2016/2017 Japanese Government Undergraduate Scholarships for International Students

The 2016/2017 Japanese Government undergraduate scholarship for international students is now open for application. This scholarship will be offered to international students who wish to pursue their undergraduate study in Japan and deepen their understanding of the Japanese language.

About scholarship

The Japanese Government Scholarship is offered to international students who wish to study in Japan. The aim of this scholarship is to promote mutual understanding and deepening friendly ties between Japan and other countries through the application of advanced knowledge regarding Japan’s language and culture. The scholarship is fully funded and will cover expense like tuition fees, living expenses etc.

Eligibility

To apply for this scholarship, the following requirements has to be met:

• Nationality: Applicant must have the nationality of a country which has diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. This applies at such times to stateless persons, too. Applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application will NOT be eligible. Applicant screening will be made at the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General （hereinafter, referred to as “Japanese legation”） in the country of Applicant’s nationality. This shall not necessarily be applied in cases where one embassy covers multiple nations.
• Age: Applicant must be at least 17 years and under 22 years of age.
• Academic Background: Applicant must either have completed a 12-year regular course of school education or have graduated from a school equivalent to an upper secondary school in Japan. （Included is any Applicant who will satisfy the above qualifications by March, 2017.） Also included is any Applicant who otherwise satisfies entrance eligibility for a Japanese university.
• Health: Applicants must be free from any mental or physical disabilities that would be an impediment to the pursuit of university study.

What the scholarship covers

The scholarship is fully funded and includes the following:

• Allowance: 117,000 yen per month. (In case that the recipient research in a designated region, 2,000 or 3,000 yen will be added. The monetary amount each year may be subject to change due to budgetary reasons.).
• Transportation to Japan.
• Transportation from Japan: The recipient who returns to his/her home country within the fixed period after the expiration of his/her scholarship will be supplied, upon application, with an economy-class airplane ticket for travel from the New Tokyo International Airport or any other international airport that the appointed university usually uses to the international airport nearest to his/her home address.
• Tuition and Other Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition at universities will be borne by the Japanese Government

Field(s) of Study

Those who wish to study in Japan as an undergraduate student must choose a field of major from the fields listed below. Applicants may enter a first, second, and third choice.
1). SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES

• Social Sciences and Humanities – A: Laws, Politics, Pedagogy, Sociology, Literature, History, Japanese language, and others.
• Social Sciences and Humanities – B: Economics, and Business Administration.

Note #1: Applicants who wish to major in the fields categorized as “others” may have difficulties in finding universities that can accept them.
Note #2: Major field content related to “Economics” and “Business Administration” of Humanities B is not included in “others.”

2) NATURAL SCIENCES

• Natural Sciences – A:　Science （Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry）, Electric and Electronic Studies （Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Information Engineering）, Mechanical Studies （Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture）, Civil Engineering and Architecture （Civil Engineering, Architecture, Environmental Engineering）, Chemical Studies （Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry, Textile Engineering）, and other fields （Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Biotechnology）.
• Natural Sciences – B:　Agricultural studies （Agriculture, Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, Forestry, Food Science, Fisheries）, Hygienic studies （Pharmacy, Hygienics, Nursing）, and Science （Biology）.
• Natural Sciences – C:　Medicine, and Dentistry.

An international student who intends to major in Natural Sciences and would like to choose more than one major is required to choose and select first-, second-, and third-choice subjects from the subjects in brackets from within the same course （i.e. Natural Sciences A, B or C）. However, a student who selects Course C as his/her first choice may choose his/her second-choice subjects from Course B or C and third-choice subject from Course B because Course C offers only two subjects.

How to apply

To apply, download and submit necessary forms such as application form, etc from the official webpage. Please read the “Guideline” and “Notes for Application” carefully before you apply. Please note that applications forms for the current exercise is clearly marked – (2017). Applications made with the 2016 forms will, therefore, not be processed by the Embassy.

Click here to contact the scholarship provider for more information on how to apply.

Application deadlines
The scholarship application deadline varies according to the country. For example, deadline for Egyptians is 23rd of May 2016, while deadline for Nigerians is 30th of June 2016. Usually, scholarship announcement is every April, and application submission is every May/June. For your country’s specific deadline, please contact the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country.