Japan's Ministry of Education is considering a university scholarship program for children of foreign nationals who intend to continue living in Japan.
This expanded system requires loans handled by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) to be granted to foreign high school graduates who wish to pursue university studies.
According to Ministry of Education officials, students will be offered the loan scholarships even if they are on dependent visas. An estimated 200 students apply for scholarships each year in the form of loans or under the new program, which reduces or waives tuition fees along with scholarships that do not have to be repaid.
JASSO currently provides scholarships to foreign children, but only if their visa status is permanent, long-term, or special permanent. In May 2023, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s Special Committee on Foreign Workers compiled recommendations, including a proposal to expand JASSO scholarships to foreign children still on dependent visas.
Currently, foreign students who have graduated from high school in Japan can switch to a long-term residence visa after graduating from high school if they have a job offer. In cases where they want to pursue higher education, they are forced to apply for a dependent visa and are not eligible for JASSO scholarships under the current system. In such cases, students have no clear means of financial support. As a result, many foreign students in Japan give up on higher education.
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