How to Apply for Emergency Student Support Subsidy for Continuing Studies
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has launched a program for providing emergency student support subsidies for continuing studies as an urgent measure to support students who are facing economic hardship due to a major decline in household income or personal income from part-time work under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Intended recipients
Undergraduate, graduate, and junior college students who meet the requirements shown in “2. Subsidy recipient requirements (criteria)” (including international students and students who are during their authorized absence)
2. Subsidy recipient requirements (criteria)
This program is intended for students who (1) live separately from any supporter and cover tuition with their own income from part-time work, etc., (2) are experiencing a major decline in their income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (3) face difficulty in covering tuition and other expenses even if they use existing support programs.
More specifically, applicants for this program must meet all requirements ① to ⑥ below (or, in the case of international students, all requirements ① to ⑤ and ⑦).
(1) Living separately from any supporter and covering tuition with one’s own income from part-time work, etc.
① Not receiving large sums from one’s family
② Not living with any supporter, in principle
③ Paying daily expenses and tuition mainly with one’s own income from part-time work
④ Unable to expect to receive additional support from one’s family due to a major decline in the family’s income or other factors
(2) Experiencing a major decline in one’s own income due to the COVID-19 pandemic
⑤ Experiencing a major decline (a 50% or larger decline from the previous month) in one’s own income from part-time work
(3) Trying to assure resources for continuing studies from a long-term perspective by concurrently using any existing support program
⑥ Using any existing support program and meeting any of the following criteria:
1) Being a Class I recipient (from a household exempted from municipal tax) under the New Higher Education Support System (hereinafter, “New System”)
2) Being a Class II or III recipient under the New System (from a household treated as equivalent to a household exempted from municipal tax) AND receiving or planning to receive a maximum amount of Category I scholarship (interest-free scholarship)
3) Having already applied to use the New System AND receiving or planning to receive a maximum amount of Category I scholarship (interest-free scholarship)
4) Being ineligible to use the New System AND receiving or planning to receive a maximum amount of Category I scholarship (interest-free scholarship)
5) Not meeting the requirements for using the New System or receiving a Category I scholarship (interest-free scholarship) BUT planning to use any support program, such as private one, for which one can apply
⑦ Being an international student who is facing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic AND fulfills the following criteria (the same as the criteria for the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students):
1) Having achieved excellent grades (with a grade point average of 2.30 or higher for the previous academic year)
2) Having recorded a monthly attendance of 80% or higher
3) Receiving a monthly average remittance of no more than 90,000 yen (excluding funds for paying admission fees, tuition, etc.)
4) If the student has a supporter in Japan, the supporter’s annual income must not exceed 5 million yen.
3. Subsidy amount
Students whose households are exempted from municipal tax: 200,000 yen
Students other than the above: 100,000 yen
* If you are not a Class I recipient under the New System or have already applied to use the system and if you are from a household exempted from municipal tax, be sure to submit municipal tax exemption certificates for those who financially support your family, such as your parents.
4. How to apply
① Answer the questionnaire titled “Application for Emergency Student Support Subsidy for Continuing Studies” on the portal site.
② After you complete the questionnaire, a link (URL) to the web page where you can apply online via MEXT’s LINE account will be displayed. (Answering the questionnaire alone does not mean you have completed the application.)
③ Access the link and officially apply on the online application screen of MEXT’s LINE account.
* The displayed link is provided by MEXT as a dedicated link for Ryukoku University. Be sure to use the link (URL) that is given on the portal site.
5. Documents that prove you meet the subsidy criteria
Application Guide issued by MEXT (PDF) (Be aware that the Guide uses the word “handout” to mean “subsidy.”)
* Check the documents listed in the table “Documentation proving you meet the handout criteria” on page 7–8 of the Guide.
* Submit the image files of the documents that prove you meet the criteria via the online application screen of MEXT’s LINE account.
6. Application deadline
First deadline: June 3 (Wed)
Second and final deadline: June 10 (Wed)
Complete your online (official) application via MEXT’s LINE account by any of the application deadlines.
If MEXT announces that it will accept additional applications, the University’s website and portal site will provide information later. However, please note that each student can apply only once.
7. Payment method
The Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) will pay the subsidy via bank transfer into an account in your name.
JASSO will not send you the notification of its decision to pay you the subsidy. Payment into your account means that your application has been approved. If your application is not approved, you will be informed on the portal site later.
8. Notes
• Since MEXT allocates a nomination quota to each university, not all applicants can receive the subsidy.
• Applications will be checked for whether the applicants meet the requirements and screened through comprehensive judgment based on the aim of this program. Please note in advance that we cannot answer inquiries on selection details.
• If your application documents are incomplete, it may take much time for us to check the documents. Therefore, apply as early as possible.
9. Inquiries
Ryukoku University Student Department: Staff in charge of Emergency Student Support Subsidy for Continuing Studies
gakusei99@ad.ryukoku.ac.jp
* If you have any questions, please contact us by email.
<Reference>
MEXT’s web page: Emergency Student Support Handout for Continuing Studies
