026
Deadline	15 November 2026
Funding	Tuition and basic living expenses, plus mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, internships and career services
Who can apply	Young people from disadvantaged communities in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean who meet EARTH admission criteria and show financial need
Scholarship application	None separate; the scholarship is considered through the EARTH admission application
Cost to apply	Free

Eligibility

The programme page states the core rule simply: participants in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program must meet all of EARTH University’s criteria for admission, and EARTH awards the scholarships to qualified candidates whose financial circumstances would otherwise prevent them from attending university. In practice, you are a fit for this award if:

• You come from a disadvantaged community in Africa, Latin America or the Caribbean. Nigerian applicants fall within the African group the programme serves.
• You have completed, or are completing, the secondary education EARTH requires for admission, and you can perform well enough in EARTH’s own selection stages: a profile review by faculty, an aptitude test, a psychometric test and interviews.
• Your family’s financial situation is such that a university degree would be out of reach without support. This is not taken on trust: EARTH verifies it through a socioeconomic form and a family socioeconomic study later in the process.
• You are motivated by the programme’s purpose. The Scholars Program prepares young people who are committed to giving back, and EARTH notes that after the four-year degree, the majority of its Scholars return to their home countries to work on food systems and sustainable livelihoods.

Two honest cautions on selectivity. EARTH says it receives around 1,500 applications a year and admits only around 120 students. Its full scholarships are tighter still: the university says that of over 1,000 applications a year for a full scholarship, on average only 50 are awarded, and full scholarships go only to students who pass the admissions process with high scores and would otherwise be unable to attend. Aim to be strong on both sides of that test: the academic stages and the evidence of need.

What the Scholarship Covers

According to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program page at EARTH, the programme is more than a scholarship. For Scholars at EARTH it provides:

• Cover for tuition fees.
• Cover for basic living expenses.
• Mentoring.
• Leadership skills development.
• Tutoring.
• Internship opportunities.
• Career services, including career counselling and service-learning opportunities.

The programme does not publish a cash amount for the award, so treat any figure you see on unofficial websites with suspicion. What EARTH guarantees in its own wording is the list above. Since 2011, the programme at EARTH has supported young leaders from 42 countries across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and EARTH reports that 315 Scholars have graduated with the Agricultural Sciences degree since 2015, with 81 Scholars currently studying there.

How to Apply

There is no Mastercard Foundation form to fill in for EARTH. The first step to the scholarship is the admission application, and EARTH runs the whole process free of charge, with an admissions officer assigned to guide you. The current admissions timeline on the official EARTH admissions page is: application submission from 1 September to 15 November 2026; application review from 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2027; exams and interviews in March; and the admission and immigration process in May.

1. Create your account. Fill in the online form on the EARTH admissions page with your information. EARTH then enables a username and password for its platform and puts you in contact with an admissions officer. If the email has not arrived after two days, check your spam and promotions folders before doing anything else, and do not fill in the form again, because a duplicate request slows down your response.
2. Complete and submit your application. Go to apply.earth.ac.cr and sign in with your email address and the password from the first email, which has the subject “EARTH UNIVERSITY INFORMATION”. Enter your personal information, answer the questions and attach the admission requirements the form asks for. Submit before 15 November 2026.
3. Wait for the profile review. Three faculty members evaluate your profile based on the documents you provided and decide whether you continue. Because of the volume of applications, this notification can take up to two months.
4. Take the admissions tests. If you are selected to continue, EARTH will notify you about an aptitude test and a psychometric test. You will also fill in a socioeconomic form at this stage, and you must complete it before your exam can be scheduled.
5. Attend the admission interviews. If your test scores are approved, you move on to group and individual interviews with a member of the faculty. Your admissions officer will email you the date, time and place.
6. Complete the family socioeconomic study. EARTH schedules a meeting with your family members to verify each item on the socioeconomic form and establish whether you qualify for financial support. A financial support committee then reviews the whole process (tests, interviews and psychometric results) and decides who is admitted and what support they receive.
7. Finish the admission and immigration process. If you are admitted, EARTH helps you through the immigration process and guides you in obtaining your temporary student permit for Costa Rica.

Documents to Prepare

EARTH sends the exact list of admission requirements to you by email once your account is created, together with the application forms, so work from that email rather than from lists on unofficial websites. Based on the official admissions process, prepare the following:

• Your personal information and answers to the questions on the application form, entered directly on the platform.
• The documents the application form asks you to attach about your education. EARTH says it wants to learn about your education, your experiences and your goals, so have your secondary school records ready in digital form.
• Your family’s financial information. The socioeconomic form is a compulsory part of the process: you complete it before your admissions test is scheduled, and EARTH later verifies every item in a meeting with your family, so the figures you give must be accurate and consistent.
• A reliable email address that you check often. Your login details, test notifications and interview arrangements all arrive by email, and the first message can land in your spam folder.

Common Mistakes

• Submitting the account form twice. If the login email is slow, EARTH warns that filling in the form again duplicates your request and delays your response. Check your spam folder and contact the admissions office instead.
• Assuming admission means a full scholarship. Admission and funding are separate decisions. The funding decision comes after the socioeconomic study, and only about 50 full scholarships a year are awarded on average.
• Rushing or inflating the socioeconomic form. EARTH verifies the form item by item with your family. Inaccurate information undermines both your admission and your funding.
• Missing the 15 November 2026 submission deadline. The window opened on 1 September 2026 and the review stage alone runs to the end of January 2027, so a late application cannot be squeezed in.
• Looking for a separate scholarship portal. There is none. Time spent searching for a Mastercard Foundation application form for EARTH is time taken from the admission application itself.
• Ignoring your admissions officer. The process is personalised and your officer guides you through each step. Ask them questions rather than guessing, especially about documents and test arrangements.

Key Takeaways

• Applications for the current cycle close on 15 November 2026, and the application is completely free.
• There is no separate scholarship application: admission to EARTH is the route into the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
• The award covers tuition and basic living expenses, plus mentoring, tutoring, internships and career services.
• Financial need is verified through a socioeconomic form and a family study, so accuracy matters as much as grades.
• Competition is real: around 120 students are admitted each year, and full scholarships average about 50 awards a year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a separate application for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship at EARTH? No. EARTH states that the first step to receiving a scholarship from this programme is to apply to EARTH. Your admission application, followed by the socioeconomic form and family study, is what the scholarship decision is based on.

Can Nigerians apply for the EARTH University Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program? Yes. The programme provides educational opportunities to young people from disadvantaged communities in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Nigerian applicants are within the African group it serves. You must meet EARTH’s admission criteria and show that your financial circumstances would otherwise prevent you from attending university.

What does the scholarship cover? The programme covers tuition and basic living expenses. On top of that, Scholars receive mentoring, leadership skills development, tutoring, internship opportunities and career services. EARTH does not publish a cash value for the award.

Does it cost anything to apply to EARTH University? No. EARTH states that its admissions process is completely free, and it is personalised, with an admissions officer assigned to guide you through the steps.

What are my chances of getting a full scholarship? Be realistic. EARTH receives around 1,500 applications each year and admits about 120 students. For full scholarships, the university says over 1,000 applications are received each year and on average only 50 are awarded, to students who pass the admissions process with high scores and would otherwise be unable to attend. Strong test and interview performance plus genuine, well documented financial need give you the best chance.

What happens after I submit my application by 15 November 2026? The official timeline shows application review from 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2027, then exams and interviews in March, and the admission and immigration process in May. Within that flow, expect a faculty profile review first (notification can take up to two months), then the aptitude and psychometric tests, interviews, and the family socioeconomic study before final decisions.

Last updated: 7 November 2026

Ready to apply? Start your free application on the official EARTH University admissions page: https://admissions.earth.ac.cr/Application and read more about the programme at https://www.earth.ac.cr/friends-allies/mastercard-foundation-scholars-program/