Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Developing countries have made remarkable strides in expanding access to primary education, but youth in these nations continue to face significant barriers to accessing secondary and post-secondary high quality education. This is particularly true in Africa and among marginalized groups—such as young women and youth who are disabled, displaced, or in rural and remote areas. Of particular concern is the alignment of education with the demands of the labor market (or 21st century skills) and the movement of skilled workers to higher income countries (or brain drain)—both of which need to be addressed to prepare a workforce that can support the unfolding process of economic growth in Africa.

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program is an initiative to educate and prepare young people to lead change and make a positive social impact in their communities. The Scholars Program provides access to quality and relevant secondary and university education to young people whose talents and promise exceed their resources. The Scholars Program is a growing commitment that to date has reached over $700 million and more than 30,000 young people. The Program has a particular focus on Africa, which is the world’s youngest continent and is experiencing unprecedented growth. Yet, it faces the lowest secondary and university education enrollment rates. In partnership with 22 organizations working in secondary and post-secondary education, the Scholars Program seeks to become a lever for broader social transformation by preparing and empowering a new generation of leaders committed to fostering change and driving economic growth in their community, countries or region of origin. 

This endeavor rests on partners’ ability to recruit and select academically bright marginalized youth on the African continent and to provide services to ensure Scholars success in the program. In this presentation, we present a portrait of recent incoming cohorts of MasterCard Foundation Scholars. We aim to answer whether the Program is meeting its goals by (a) describing the characteristics, aspirations, and goals of these Scholars; and (b) studying their preparation and attitudes to highlight needs that the Program must address. This analysis draws on Program application and survey data for a subset of applicants who were finalists for the Program as well as in-depth interviews and focus groups with program implementers, Scholars and stakeholders. These early results provide important opportunities for refinement of the Program and demonstrate early signs of success in achieving the Program’s vision.