Questions about the MEXT scholarship? Ask them in the comments here or on the individual FAQ pages listed below!
FAQs Released so Far
Here are the links to the existing pages:
- MEXT Scholarship Application Basic Information (Where to apply, etc.)
- Contacting Professors (Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship Application)
- Field of Study and Research Program Plan
- University Recommended MEXT Scholarship Application
Explanation
Given the recent volume of questions, I am afraid that I no longer have the time to answer each emailed question one-by-one and get you the response you want in a timely manner.
Instead, I will group similar questions and answer them in the subject-by-subject FAQ articles linked above.
Live Q&A?
Once TranSenz reaches $50 in monthly support on Patreon, I will start a monthly live video Q&A. If you are interested in supporting this effort, or simply getting faster responses to your questions and access to articles ahead of everyone else, you can become a patron of TranSenz for as little as $2 per month!
Get All the Answers, Fast
When you sign up for my MEXT Scholarship Mailing List, I will send you my sample MEXT application forms as well as a email course introducing you to the essentials of the MEXT scholarship application, step-by-step.
Tips to Get Your Questions Answered Faster
There are some ways you can get your question featured faster:
- Be clear. Let me know what type of application process (Embassy/University/Domestic Selection) you’re asking about, what level (Undergraduate/Graduate), what year, and any other relevant details. If I have to guess what you mean – or write back to you to ask you to clarify your question, it’s going to take more time.
- Be detailed. If your question is “Please help me with the MEXT Scholarship application” or “I don’t know where to start,” then read through the articles that exist on this site first. Specific questions that are easier to understand and research will get answered first. If your question seems like it’s asking for a half-hour sit-down chat, then it’s probably not possible for me to answer in the FAQ.
- Be original. If there is an FAQ for your question already, please watch/read what I have posted in there already. If you ask a question that’s just been answered, it will take me longer to circle back to it.
- Don’t be selfish. Questions that can help more people will get answered first. If your question is specific to only your case, it’s going to take me longer to get to it.
Can’t Wait?
If you’re really in a hurry, you can join the community of TranSenz Supporters on Patreon. These are people who generously donate to help me cover the site costs and production expenses for this website for as little as a few dollars a month.
As one small way of expressing my gratitude to them, I answer their questions on a priority basis, including individual questions.
If you are interested in becoming a TranSenz supporter (whether or not you want faster answers), you can get all of the details here.
Subject Specific FAQs
As I release and publish new Q&As and Q&A videos, I will post each of them on a separate page for that subject. Before posting a new question, please check to see if it’s already been answered, to save yourself some time!
If you can’t find an answer, you can post your question in the comments on the subject-specific page or on this page.
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Hey Travis I’m abit confused on the Non- regular degree course. I have read your article and you greatly advise for one to apply as a non- degree tudent. But I want to enroll as a Masters student. But start as a non- regular degree student so how would I go about it. Do I need to first apply first as a non degree course and then renew my Mext scholarship?
Hi Abigail,
If you start as a non-degree student, then yes, you would apply first as a non-degree student then apply to extend your MEXT Scholarship after you arrive in Japan.
I recommend this approach for two reasons.
1. Once you become a Master’s Degree student, you only have 2 years to complete your studies or you will lose the scholarship. That means that if you struggle with adjusting to the university in Japan, that could be trouble. Starting as a non-degree student gives you a semester to start getting used to the university and settling into life in Japan before you face that time limit.
2. Some universities will require you to sit for an entrance exam for admission to the degree program. That can be challenging when you’re overseas. But if you start as a non-degree student, you can take the entrance exam during that time.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi! Thank you so much for your informative website! It was very helpful when I applied for the Scholarship but I am now in a difficult position. I am on my third semester of my Master’s and I have the scholarship (University Reccommendation), I have finished the courses and I have only the thesis units left for my next and final semester. I might unfortunately have to leave Japan and spend a long time in my home country for personal reasons, regardless of the possible travel ban coming to place. I would like to ask what consequences should I expect especially to my scholarship. I know that I won’t receive it for the months I am away from Japan because I can’t sign, but will I have to decline it if I stay away longer than 2 months and will I also be required to pay the fees of my last semester? I hope you can help me with this information because I wasn’t really able to find anything on the matter. I sincerely thank you in advance for your reply!
Hi Maria,
That sounds like a difficult situation and I am very sorry to hear about it.
For the MEXT Scholarship, if you do not sign for your scholarship each month, then you do not get the stipend. If you miss the signature for three months, then they consider you to have voluntarily withdrawn from the scholarship, so you would give up all benefits, including future stipend payments, the university-funded tuition, and your flight ticket home at the end of the scholarship.
I am not sure about whether or not you have to pay the tuition fees for your final semester- it would depend on when you left, I would think. If you leave before the semester begins, then I think you would have to pay the tuition, but if you were to leave mid-semester, then the tuition should already have been paid/waived and I don’t think they would invoice you for in in that case, though I can’t be completely sure.
If you leave in the middle of the semester, take a leave of absence, and have to come back in a future year to finish your degree, then you would be responsible for the tuition after you return, too.
If possible, I would recommend that you consult directly with your university, including your academic advisor (to see if you can complete your thesis work remotely, if that is your desire) and the office that handles the scholarship to see what the procedures would be. If your thesis is all you have left and there is a way that you can continue it while out of the country and return in time for that third month signature, then they might be able to work with you to continue the scholarship.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hey,
i dont know wht to answer for the questions in the application like … what triggers me to study in japan..
i have done my bsc in biotech and iwant to do msc in biotech .. and iam not understandin what i should answer for this questions can u help me with that?
Hi Anu,
Have you read my article about how to fill out the application form for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship? I’ve included my advice about how to answer that question (and the other essay questions) in that article. Your answer should be specific to your research topic and future goal to contribute to society, not just your field of study, and describe why Japan is the best place for your research, with specifics.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz