MEXT Scholarship is a convenient way to pay for your education, but many students are confused about how the whole process works. How is the money awarded, and what can you spend it on? What about outside scholarships? If, like many other students, you’re wondering how this scholarship works, this is the guide for you.
Scholarships are financial aid awards designed to help students pay for an undergraduate or graduate degree. Sometimes a scholarship is a one-time check. Other school scholarships are renewable and provide money for students each semester or school year.
Why Need to Study in Japan
Japan was able to develop economically despite having limited resources and become a global leader in manufacturing because of the cutting-edge knowledge and technology that was developed by its top-notch educational system.
Japan has introduced numerous goods to the world, including electric automobiles, digital cameras, optical fibers, and the artificial heart, using its cutting-edge science, technology, and medicine.
Both Karaoke and instant noodles, which have revolutionized the world’s diet, are Japanese inventions. Japanese history is filled with examples of inventive ideas being turned into remarkable products. In Japanese schools, the development of character, as well as academic success, is prioritized.
This aspect of Japanese schools is highly appreciated by international students who think the studying experience in Japan helps them after they start working.
MEXT Scholarship Student Eligibility
1. Research students
- You must be under 35 years of age and a college graduate (including prospective graduates). Or you must have completed 16 years of schooling.
2. Teacher training students
- You must be under 35 years of age and a graduate of a college or teacher training college. You must have at least five years of active experience as a teacher in a primary, secondary, or teacher-training college in your country. (Please note that college and university teachers currently in active service are not considered for this scholarship).
3. Undergraduate students
- You must be at least 17 and under 25 years of age and have completed 12 years of school education or have completed courses in a school comparable to a high school (including prospective graduates).
4. Japanese studies students
You must be from 18 to 30 years old. You must be enrolled as undergraduate students in faculties or schools which major in Japanese language or Japanese culture in a university outside Japan at the time when they come to Japan and must be enrolled in the home institution at the time when they return to their home countries.
5. College of technology students
You must be at least 17 and under 25 years of age and have completed school education comparable to a high school (a minimum of 11 years beginning in primary school) education (includes prospective graduates).
6. Specialized training college students
You must be at least 17 and under 25 years of age and have completed 12 years of schooling or have completed a school education comparable to a Japanese high school (including prospective graduates).
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Scholarship Application Process
Japanese government scholarship students are recruited and selected in three ways:
1. Embassy recommendation
In this type of scholarship, scholarship recipients are recruited and initially screened by a Japanese embassy (or consulate general, depending on the country).
As the application process differs according to the country in which the Japanese embassy is located, please inquire at the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country for details.
- Research student, Undergraduate student, College of Technology Student, and Specialized Training College Student
Recruitment for those arriving in Japan next April is made between April and May. The initial screening (documentary examination, written test, and interview) is made at the embassy between June and July.
The embassy then recommends the selected candidates to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by late August.
- Teacher Training and Japanese Studies Student
Recruitment for those arriving in Japan next September-October is made between December of the previous year and the following February. Screening is conducted between February and March.
Selected candidates are recommended to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the beginning of April.
2. University Recommendation
- Research students and Japanese studies students who will be studying in Japan as exchange students based on inter-university student exchange agreements can be screened through the national, public, or private Japanese universities involved as a candidate for a Japanese Government Scholarship. The university directly recommends the selected candidates to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
- Research students recommended by a university for study in Japan as government-sponsored scholarship recipients basically arrive in Japan in September-October.
MEXT scholarship is highly competitive. You have to be prepared to be better than all of the other applicants to succeed. The best way to strengthen your application and stand out is to create a rock-solid application strategy and base your application around it.
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