The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will begin a scholarship program offering financial aid to top-level students who are looking to pursue higher education abroad, providing a maximum of ¥8 million ($49,900) per year for the length of their studies.
“We would like the next generation of youth to develop a strong international outlook from their time as students, broaden their potential and become global leaders in the future,” said Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on Tuesday.
The program will begin accepting applications this summer — from July 1 to Aug. 19 — for admissions beginning next fiscal year, which starts in April 2027.
Only students with Japanese citizenship who are currently enrolled in a Tokyo metropolitan high school and reside in the city are eligible to apply. Through a rigorous selection process, around 10 students will be chosen to receive the aid.
The scholarship will not have to be repaid and will be given during the time it takes to complete a degree, usually four years. Eligibility will be renewed annually based on factors such as enrollment status.
It can only be granted to those who get into universities ranked in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education or QS World University rankings, or those in the top 10 of the QS World University Rankings by Subject in the fields of music, art and design, performing arts or sports-related subjects.
The selection will be made in October and will be confirmed once the chosen students are admitted into the schools.
The ceiling for the grant ranges between ¥4 million and ¥8 million per year, depending on a student’s household income. Students whose family’s annual household income exceeds ¥20 million will not be eligible.
Within such limits, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will provide the overseas university’s tuition fee minus ¥1.3 million — what is considered to be around the average tuition for private universities in Japan.
College fees abroad tend to be significantly higher than those charged by domestic institutions.
For example, the average annual tuition and fees for a private university in the U.S. during the 2025-26 school year was nearly $45,000, according to U.S. News, with additional costs of living driving the bill even higher. The exorbitant prices have remained a major barrier for Japanese students looking to get an education abroad.
There are currently several other scholarship grants available for Japanese students, including one by the Yanai Tadashi Foundation, which provides a maximum of $115,000 per student annually to around 40 students each year who are admitted to top global universities.
