photo by cucas
One of the biggest expenses in your life is educational expense. Throughout your entire student life, expenses for tertiary education is dominantly expensive, especially when you study abroad. In Japan, there are many scholarship foundations that offer financial supports for students. In recent years, the number of scholarship programs for international students is at its highest peak as more Japanese education institutions are enthusiastic to take students from overseas. Those scholarships might not cover all your expenses in Japan, though will be great financial help if you are approved to receive benefits. SO, this column will introduce major scholarship programs for international students in Japan.
About scholarship programs available in Japan
There are a number of scholarship founders in Japan and each of them offer financial supports for students based on their own criteria. While many of Japanese students use student loan to supplement their education expenses, international students tend to use scholarship programs. Most of scholarship programs only can be applied within Japan, there are a few programs that can be applied in overseas.
The essential requirement to have scholarship in Japan is to meet the criteria set by each foundation. Common criteria for international students to receive scholarship are, being foreign national, excellent academic performance and having good health. Also, many foundations impose age requirements. If a student receiving scholarship fail to meet attendance requirement, fulfill academic performance requirement, leave or absent from a school, their scholarship may be terminated.
Japanese government scholarships
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese Government offers scholarships to international students who are selected from applicants nominated by universities and Japanese embassies. There are seven different scholarship programs for various type of students including professional training college students, undergraduate students and university graduates or equivalently qualified students. These are the most generous scholarship programs which offer return tickets and tuition waiver as well as monthly benefits. The scholarships are offered to selected applicants who passed two stages of screening. The initial screening consists of documentary examination, written exam and interview.
Inquiry: Japanese embassy, universities
Application period: October – November (inside Japan). November – December, January – February, March depending on program (outside Japan)
Scholarships by JASSO
Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), an independent administrative institution that operates “Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students” and “Student Exchange Support Program”, offer flat rate monthly scholarship payments for international students who study in Japan. Covering a wide range of tertiary students as well as Japanese language institution students, their programs are open to fur larger number of applicants comparing to scholarship programs run by other organizations. Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students has no restrictions on applicants’ land of origin, ages and fields of study. However, scholarship recipients must fulfill certain level of academic performances and there also are restrictions on incomes of applicants or their guardians in Japan. Applications can be made through tertiary institutions.
Inquiry: Japanese tertiary institutions
Application period: Late March to late May (varies depending on institutions)
Scholarships by private organizations
There are more than 100 foundations that offer scholarship for international students. Those foundations set their own criteria regarding applicant’s home country or region, age and field of study. Application periods also vary depending on each foundation. Those scholarship programs offer different amounts of payment, generally between 30,000yen to 200,000yen per month. While some foundations were originally established for the purpose of financial supports for students, there are many other foundations that has different backgrounds such as foundations run by Japanese companies as part of their social contributions. Most of foundations accept inquiries from applicants thorough Japanese tertiary institutions they belong to, and only few can be directly contacted. Therefore, it is difficult for students to apply for this type of scholarships while they stay in their own countries.
Inquiry: Japanese tertiary institutions
Application period: Varies by scholarship foundations
Scholarships by Local Governments and Local International Associations
Scholarship programs by local governments and related organizations offer rather small amount of payments, generally between 10,000yen to 50,000yen. While there hardly are restrictions on applicant’s origin, age and field of study, there is the essential condition that applicants must be students of tertiary institution within each local city, therefore it cannot be applied from overseas. Application periods differ by local governments but generally held March to June.
Inquiry: Japanese tertiary institution, local government (few)
Application period: Mostly sometime from March to June
Scholarships by universities
Many Japanese universities including prestigious universities have their own scholarship programs. Such programs offer benefits in a range of payment method such as ordinary monthly payments, tuition waiver instead of actual payment and other methods. In addition, many universities inform you in prior whether or not you can receive scholarship. Some universities conduct additional screening such as an interview or written exam in addition to documents screening. It is recommended to check if the university you intend to enroll offers scholarship once you decide to study in Japan, as most of major Japanese universities run their own scholarship programs.
Inquiry: Universities you are currently enrolled or intend to enroll
Application period: Differs by universities
Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school
For international students study in Japan at their own expenses, tuition fees and living expenses can be heavy burdens. For such students, scholarship can be a great help. If you want to receive scholarship in Japan, check JASSO website for a list of scholarship foundations and application requirements.
