The MasterCard Foundation Scholarship

Purpose

The goal of the MasterCard Foundation scholarships for the SG 2013 Savings Groups Conference is to bring together a wide range of participants interested in learning more about Savings Groups. Funding has been reserved for speakers, delegates, microfinance networks, central bankers, and regulators from Africa and speakers from Latin America and Asia. Interested individuals are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, especially if a visa is required. Fifty percent of funding is designated for female applicants, so we strongly encourage women to apply.

Scholarship Guidelines

The partial scholarships will cover the cost of a participant’s airfare travel to the conference. The following costs are not covered and are the responsibility of the awardee:

• Conference registration fee
• Ground transportation within the home country and in the Washington DC area
• Hotel accommodations
• Meals after conference hours

All travel reimbursements will be issued after the conference. Awardees will also be required to complete a conference evaluation survey and may be asked to complete a questionnaire form for the MasterCard Foundation before they leave Washington DC.

COMPLETE THE APPLICATION

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Have at least two years of experience working with Savings Groups or in microfinance, central banking, regulatory agencies, or a related field
• Have limited access to financial resources to pay for all expenses required to attend the conference. Applicants are required to submit an action plan for how they will disseminate what they learn at the conference to colleagues and others who can benefit from the knowledge

Notification

We will review applications on a rolling basis. Notification of awardees will be made via email and will happen as soon as the selections are made. Awardees will be given 5 business days to communicate their acceptance of the scholarship.