Prime Highlights
- Tokyo’s new scholarship will offer up to ¥8 million ($49,900) per year to around 10 students pursuing degrees at top global universities.
- Governor Yuriko Koike stated the programme aims to build international outlook and develop future global leaders among Tokyo’s youth.
Key Facts
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is the administrative body governing Japan’s capital, responsible for public policy and city-level governance across Tokyo.
- The scholarship covers overseas tuition fees minus ¥1.3 million, reflecting Japan’s average private university tuition, and does not require repayment.
Background
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will roll out a new scholarship programme offering financial support to high-achieving students who wish to pursue higher education at top universities abroad.
The scholarship will provide a maximum of ¥8 million ($49,900) per year for the full duration of a student’s degree, typically four years. The grant amount ranges between ¥4 million and ¥8 million annually, depending on household income. Families earning more than ¥20 million per year will not qualify.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said the programme aimed to help young people build a strong international outlook, broaden their potential, and grow into global leaders.
Applications will open in mid-summer, running from early July to mid-August, for students beginning studies in the fiscal year starting in April 2027. Around 10 students will be selected each year through a rigorous process, with results confirmed in October.
Only Japanese citizens currently enrolled in a Tokyo metropolitan high school and living in the city are eligible. Successful applicants will have been accepted to an institution in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education or QS World University Rankings. You need a place at a university that sits in the top 10 of the QS Rankings by Subject, for students focusing on music, art and design, performing arts, or sports-related themes.
The scholarship is non-repayable. It includes international tuition fees less ¥1.3 million, which is about equivalent to the average cost of tuition at Japanese private colleges. Eligibility is reviewed annually based on enrolment status.
College fees abroad are still quite a lot higher than domestic rates, which makes financial support really important for students trying to get a global education.
