Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship

The Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship is offered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. It is fully funded and has seven types, from undergraduate study to graduate research. Each type has its own age and education limits, so choose your type first.

What you get

• Tuition is exempted.
• Round-trip airfare is provided.
• Monthly allowance of about ¥143,000–145,000 for research students.
• Monthly allowance of ¥117,000 for the undergraduate-level types listed in the official chart.
• Monthly allowance of ¥242,000 for Young Leaders Program students.
• Some types include preliminary Japanese language training.

Who can apply

There are seven types. Each has its own limits.

• Research students: you are under 35 and eligible for admission to a master’s or doctoral program at a Japanese graduate school.
• Teacher training students: you are under 35, a college or teacher training college graduate, and have at least five years of teaching experience in a primary, secondary or teacher training college in your home country. College and university teachers in active service are not considered.
• Undergraduate students: you are under 25 and have completed 12 years of school education, or a school comparable to a Japanese high school.
• Japanese studies students: you are 18 to 29 and enrolled as an undergraduate in a Japanese language or culture faculty at a university outside Japan. You must stay enrolled there when you return home.
• College of technology students: you are under 25 and have completed 11 or more years of education.
• Specialized training college students: you are under 25 and have completed 12 years of schooling, or a school comparable to a Japanese high school.
• Young Leaders Program students: you are under 40 (in principle), a university or college graduate with practical work experience, or a young public administrator.

Always check the latest application guidelines. If they differ from the summary page, follow the guidelines.

How to apply

1. Choose a scholarship type and read the latest application guidelines.
2. Decide your route: embassy recommendation, through the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country, or university recommendation. Not every Japanese university has a recommendation quota, so check first.
3. For embassy recommendation, complete the documents, exams and interviews run by the embassy. Exam subjects depend on the type, for example Japanese and English for research students.
4. For university recommendation, follow the requirements of the university you want to join.

Key dates

• Deadline: not listed on the official page. It varies by country and by recommendation route.
• Opening date: not listed.
• Next round: not announced on the official page. Ask your local Japanese embassy or your target university.
• University-recommended students usually arrive in Japan in September or October. Some arrive in late March or early April.

Before you apply

• Contact the Japanese embassy in your country early. Openings differ by country, type and field.
• Read the full application guidelines for your type before you collect documents.
• If you want the university route, ask the university whether it has a quota.
• Check your age against the limit for your type. Limits start at under 25 for some types.

Official page: Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. StudyFree is independent. MEXT and the universities make all decisions.