Study in Japan - Scholarships for Indian students

Why Choose Japan as Your Study Destination?

Japan is a popular destination to study abroad for overseas students, ranking second out of 201 countries in the World Best Education Systems-Final rankings 2022. Several variables, including state-of-the-art research and creative teaching approaches, contribute to the success of Japan's educational system.

2,42,000 foreign students are studying in Japan at more than 800 universities, of which only 500 are Indians. The data is according to Japan's ambassador to India, Mr.Takeshi Yagi. This is because the cost of attending university in Japan might be unaffordable. For this reason, the Japanese Government is providing various scholarships to Indian students who have residence status as students.

According to the Embassy of Japan in India, the scholarship aims to accept excellent human resources from India to Japan as international students and promote mutual understanding with foreign countries by forming human networks. This indeed strengthens Japanese universities' educational and research abilities through international intellectual contributions. In this blog, let us explore the different scholarships the Japanese Government offers.

Scholarships Available in Japan

Most scholarships in Japan confer partial funding to the students to cover a portion of living expenses and tuition fees. Only a few scholarships cover the entire cost of study. Therefore, it is important for the students to make well-informed decisions without relying entirely on the scholarships for their study in Japan. Some of them are:

Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship

This scholarship program is for privately financed international students with excellent academic and character records.

The term' Privately financed international student' refers to those enrolled in educational institutions, except the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship grantees or any Foreign Government Scholarship. Those students who have a status of residence other than Student, such as Dependent or Long-term Resident, are not eligible.

• To avail of this scholarship, these students are to be enrolled in undergraduate schools (CGPA >2.30), graduate schools, junior colleges, colleges of technology, specialized courses in specialized training colleges, University preparatory courses, or Japanese language institutes in Japan and face financial difficulties.
• Validity - The scholarship period lasts for 12 months (From April to next March) or 6 months (From October to March).
• Language Eligibility – The students must have passed N2 level or higher in JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test) & above. In English, above B2 level or higher in CEFR.

Monbukagakusho MEXT Scholarship

This scholarship is designed to support international students who wish to study in Japan at various academic levels, including undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels.

The scholarship provides financial support, including tuition fees, a monthly allowance, and round-trip airfare, among other benefits.

There are two ways to apply for this scholarship.

• Embassy recommendation - Candidates can apply to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) with a recommendation from a Japanese embassy/Japanese diplomatic mission in your country.
• University recommendation - Candidates can apply to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) with a recommendation from a Japanese university.

Student Abroad Support Program

The students should obtain the student status of residence to be eligible for this scholarship. Any residency status is acceptable for the students participating in the 90-day or less acceptance program.

The selection method of scholarship recipients differs for each school and each program. The students must participate in the inbound program solely at their own expense for financial reasons.

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These scholarships provide financial assistance to pursue higher education in Japan and open doors to a culturally rich and diverse learning experience. By choosing to study in Japan through scholarships, Indian students can gain access to world-class education, cutting-edge research opportunities, and a chance to immerse themselves in the fascinating culture of Japan.