Studying abroad is great. You get to see the world, meet new people, travel to exotic places, all while getting a great education from a reputable school. However, as a high school student, this might seem more like a dream than reality. If you dream of studying in Japan, here’s a breakdown of some scholarships that can help you realize your dream.
1. 9GEMS Holistic Development Scholarship
The Global Indian International School developed a revolutionary, award-winning teaching methodology designed to help students meet the ever-changing needs of the world. This 9GEMS framework is designed to train learners; improve their strengths, and mould their personalities, turning them into global citizens. This framework offers a smooth balance of academics and extracurriculars seamlessly woven into every aspect of life at GIIS. As such, the school offers a scholarship award that rewards students that exemplify the qualities of this framework. This annual award is open to all pupils in all grades, even those taking IBDP years 1 and 2. It’s a talent-based award that rewards winners with tuition scholarships that cover anywhere between 20 to 60 per cent of their yearly tuition fees.
2. Hideki Yukawa Global Skills Scholarship
In today’s digital society, learners are becoming more tech-savvy from a young age. This natural curiosity and inclination to know more about the technology and gadgets has led to more students choosing to pursue STEM-related courses. The Japan international school scholarship recognizes young talented learners in this field of digital space and supports them as they endeavor to succeed in their educational pursuits. This annual award is open to students in all grades, even those taking IBDP year 1 to 2 and awards tuition waivers that give anywhere between 6 to 19 percent of tuition fees.
Applicants for the Hideki Yukawa Global Skills Scholarship must be Japanese residents who have participated at prefectural, national or international forums in any of the categories stipulated in the eligibility criteria. You also need to have written a paper, thesis, published works or invented/ innovated a tool or gadget related to digital spaces such as Artificial intelligence (AI), Robotics, Virtual reality (VR), coding, Blockchain, app making, and more.
3. Sadako Ogata Merit cum Means Scholarship
This scholarship is a merit-cum-means award that offers financial aid to deserving students from moderate-income families. This award is GIIS contribution to helping fulfil the educational needs of meritorious students. The scholarship is intended for learners who are residents of Japan, including existing parents and students at any GIIS campus. The award is open to learners in all grades from nursery to grade 12, even IBDP years 1 and 2. It is a 2-year scholarship that offers a tuition waiver of anywhere between 2 to 25 per cent depending on the category you fall under. These categories are classifications used to determine the eligibility of each applicant depending on the annual income of their parents.
4. Global FUTURE-READY Merit Scholarship
This award allows deserving and distinguished learners to study at any GIIS campus of their choice within their country of residence. This offers an impressive learning opportunity to students that will help them become global citizens and give them easier access to top-tier higher learning institutions. This 2-year award is open to learners in classes 7 to 12 and even IBDP year 1 and 2 students. It offers a tuition waiver of anywhere between 4 to 25 per cent depending on the eligibility criteria used. This is an academic award, so to qualify, you need to have high grades.
5. MEXT scholarships
These scholarships are administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and are meant to help international students to enrol in Japanese international school. Normally these awards are offered to college students; however, the Japanese MEXT ministry has announced the inclusion of GIIS Tokyo to the list of educational institutions covered by the scholarship scheme. This means that as a high schooler you can apply for MEX scholarships to continue your studies at the school. The Japanese government funds MEXT scholarships, and award amounts vary from the type of scholarship given.
No matter what level you apply for, there are 2 requirements that you must fulfil: get a recommendation by the Japanese embassy or consulate and also get a recommendation from the Japanese school that accepts you to study there. You can get the first recommendation letter through the application process as your application form has to be sent to the Japanese embassy. The second one you get by applying to different universities and noting this down on your MEXT scholarships. You also need to be a valid citizen of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan and have a valid student visa.
Benefits of studying in Japan
1. Japan is recognized globally for its high educational standards. The organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD) ranks learners from Japan first in the world for math, and second for scientific literacy. It has the highest number of Nobel prize winners of any Asian country. Japan has over 700 universities with 10 ranked in the top 200 universities in the world.
2. You get to see the world, travel, and develop as a person. Studying abroad gives you a unique opportunity to live, work and interact with people from different cultures. While in Japan, you can learn Japanese from locals, get to know more about their culture, and history. Since you are far from your family, you have to become independent and take responsibility for yourself. This helps you develop as a person as you see things from a different perspective and appreciate cultural differences.
3. What better way is there for learners to learn the Japanese language than by living in Japan? While studying in Japan, you have a unique opportunity to learn the language while pursuing your education. Learning Japanese has many benefits, such as making it easier for you to communicate and even work in the country.
4. You get to discover the country’s rich and diverse culture first hand. Japan has a long, rich history filled with fascinating war stories. You can also visit the various temples, shrines and get to learn interesting things such as how the katana has shaped Japanese history.
5. Thanks to the many scholarships offered to international students, studying in Japan is not that expensive. These generous scholarships, coupled with the low tuition fees, makes getting a quality education in japan a lot easier. These low tuition fees are because there are a lot of learning institutions in Japan. A domestic student in the USA might spend over $10000 a year or more in tuition, whereas an international student might spend a lot more because of the additional fees. However, in Japan tuition fees amount to about $5500 a year making getting an education here cheaper. International students also get full or partial tuition fee waivers reducing the amount they have to pay even further.
Japan provides scholarships to both international and domestic students to provide financial aid as they pursue their education. The scholarship amounts vary depending on how prestigious the award is. If you are looking to study in japan, scholarships are a great opportunity for you if you lack the funds to support your studies. With this list, you are a step closer to fulfilling your dreams of studying abroad.
