Applications will soon be opened for the MEXT Scholarship APU University Recommendation. The scholarship is awarded to outstanding international students who are recommended by the Asia Pacific University (APU) to the Japanese government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarships. The opportunity is tenable at the APU university in Japan and open to all candidates willing to enroll in a Master’s or a PhD degree program at the university.

The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) provides the MEXT scholarship with the aim of enhancing the international competitiveness and promoting the active exchange of international students in Japanese universities. The recommendation is based on merit.

Please note that there are two main types of MEXT scholarships. The MEXT scholarship embassy recommendation (where candidates apply through Japanese diplomatic missions in their countries) and the MEXT scholarship university recommendation (where applicants apply directly through their chosen university which recommends them for selection).

Program Details

• Host Institution: Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Japan.
• Field of study: Available graduate programs at the university.
• Number of awards: Not specified.
• Duration: Duration of the candidate’s program.
• Target group: Open to all nationalities.

MEXT Scholarship APU University Recommendation Benefits

This MEXT Scholarship at APU is a fully sponsored program that provides successful applicants with:

1. Full admission fee
2. 100% of tuition (covered by the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship);
3. 144,000 JPY per month for living expenses (amount subject to change);
4. Economy class air travel between the home country and APU at the beginning and end of the program.

MEXT Scholarship APU University Recommendation Eligibility

To qualify for this Asia scholarship, Applicants must:

• Intend to study in Japan and from overseas;
• Not have Japanese nationality and be a national of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan;
• Be born on or after April 2, 1989;
• Have achieved a GPA of at least 2.30 on a 3.00 scale at their most recent university.

Important Notes:

1. Those who are serving on active military duty or civilians employed by the military at the time of application are not eligible for this scholarship.
2. Recipients must be able to arrive in Japan during the arrival period stipulated by APU.
3. Those who apply for this scholarship cannot have received a MEXT scholarship in the past unless they have more than 3 years of educational research experience after the final payment of the previous MEXT scholarship award.
4. Those who apply for this scholarship cannot be applying for another MEXT scholarship.
5. Recipients of this scholarship cannot receive a scholarship from another scholarship organization while studying at APU.
6. Recipients of this scholarship must have “student” as their status of residence (visa status) in Japan.
7. The score validity period requirement for the English Proficiency Test Score: Only scores of examinations taken on or after March 23, 2022 will be accepted.

Similar opportunities

1. Heinrich Böll Foundation scholarships in Germany;
2. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS).
3. Schwarzman Scholars program at Tsinghua University.

How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship APU University Recommendation

To apply for this government scholarship, please Submit the APU application (submit documents for the university admission) by the deadline, and you will be automatically considered for this scholarship.

1. APU reviews application documents and selects outstanding candidates to recommend to MEXT
2. Applicants selected to be recommended for this scholarship are notified with their final APU application results
3. Selected applicants complete and submit additional MEXT (SGU) application documents to APU
4. The final scholarship award results are decided by MEXT.

Applications for 2024 Enrollment will open from September 1, 2023. The deadline to submit your application is November 15, 2023. For more detail on the MEXT Scholarship APU University Recommendation, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.