Scholarships in Japan
Both public and private universities in Japan are recognized internationally for their quality, as a rule, private universities cost significantly more than public universities.
An average tuition fee for an academic year will cost around ¥500,000/$5,000 for an academic year in undergraduate and graduate programs.
Keep in mind that in the first year some universities require students to pay about ¥250,000/$2,500 or more.
As a foreign student, you have the unique opportunity to apply for one of the numerous scholarships that are available in Japan.
These scholarships are both government and private sponsored and they cover tuition and every other academic expense for the most part. A large number of them also provide stipends for the student’s monthly upkeep.
Probably the most generous scholarship for foreign students is the MEXT Scholarship Scheme. This scholarship is a Japanese government scholarship scheme for international students.
The scholarship is open to foreign students from all countries in several fields of study, both undergraduate and graduate levels.
The scholarship covers the student’s tuition fee for the entire duration of their program for example 4 years of bachelor’s program and 2 to 3 years of graduate school.
On top of that, the student will receive a monthly stipend of ¥150,000/$1,500 and their flight expenses to Japan are also fully covered.
The application process for the MEXT scholarship is very extensive and detailed, the application procedure starts in June of each year and takes up to 8 months to complete.
Students can start the application at the Embassy of Japan in your country. Throughout the process, the student must present their intended research plan, English/Japanese proficiency exams, and attend an interview at the embassy with three Japanese professors.
People who successfully pass these stages will be required to contact a Japanese professor at the university they wish to study and get a ‘Letter of Acceptance’. The final decision will be announced by the Embassy of Japan in their home country by the end of August and the student will travel to Japan at the beginning of April.
Other scholarship opportunities available for international students are:
- JFUNU Graduate Scholarships
- Japanese Government Scholarship for International Undergraduate Students
- Ting Hsin Scholarship at Waseda University
- Japan-IMF Scholarships
- Japan Human Resource Development Scholarships for Developing Countries
