Home
Menu
Unsure of what to expect from the MEXT Scholarship?
Fear not, for this article provides all the information you need to know about the MEXT Scholarship in 6 sections:
1. What is the MEXT Scholarship?
2. MEXT Scholarship Benefits
3. Seven Types of MEXT Scholarships
4. Application Process
5. Key Statistics
6. External Resources
Ready to master this impressive scholarship? Then let’s go!
What is the MEXT Scholarship?
MEXT is a commonly known shorthand for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese Government. You may also know it by its Japanese name Monbukagakusho. It offers the Japanese Government Scholarship program to international students coming to Japan.
In 2009, MEXT introduced the Global 30 Project to internationalize higher education in Japan through collective programs and policies of its 13 member universities. Thanks to MEXT, it has never been so easy to study in Japan!
MEXT Scholarship Benefits:
There are three main benefits of the MEXT Scholarship:
- Full tuition exemption
- Monthly stipend (variance covered in the following section)
- Round-trip plane tickets from students’ homes to Japan
These generous benefits make the MEXT Scholarship the most famous Japanese scholarship among international students wishing to come to Japan. After all, who doesn’t want to have a monthly stipend on top of a completely waived university tuition?
Seven Types of MEXT Scholarships
Under the Japanese Government Scholarship program, there are seven types of MEXT scholarships available; Young Leaders’ Program (YLP) Students, Research Students (Graduate School Students & Research Students), Teacher Training Students, Undergraduate Students, College of Technology Students, Specialised Training College Students and Japanese Studies Students.
1. Young Leaders’ Program (YLP) Students
Who: University or college graduates who have practical work experience
Monthly Stipend: ¥242,000
Duration: 1 year
Application Period: Check your country’s deadline here
The Young Leader’s Program (YLP) is one of the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Programs with the aim to produce future national leaders in Asia and other countries. By forming a network among national leaders and deepening their understanding of Japan, the YLP establishes a friendly relationship among countries and students targeting young public administrators, etc who are expected to play an active role in Asia and other countries.
Young Leader’s Program (YLP) is a specially organized program for students aspiring to study in the following fields :
- School of Government
- Business Administration
- Law
- Local Governance
MEXT provides scholarships for approximately 80 students on the YLP annually.
Details for each course of application are on the YLP page of MEXT’s official website.
For more information on the Young Leader’s Program, see Schoolynk’s specialized article HERE!
2. Research Students (Graduate School Students & Research Students)
Who: University or college graduates (or prospects). Those who have academic ability equal to that of a university graduate
How Much: ¥143,000 〜 ¥145,000 (Depending on degree)
Duration: Maximum 2 years for non-regular students
Application Period: Check your country’s deadline here
With this scholarship program, international students can study in graduate courses or conduct research in a specialized field as Research Students (non-regular students). Although you start as a non-regular student, it’s possible for you to apply for a scholarship extension if you wish to continue to a regular course in graduate school or advance to a doctoral course. With approximately 2,500 graduate school students and research students receiving this scholarship, the amount and period of scholarship differs based on what type of student you are. Non-regular students receive 143,000 yen per month for a maximum of two years (including a six-month period of Japanese language training). Regular students in master’s courses receive 144,000 yen per month and regular students in doctoral courses receive 145,000 yen per month for the amount of time needed to complete the regular program of the respective courses. For more information on Research Students, here are the 2023 Guidelines.
3. Teacher Training Students
Who: University or teacher training college graduates who have over 5 years of experience as (1)teachers in active service of primary or secondary schools in their home countries, or (2)teachers in teacher training schools (excluding universities) in their home countries
How much: Non-degree students: ¥143,000 Master’s course: ¥144,000 Doctoral course: ¥145,000 (Additional stipend for the designated area)
Duration: Up to 1.5 years
Application Period: Check your country’s deadline here
This scholarship is eligible for international teachers who would like to experience training based on Japanese school education as Teacher Training Students at specified Japanese universities. The period of scholarship follows the necessary period for completion of the training course in the accepting university and you will not be able to apply for an extension. Through this period, those accepted, around 100 students annually, will receive an allowance of 143,000 yen per month. For information on the application guidelines, check the Teacher Training Students Application Guidelines for 2023.
4. Undergraduate Students
Who: Those aged 17-22 who have completed 12 years of school education or prospect, must have qualifications deemed to be suitable for enrollment in a Japanese university at the time of application
How Much: ¥117,000 (Additional stipend for the designated area)
Duration: 5 years (7 years: Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Pharmaceutical Sciences of a 6-year system)
Application Period: Check your country’s deadline here
If you apply for this scholarship through MEXT, you will need to undergo a one-year preparatory study before you can enroll in a university. The scholarship period for this case will be five years; one year for preparatory study and four years for undergraduate study (one plus six years for pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine). However, if the undergraduate course at your destination university doesn’t need Japanese language proficiency, you may be able to bypass the preparatory study. In this case, the period of the scholarship will be four years (six years for pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine). The amount of monthly allowance granted will be 117,000 yen per month, plus 2,000 or 3,000 yen if you study in specially designated regions. Approximately 150 students receive scholarships annually. For more information, see Application Guideline for Undergraduate Students 2023.
5. College of Technology Students
Who: Those ages 17-22 who have completed secondary school (11 years or longer curriculum starting at elementary school) or prospect
How Much: ¥117,000 (Additional stipend for the designated area)
Duration: 4 years (4.5 yrs: Marine Eng.)
Application Period: Check your country’s deadline here
If you are aspiring to specifically study at Japanese colleges of technology as a College of Technology Student, you may be interested in this scholarship. You can choose a field of study from the following choices:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Information, Communication
- Network Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Architecture
- Civil Engineering
- Maritime Engineering
The period of scholarship will last for four years, including one year of preparatory study. Similar to the previous two scholarships, the amount of monthly allowance will be 117,000 yen if you receive this scholarship. After that, if you have an outstanding academic achievement when you graduate from a college of technology, you may be eligible for a scholarship extension upon successful examination by MEXT. Application Guidelines for College of Technology Students 2023 are available here.
6. Specialized Training College Students
Who: Those ages 17-22 who have completed secondary school (11 years or longer curriculum starting at elementary school) or prospect
How Much: ¥117,000 (Additional stipend for a designated area)
Duration: 1 year
Application Period: Check your country’s deadline here
If you are an international student who would like to study in Japanese specialized training colleges or the equivalent of vocational schools, this scholarship is for you. You can choose a field of study from the following choices:
- Technology
- Personal Care and Nutrition
- Education and Welfare
- Business
- Fashion and Home Economics
- Culture and General Education
The period of scholarship will last for three years, including one year of preparatory study. As with the other scholarships, the amount of monthly allowance will be 117,000 yen if you receive this scholarship. Similar to the College of Technology Scholarship, if you have an outstanding academic achievement when you graduate from a specialized training college, you may be eligible for a scholarship extension upon successful examination by MEXT. Approximately 50 students receive this scholarship annually. Application Guideline for Specialized Training Students 2023 can be found through this link.
7. Japanese Studies Students
Who: Applicants aged 18-30, must be undergraduates at foreign (non-Japanese) universities majoring in fields related to the Japanese language or Japanese culture at the time of arriving and leaving Japan.
How Much: ¥117,000 (Additional stipend for a designated area)
Duration: 1 school year
Application Period: Check your country’s deadline here
If you are an international student desiring to acquire more in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Japanese language, affairs, and culture, the Japanese Government offers this scholarship for you. To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be already enrolled at a university in your country as an undergraduate student. The period of scholarship follows the necessary period for completion of the study course at the accepting university. This period should be within a year and any application for an extension will not be available. After the end of the scholarship period, you will receive a certificate for completing the specified course and should resume your study of the Japanese language and culture at your home university. The monthly allowance you will receive through this period will be 117,000 yen per month and an average of 500 students receive this scholarship annually. The Application Guidelines Studies for Japanese Studies Students 2023 is available here.
Application Process
There are four main stages during the application process, as stated below:
1. Document screening
2. Written exams
3. Interview
4. Final document screening by MEXT
1. Document Screening
Download and prepare the documents via the website of the Embassy of Japan in your country. There are three documents you have to prepare in total: the Application Form, the Certificate of Health, and the Recommendation Form (unless you wish to skip the one-year preparatory course and want a direct placement at a university. If so, you will have to prepare four documents). For my case, I was told to prepare three copies of each document and I had to obtain a stamp from my school to certify that the copies I made were true copies. (This information is based on the Embassy of Japan in Singapore.)
2. Written Exams
The written exams differ depending on your major (arts or science). Students majoring in Social Sciences and Humanities (arts) will have to take English, Japanese, and Mathematics while those majoring in Natural Sciences have to take English, Japanese, and Mathematics as well as two sciences. If you applied with a major under the category of Natural Science A, you will have to take Physics and Chemistry and if you applied under Natural Science B or C, you will have to take Biology and Chemistry. There are several past year papers available online so do try them out before the actual exam.
Ace the MEXT Scholarship Exam: Past Papers and Analysis
3. Interview
This is the toughest stage out of the four. It will be good to arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to your interview and to dress well (Either in your school uniform or a suit). The most frequently asked questions are “Why did you choose (insert: the universities you chose) as your top three choices?”, “Why did you choose (insert: the majors of your choice) as your top three choices?”, “What will you do if you do not receive the major of your choice?”, “Why do you want to study in Japan?”, “How proficient are you in Japanese?” and “Can you introduce yourself? (In English and/or in Japanese)” Prepare the answer to these questions and remember to show a humble attitude throughout the interview.
Ace the MEXT (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship Interview Questions
4. Final document screening by MEXT
Now all you have to do is wait! All your documents from stages one to three will be sent to MEXT (in Japan), and they will make the final decision. If you pass, you will be notified via email and a letter, and they will tell you which preparatory course you have been assigned to; it will be either Osaka University (Minoh campus) or the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (unfortunately, you will not be able to choose which university you want to go to).
MEXT Scholarship: Key Statistics
According to the 2020 result of the Basic Student Survey from MEXT, a great number of students who receive MEXT scholarships study engineering. Based on Japan’s technological advancement, it was not surprising that many students look to Japan to study in this field. If you are one of these students, know that you have a good chance of success!
As of May 2020, there are 9,423 international students who receive these government-funded scholarships, 3.2% of the total of 298,980 international students in Japan. Although technically MEXT scholarship is eligible for any countries allied with Japan, a great number of its recipient’s hail from countries in Asia. Thailand and Indonesia hold first and second place respectively for the ratio of international students who receive MEXT scholarships to the total number of students in Japan.
Resources
There you have it! Now, you know all the basics of the MEXT Scholarship! To answer commonly asked questions, take a look at this report by MEXT.
To see more articles on specific aspects of the MEXT Scholarship, you can visit Schoolynk’s MEXT Scholarship page!
Want to hear from actual MEXT scholars? → Check the community page for MEXT scholarship!
Good luck!