Financial Aid

Financial Aid

While privately-funded international students may find it difficult to secure sufficient finances to cover their living expenses in Japan, please note the hard fact that competition for obtaining financial aid is very tough. Basically all students want to get financial aid so that they can spend less time working and more time concentrating on their school work. In Osaka University, about 40% of privately-funded international students receive financial aid of some sort or another. Each faculty has a good understanding of the University's financial aid application process. There are two types of financial aid: (1) aid in which the university chooses and recommends the candidate, and (2) aid for which the applicant applies directly. In the case of the first, after screening at the faculty, candidates are recommended by the administration office to the organization offering the financial aid. Information regarding application for financial aid is normally distributed to international students by means of notices on bulletin boards. Students seeking financial aid should make a habit of regularly viewing such notices and be certain to apply during the designated period(s). Regarding pre-enrollment scholarships, other than being selected as a Japanese Government Scholarship Student, there are Honors Scholarships from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The latter scholarship is given for one year to a student who performed well on examination for Japanese university admission. Other than the two mentioned above, application for privately funded scholarships should be made at the school/graduate school that the applicant joins after arriving in Japan.

1. JASSO Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students This scholarship is awarded to privately-funded students of good character who achieved a superior academic record but who are encountering difficulties in their studies due to economic reasons. After application and screening, if accepted, 48,000 yen per month is given to undergraduate students and 65,000 yen per month to graduate students. (Figures given are for the 2014-2015 school year)
2. Financial aid offered by private organizations and others Financial aid is granted or loaned by private organizations and municipal governments. The monthly amount of aid ranges from 30,000 yen to 200,000 yen, but is generally in the 50,000- to 100,000-yen range. Applicant eligibility and the number recruited vary according to the scholarship. Recruitment information is posted on bulletin boards in each faculty when available. Please contact the person in charge of financial aid at the faculty to which you belong. For information about the financial aid offered on a yearly basis, refer to the website of Japan Student Support Organization.

Tuition Fee Exemption

Students who are having difficulty paying tuition fees and who have achieved the minimal academic standard may apply for a tuition fee exemption. A booklet regarding tuition fee exemption is available at Student Centers and the Institute for Higher Education Research and Practice. The deadlines for submitting an application for such are late March (for the first semester) and late September (for the second semester). For additional information, contact the Tuition (Enrollment) Fee Exemption Division.