Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for U.S. Citizens
Since 1954, the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT or Monbukagakusho) has provided scholarships each year to assist students interested in studying at Japanese universities through the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program. As of the 2015 Japanese academic year, some 102,000 students from approximately 160 countries and regions around the world have studied in Japan as Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship students. And, as of May 1, 2015, there were 9,223 MEXT Scholarship recipients studying in Japan.
Types of Scholarship
There are four types of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarships awarded to U.S. citizens.
Applicants must be under 35 years of age and a college graduate or have completed 16 years of schooling in order to be eligible. Individuals who have not yet graduated at the time of application must receive their degree before the date of departure for Japan as a scholarship recipient.
Applicants must have completed 12 years of education or have completed courses in a school comparable to a high school. Age requirements change each year so please check the application guidelines to see if you qualify. Generally you must be below 24 years of age. Individuals who have not yet graduated at the time of application must receive their high school diploma before the date of departure for Japan as a scholarship recipient.
Applicants must be between 17 and 22 years of age and have completed 12 years of education or have completed school education comparable to a Japanese high school. Individuals who have not yet graduated at the time of application must receive their high school diploma before the date of departure for Japan as a scholarship recipient.
Applicants must be between 18 to 30 years of age. They must be enrolled as undergraduate students in institutions outside of Japan prior to being a scholarship recipient and they must return to this home institution upon completion of the MEXT scholarship. Individuals applying for this scholarship must be enrolled in a major in Japanese language and/or Japanese culture. Students enrolled in a major other than Japanese language or Japanese culture, who wish to study particular aspects of Japan (engineering, economy, agriculture, architecture, art, etc.) as part of their major studies, should apply to JASSO for admission to the Student Exchange Support Program (Scholarship for Short-term Study in Japan).
How to Apply
U.S. CITIZENS: Applications must be submitted to the MEXT Scholarship office which oversees your jurisdiction. Visit your MEXT Scholarship office website from the table below responsible for your jurisdiction for application requirements, forms, guidelines and for any inquiries. Applicants may only apply to one (1) location each year.
| Jurisdiction | MEXT Scholarship Office Location |
|---|---|
| AL, GA, NC, SC | Consulate-General in Atlanta |
| CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT | Consulate-General in Boston |
| IA, IL, IN, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI | Consulate-General in Chicago |
| CO, NM, UT, WY | Consulate-General in Denver |
| MI, OH | Consulate-General in Detroit |
| Guam | Consulate-General in Hagatna |
| HI | Consulate-General in Honolulu |
| OK, TX | Consulate-General in Houston |
| AZ, CA (southern) | Consulate-General in Los Angeles |
| AR, KY, LA, MS, TN | Consulate-General in Nashville |
| FL | Consulate-General in Miami |
| CT (Fairfield County ONLY), DE, NY, NJ, PA, WV, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands | Consulate-General in New York |
| CA (northern), NV | Consulate-General in San Francisco |
| AK, ID, MT, OR, WA | Consulate-General in Seattle |
| DC, MD, VA | Embassy of Japan |
NON-U.S. CITIZENS: Non-U.S. citizens who send their applications to the Embassy and Consulates in the United States will not be accepted. You must contact the Embassy of Japan of the country in which you hold citizenship for information on how to apply.