[Q1] What are the qualifications for Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship applicants?

[A1] The qualifications for Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship applicants are as follows; However, these are the qualifications for applicants for 2010 admission. Please refer to the latest information.

Qualifications for Undergraduate and Research student in common:

1) Nationality: Applicant must have the nationality of a country which has diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. Applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application will not be eligible.

2) Health: Applicant must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue study at university.

3) Visa Requirement: Selected Applicants must obtain a College Student (ryuugaku 留学) visa prior to his/her arrival in Japan. Applicants who are already in Japan with a visa other than College Student are required to change it to College Student by the end of the month preceding the start of the scholarship.
Applicants who change their resident status to any status other than "College Student" after their arrival in Japan will immediately lose their status as a Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship student.

4)Scholarships will not be awarded in the following cases:

1. The Applicant is an active member of the military or a civilian employed by the military
2. The Applicant is unable to travel to Japan within the dates set by the receiving university
3. The Applicant who was a grantee of Japanese Government Scholarship in the past will not be selected unless he has had at least three years of research or teaching experience after returning to his/her home country. This exclusion will not apply to a research-student applicant, who (i) as a foreign student in Japan received training in the Japanese language and/or Japanese culture at a university and graduated from it, or who (ii) was a foreign student in Japan under the Japan-Korea Joint Science and Engineering Students Exchange Program and returned home.
4. The Applicant is already the recipient of a scholarship from an organization (including a governmental organization in his/her country of origin) other than the Japanese Government (MEXT).
5. The applicant who applies for Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship through another university or applies for JASSO scholarship.
6. The applicant who is enrolled in university in Japan as a privately financed foreign student in 2009.

Qualifications for Undergraduate students

1) Age: Applicant must have been born between April 2, 1988 and April 1, 1993.

2) Academic Background: Applicant must either have completed a 12-year regular course of school education or have graduated from a school equivalent to an upper secondary school in Japan. (Included is Applicant who will satisfy the above qualifications by March, 2010.)
Note: Also included is Applicant who otherwise satisfies entrance eligibility for a Japanese university.

3) Japanese Language: Applicant must be willing to learn the Japanese language and receive university education in Japanese.

Qualifications for Research students

1) Age: Applicant must have been born on or after April 2, 1975.

2) Academic Background: Applicant must be a graduate from a Japanese university or have academic ability equal or superior to that of a Japanese university graduate. A person will be deemed to have academic ability equal or superior to that of a university graduate, if he has completed or will complete a 16-year school curriculum in a foreign country, or is or will be aged 22 or older and has taken an individual entrance qualification examination and has been judged by a graduate school as being equal or superior in academic ability to a university graduate.

Note: Eligible applicants include those who otherwise satisfy or will satisfy qualification requirements for admission to a Japanese graduate school. As a general rule, a person who has completed a Doctoral course may not apply unless he seeks to obtain a degree.

3) Japanese Language: Applicant must be willing to learn the Japanese language, interested in Japan and enthusiastic about deepening his/her understanding of Japan after arriving, and capable of engaging in study and research while adapting himself/herself to life in Japan.

　　　　　
［University Recommendation］
　If the field of research requires a certain level of Japanese language proficiency（e.g. Japanese linguistics, Japanese literature, Japanese history,Japanese law ）,applicants without sufficient Japanese languages profienciy will not be selected as a general rule.

[Q2] What should I do for enrolling in Tokyo Tech as a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship student?

[A2] There are two categories of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship in Tokyo Tech;
(1)Embassy recommendations and (2)Tokyo Tech recommendations.

(1)Embassy recommendation;

The Japanese Embassies /Consulate Generals in each country recruit Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship students and perform primary screening of applicants between March and May every year.

(Please check with the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General in your country because the application schedule differs among each Japanese Embassy/Consulate General.) Only candidate who has been selected by this primary screening is required to contact our professors of his/her preference directly and get a letter of acceptance by the end of August in the year before admission. As for searching for the professor, please refer to our researchers' database.

The applicant who has passed the secondary screening conducted by Japanese Government (MEXT) will enroll in International Student Center at Tokyo Tech as a Japanese intensive course student for the first 6 months. When the applicant痴 Japanese language proficiency is recognized as sufficient, he will enroll in Tokyo Tech as a research student without going through Japanese language training. If a research student or a Japanese intensive course student passes the entrance examination while studying at Tokyo Tech, he can move on to a Doctoral program or to a Master's program.

Note: The research student or the Japanese intensive course student who wishes to proceed to graduate school is required to apply for the extension of the period of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. The application form will be delivered to his/her laboratory in Tokyo Tech from International Student Exchange Division. Foreign undergraduate students are required to study at either Tokyo University of Foreign Studies or Osaka University for one year prior to admission to Tokyo Tech, and are able to enroll in April if they pass the Special Screening Examination for Foreign Undergraduate Students administered by Tokyo Tech.

(2)Tokyo Tech Recommendation;

There are two categories of Tokyo Tech Recommendation; 1) the General Graduate course and, 2) the International Graduate Program(A). We recruit Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship students from September to early December in the year before admission for both programs. It is not permitted to apply for both programs at the same time. The qualifications of both programs are as follows;

• Foreign applicants who are residing out of Japan at the time of application and enrollment.
• In principle, persons who have an official recommendation from a university with an agreement with Tokyo Tech or persons who have an official recommendation from the president or at least from a person responsible (ex. director or dean) of a graduate university with bilateral activities with Tokyo Tech can apply for those programs.(As for the list of universities with an agreement with Tokyo Tech, please refer to here.

1) General Graduate course;

Almost all students enter Tokyo Tech as research students. A student who passes the entrance examination during the research student period becomes a Master's or doctoral student the following month of April or October (though not all the departments offer Master's programs). It is not possible to change from course 1) to course 2). The period of the scholarship can be extended under certain conditions.

Furthermore, this course is restricted to students or graduate students from universities which have an academic exchange agreement with Tokyo Tech.

2) International Graduate Program(A);

There are seven programs in the International Graduate Program and successful applicants can enter directly to graduate schools.(please refer to the following webpage in advance because the program type differs among each program.) However, the number of the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship student in each program is limited. Therefore, only the top students are entitled to get the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. Even if an applicant is excluded from the scholarship selection, he can still enter Tokyo Tech as a private financed student. For the details of the International Graduate Program, please refer to this webpage.

[Q3] How much is the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship?

[A3]

(Undergraduate Students)128,000yen/month

　　　　 (Research Students)155,000yen/month

　　　 　(Master's Program Students)157,000yen/month

(Doctoral Program Students)158,000yen/month

(Subject to change depending upon the annual budget).

And each grantee will be provided, according to his/her itinerary and route as designated by MEXT, with an economy class air ticket to and from Japan. (However the grantee cannot receive the air ticket unless he comes and leave on the designated term.) Fees for tuition, admission and entrance examination are covered by Japanese Government (MEXT).

[Q4] Could a private financed student become a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship student after entering Tokyo Tech?

[A4] There is the Domestic Selection for privately financed students who wish to be selected for a Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship.

To apply for the Domestic Selection, they should submit early to Tokyo Tech the "Application for the Privately funded Scholarships" form in September. For details, please refer to the webpage of Student Support Division, Tokyo Tech.