Almost 300,000 international students are enrolled in Japanese universities each year. And because Japan is one of the more expensive countries to get a degree, you can bet a lot of them are fellows.
Here are five types of study abroad scholarships that could help you finance your time in the land of the rising sun.
1. Japanese government scholarships
2. Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) scholarships
3. United States-Japan Transition Foundation Scholarships
4. Toshizo Watanabe Endowment Scholarship of the Japanese-American Council
5. Institute of International Education Freeman-ASIA Prize
Find more study abroad scholarships for schools in Japan
1. Japanese government scholarships
The country Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers gift aid to six types of international students, including undergraduates who wish to spend one year on Japanese related studies. Each year, 190 selected students receive free tuition, a round-trip airfare and a monthly stipend of up to 120,000 yen (approximately $ 1,100).
If you are interested in pursuing non-Japanese studies, you can also apply for an undergraduate scholarship if you have already moved abroad. Each year, 460 students receive funding for this longer engagement abroad, which includes one year of language training at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies or Osaka University, followed by four years of study. at another local college.
Application note: Your most likely path to earning one of these scholarships is to be recommended by the Japanese university that accepted you for enrollment.
2. Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) scholarships
If your “homeschool” is in the United States and you want to study for up to a year in Japan, contact JASSO, an independent organization. His Student exchange support program distributes monthly stipends of 80,000 yen (approximately $ 735) to those in financial need and eligible for a student visa.
If, on the other hand, you plan to enroll directly in a Japanese school for the long term, you are better suited for Monbukagakusho scholarship honors privately funded international students. There are 7,800 merit-based Monbukagakusho scholarships awarded annually to undergraduate, graduate and language students who already hold a visa. As an undergraduate student, you would receive a monthly stipend of 48,000 yen (approximately $ 441).
Application note: The scholarships for exchange students and Monbukagakusho require you to apply through your home school.
3. United States-Japan Transition Foundation Scholarships
the United States-Japan Transition Foundation provides financial assistance for travel and living expenses to approximately 100 U.S. undergraduate students studying abroad each year. For the fall semester 2019, the 20th anniversary of the program, the foundation helped send American students to schools in all major cities in Japan.
Transition scholarship recipients receive $ 2,500 for one-semester programs lasting at least three months, or $ 4,000 for one-year programs. To be eligible, you must be receiving transferable credits at your US college or university.
Application note: Applications, which require a 500-word essay, transcripts, and a letter of recommendation, are accepted twice a year. The deadlines depend on the timing of your study abroad program. Spring semester scholarship applications, for example, must be submitted in early October.
4. The Japanese-American Council Toshizo Watanabe Scholarship Fund
the Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship Program started as a way to support Japanese students who were looking to study in the United States Since 2018, it has also helped American students with the costs of going to school in Japan.
The needs-based scholarship would cover up to the full cost of your one-semester or one-year study abroad program – the maximum scholarship is $ 25,000 for one year – but it has strict preferences for its fellows. The fund gives priority to applicants who are first generation students, come from a single-parent family, have lost both parents or have little experience of international travel.
Application note: Attend the organization’s virtual briefings or subscribe to its mailing list for more information.
5. Institute of International Education Freeman-ASIA Prize
If you are hoping to study abroad in Japan or one of the 14 other countries or regions in East Asia, consider Freeman-ASIA Award.
The needs-based grant provides funding of $ 3,000 to $ 7,000, depending on whether you are abroad for the summer, a semester, or a full academic year. You can increase your chances of getting a scholarship if you plan to take at least 20 hours of class per week and study an East or South East Asian language, culture, and history.
There is a downside to the reward: When you return home, you are expected to lead a service project on your campus or in your community that builds on your study abroad experience.
Application note: Applications for the 2020-2021 school year will open in early 2020.
Find more study abroad scholarships for schools in Japan
If the above five study abroad scholarships aren’t enough to trigger your urge to travel, don’t give up hope. Many other Japan-specific scholarships can be found through private organizations and local governments seeking to diversify their enrollment.
If you are applying or have been accepted to study in Hiroshima, for example, the Hiroshima International Center is one of several organizations providing financial assistance to non-native undergraduate students. Browse The free JASSO leaflet for a complete list of these opportunities.
Of course you can also find study abroad scholarships here in the states. Opportunities funded by the US government, schools, and private organizations don’t have to be specific to Japan to be worthwhile. If you have a Japanese or Asian heritage, you might focus on scholarships for asian-american students.
Once you’ve really exhausted your scholarship search, consider other ways to pay the bill for your studies abroad. You don’t yet need to resort to federal or private student loans.
