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Fully Funded Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) MEXT 2025 Undergraduate Scholarships for Research Study in Japan.

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Application are now open for the Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship 2025 for Research Students, Undergraduate and College of Technology.

The Embassy of Japan offers Japanese Government-Sponsored MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarship every year. MEXT scholarship supports foreign students who study in higher education institutions, selected on the recommendation of the Embassy.The application is now open for undergraduate and research students.

MEXT accepts applications from international students for study in Japan who satisfy the following qualifications and conditions. Its aim is to foster human resources who will become bridges of friendship between the grantee’s country and Japan through study in Japan and who will contribute to the development of both countries and the wider world.

(1) Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. However, persons with dual nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at the time of application is outside of Japan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationality of the other country and renounce their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan (the acquisition of student status). The First Screening must be conducted at the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country of which the applicant chooses the nationality.

(2) Age: Applicants, in principle, must be born on or after April 2, 1999. However, applicants who satisfy the conditions for Academic Background stipulated in ③ below must be 18 years of age or older at the time of admission to a university in Japan. Exceptions are limited to cases in which MEXT deems that the applicant could not apply within the eligible age limit due to the situation or circumstances of the applicant’s country (military service obligation, loss of educational opportunities due to disturbances of war, etc.). Personal circumstances (financial situation, family circumstances, state of health, circumstances related to applicant’s university or place of employment, etc.) will not be considered for exceptions.

(3) Academic Background: Applicants must satisfy any one of the following conditions. However, applicants desiring direct placement must satisfy either the following ①, ③ or ④ condition.
① Applicants who have completed 12 years of schooling in countries other than Japan. (Applicants who will meet the above condition by March 2024 are eligible. However, applicants wishing to enroll from the autumn term through direct placement must be expected to complete 12 years of schooling by August 2024.)
② Applicants who have completed their studies at a school equivalent to a Japanese upper secondary school in countries other than Japan. (Applicants who will meet the above condition by March 2024 are eligible.)
③ Applicants who have successfully passed an academic qualification examination that is equivalent to the completion of 12 years of schooling in countries other than Japan. (Applicants who will meet the above condition by March 2024 are eligible.)
④ Other than the above ①, ② and ③ conditions, applicants who are eligible for enrollment in a Japanese university at the time of application.

(4) Japanese Language: Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese. Applicants must be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their understanding of Japan before and after arriving in Japan. In addition, in principle, applicants must be willing to carry out their academic studies in Japan in Japanese.

(5) Health: Applicants must submit a health certificate in the prescribed format signed by a physician attesting that the applicant has no physical or mental conditions hindering the applicant’s study in Japan.

(6) Arrival in Japan: Applicants must choose (between i. April 2025 and ii. September or October 2025) and fill in the application form indicating preferred month to begin studies in Japan. 

PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIP

(1) A grantee who studies at a preparatory educational institution prior to enroll in a university: The term of the 2025 MEXT Research Scholarship is from April 2025 to March 2027 with the possibility of extension, including one-year preparatory education in the Japanese language and other subjects due to be provided upon arrival in Japan. For scholarship grantees majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or a six-year course in pharmacy, the scholarship period will be seven years until March 2031.

(2) A grantee who enroll in a university through direct placement: The scholarship period will last for four years (or for six years for those majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or in a six-year course in pharmacy). The scholarship period will start from the time of enrollment in the university which the university designates.

Benefits

(1) Allowance: 117,000 yen per month. A supplemental regional allowance of 2,000 yen or 3,000 yen per month will be added to the monthly scholarship amount for the grantees studying or conducting research in specially designated regions. Due to the situation of the Japanese Government’s budget, the amount of payment may be subject to change each fiscal year. If a grantee is absent from the university or the preparatory educational institution for an extended period, the scholarship shall be suspended for that period.

(2) Education Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition at universities will be paid by MEXT.

(3) Traveling Expenses

① Transportation to Japan: MEXT will stipulate the travel schedule and route, and provide an airline ticket to grantees who will arrive in Japan during the specified period stated in “5.

(6) Arrival in Japan”. The airline ticket will be an economy-class ticket for the flight from the international airport closest to the grantee’s residence (in principle, the country of nationality) to an international airport in Japan used on the normal route to the accepting university. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense all costs related to domestic travel from the grantee’s residence to the nearest international airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within Japan (including airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage or unaccompanied baggage expenses, etc.

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