JASSO Scholarship: 30,000 Yen a Month, Language Schools Included

Last updated: 29 August 2026

Before you take on more hours, read this.

The 28-hour weekly cap is fixed in law and will not move. But there is money that sits outside that cap and does not require you to work for it. This guide covers one thing only: that.

30,000 yen a month, even at a language school

The Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students (学習奨励費 / gakushu shoreihi) is money from the Ministry of Education, paid out by JASSO, that you never repay. Its formal name is the Student Exchange Support Program.

The amount depends on where you are enrolled.

• Graduate and undergraduate level: 48,000 yen a month
• Japanese language institutions: 30,000 yen a month

It runs for one year, April to the following March, or six months, October to March.

If you searched for whether it has to be repaid: it does not. This is a grant, not a loan. Nobody bills you after graduation.

Which schools qualify

The official list covers these students, all of whom must hold the Student status of residence and be privately financed (government-sponsored students and those sent by foreign governments are excluded).

• Regular students in graduate school
• Regular students at universities, junior colleges, colleges of technology from year 3, and vocational colleges (specialised courses of specialised training colleges)
• Advanced courses, special courses for international students, and university preparatory courses
• Students at a Japanese language institution who are aiming to progress to a university, graduate school, junior college, college of technology or vocational college

Vocational colleges and language schools are both on the list, explicitly. Plenty of people assume their school does not count.

No N2 needed if you are at a language school

This part is not widely known.

The conditions list a language standard: JLPT N2 or above, or 200 points on the Japanese section of the EJU, or CEFR B2 in English. But look at what immediately follows it.

Must meet the Japanese or English language standard below. (Excluding special courses for international students, preparatory courses, and Japanese language institutions.)

JASSO, about the Student Exchange Support Program – translated from the Japanese original

If you are at a Japanese language school, the language condition does not apply to you. No N2, no EJU score, and you can still be nominated.

“I do not have N2 yet, so this is not for me” is the thought that costs people the most.

You cannot apply for this yourself

This is the practical heart of it. JASSO puts it plainly:

Recipients are decided on the basis of nomination by the university or school.

JASSO, Student Exchange Support Program – translated from the Japanese original

Which means you cannot send an application to JASSO. You enter the selection only once your school has put you forward.

And there is this:

Because the number of nominations per school is set according to how many international students are enrolled, at some schools it may not be possible to apply.

JASSO, about the Student Exchange Support Program – translated from the Japanese original

The places are counted. When your school decides who to nominate, anyone who does not know the scheme exists is not even a candidate.

The 2.30 grade coefficient, and what more shifts cost you

One of the conditions:

A grade coefficient for the previous year of 2.30 or above at graduate, undergraduate and Japanese language institution level alike, with the prospect of maintaining it during the grant period.

JASSO, about the Student Exchange Support Program – translated from the Japanese original

Now do the arithmetic.

Thirty thousand yen a month, divided by the Tokyo minimum wage of 1,226 yen, is about 24 hours of work. The 28-hour cap gives you 112 hours a month, so it is roughly 22 percent of everything you are allowed to work.

At 48,000 yen it is about 39 hours, roughly 35 percent.

So: add shifts, stop making it to class, drop below 2.30, and you can lose more than you gained.

This is not a lecture about studying hard. It is a calculation about take-home pay. Hours spent in class may be worth more per hour than hours spent at work.

The remaining conditions

Two of them are about money, and both point the same way: less support from home means a stronger case.

• Remittances from home (excluding entrance fees and tuition) averaging 90,000 yen a month or less
• Where you have a supporter living in Japan, their annual income must be under 5 million yen

Beyond those: you must not be receiving a scholarship that cannot be combined with this one, you must not be on a JASSO overseas study support programme, and you must be willing to take part in the post-graduation careers survey.

Once you are receiving it, you sign an attendance confirmation register at your school’s office every month. Forgetting can stop that month’s payment, so put it in your calendar.

The scheme is described as being for students who are “excellent in both academic performance and character, and for whom study is difficult for financial reasons.” Being short of money is not something to apologise for here. It is a premise of the scheme.

How to find the other scholarships

Local governments and private foundations run scholarships too. There are many and the openings change year to year, so this guide does not list them.

Two ways to find them.

First, ask at the school office whether any scholarship notices have come in. Most are advertised through schools, which makes this the reliable route.

Second, look at “Scholarships offered by universities and local governments” on the JASSO site. It is reachable from the same page as the honors scholarship.

There is also tuition reduction, which lowers the cost rather than adding income. Conditions and amounts differ by school, so ask about it in the same conversation.

One thing to do today

Go to your school office and ask this:

“Can I be nominated for the JASSO honors scholarship? And have any other scholarship notices come in?”

That is the whole action. Without a nomination, this money never reaches you. Places are limited and timings differ by school. Ask this week.

Then look at your fixed costs. As set out in our guide to living costs, rent is the number that actually moves. The student pension exemption and reductions on National Health Insurance are two more that people pay in full without knowing they need not.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is there a JASSO scholarship for language school students?
Yes. The Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship covers Japanese language institutions at 30,000 yen a month, provided you are enrolled while aiming to progress to further study.

Q. Can I apply without N2?
If you are at a Japanese language school, yes. The official text excludes special courses, preparatory courses and Japanese language institutions from the language requirement. University, graduate and vocational college students do need JLPT N2 or above, 200 points on the EJU Japanese section, or CEFR B2 in English.

Q. Does the JASSO honors scholarship have to be repaid?
No. It is a grant, not a loan.

Q. How do I apply for the JASSO scholarship?
You do not apply directly. Recipients are decided by nomination from the school, so ask your school office to nominate you. Each school has a limited number of nominations.

Q. What is the JASSO scholarship amount?
48,000 yen a month at graduate and undergraduate level, 30,000 yen a month at a Japanese language institution. It runs one year from April, or six months from October.

Q. Can I hold this while working part-time?
There is no condition banning part-time work. But remittances from home must average 90,000 yen a month or less, and your grade coefficient for the previous year must be 2.30 or above. Adding shifts and letting grades slip is what puts this at risk.

Summary

• 30,000 yen a month at a language school, 48,000 yen at university, graduate school or vocational college. Never repaid
• No language requirement for language school students – the official text excludes them by name
• You cannot apply yourself. Schools nominate, with a fixed number of places, so asking early matters
• Conditions: grade coefficient 2.30 or above, remittances 90,000 yen a month or less, and a supporter in Japan earning under 5 million yen a year
• 30,000 yen is about 24 hours of work, roughly 22 percent of the 112 hours the cap allows. Protecting your grades can pay better than adding shifts

Official sources: JASSO, Student Exchange Support Program (Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students) / JASSO, about the programme

Amounts and conditions were checked against JASSO pages on 28 August 2026. Application windows, deadlines and nomination procedures differ by school. Confirm with your own school office.