What if you could get paid to spend the next five years pursuing your Master’s or PhD?
- 143,000 – 148,000 yen per month stipend
- Zero tuition
- Round-trip ticket to Japan
(Figures accurate as of the 2014 scholarship period. See the MEXT homepage in Japanese for more details)
This is the Japanese Government Monbukagakusho Scholarship (MEXT Scholarship). As of 2014, there were 8,351 international students in Japan studying on the MEXT scholarship at all levels. By comparison, there were over 139,185 total international students in universities in Japan that year. It is extremely competitive, but there are ways that you can distinguish yourself from the crowd and increase your chances dramatically.
University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship: Research Students
This guide is for the University-recommended Monbukagakusho or MEXT scholarship. If you’re looking for the Embassy-recommended MEXT scholarship, please see my guide to selecting a Japanese University. You may also want to read through the section on the “Field of Study and Study Plan” in this series, as well.
There are several levels of MEXT scholarships, from undergraduate degrees and short-term Japanese language and culture study, to graduate studies. This series covers the latter category. It is for students who want to pursue a Master’s Degree or PhD in Japan and is primarily for students who want to do so in English. Most of the information on the scholarship is written only in Japanese, so my purpose here is to make it available to everyone.
Types of MEXT Research Student Scholarships
- General Category
- Available at almost any university in Japan to any applicant (except applicants from Taiwan). This category offers the most options and is the most competitive. However, for most applicants this is the only category you will be eligible to apply for.
- Priority Graduate Programs (PGP)
- There are a limited number of PGP programs approved by MEXT and each is approved for a 3-year period, only. Each PGP program has very specific criteria, including a specific field of study, scholarship slots per degree level, and in some cases nationality of applicant and/or program language.
- SATREPS and e-Asia Categories
- Both of these categories are administered by the Japan Science and Technology Agency and all applicants are related to ongoing projects and pre-screened by that agency. You can not apply for these categories outright.
That leaves us with General and PGP categories. However, for you, the applicant, the primary difference between these two categories comes in the selecting a university step. All the other strategies and instructions in this series of articles apply to all applications.
Scholarship Slot Availability
There are three kinds of slots we are concerned about: General Category, Top Global University Scholarship Slots, and PGP. I’m going to cover the PGP scholarships later, because it’s a very limited-eligibility category, and involves a lot of guesswork.
In the former two cases, it’s easy to get a rough estimate of the number of spaces available at any university.
General Category
The number of slots available dropped in 2016. The new numbers can be found here. The table below is no longer accurate as of 2016.
The number of scholarship slots per university is related to the number of international graduate students enrolled there as of the preceding year, based on the following table:
International Graduate Students | Scholarship Slots |
---|---|
0 – 25 | 1 |
26 – 300 | 2 |
301 – 700 | 3 |
701 – 900 | 4 |
901 – 1300 | 5 |
1301 – 1700 | 6 |
1701 – 1900 | 7 |
1901+ | 8 |
(Source: Notes for the 2015 University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, accessed 9 Sept 2015)
Keep in mind that all numbers are subject to change. But the table above, at least, has been pretty consistent for a while.
JASSO publishes an annual list of the top 20 universities in Japan for accepting international students in English, but this list includes both undergraduate and graduate students, so I’ve gone through each university’s website from the list, as well as all of the “Top Global University” schools and looked up the number of graduate students- please see the table below.
Top Global University Project Slots
Update (Oct 2016): Based on further research into the Top Global University scholarship slots, it appears the original information in this article was only partially correct. It now appears that these slots are for MEXT Domestic Selection students and that the maximum number is the number of awardees enrolled at the university. I am sincerely sorry for the earlier error and will be following up with more information as soon as available.
MEXT Slots by University, 2016 (Unofficial)
Note: This chart has been updated to reflect the 2016 slot decrease.
University Name | International Graduate Students | Slots |
---|---|---|
The University of Tokyo | 2273 | 7 |
Waseda University | 2200 | 7 |
Kyushu University | 1830 | 7 |
Kyoto University | 1342 | 5 |
Osaka University | 1127 | 5 |
University of Tsukuba | 1207 | 5 |
Nagoya University | < 1300 | 5 |
Tohoku University | 1068 | 5 |
Hokkaido University | 1065 | 5 |
Hiroshima Univerisity | 996 | 4 |
Tokyo Institute of Technology | 879 | 4 |
Ritsumeikan University | 524 | 3 |
Keio University | 570 | 3 |
Chiba University | 641 | 3 |
Kanazawa University | 483 | 3 |
Meiji University | 352 | 2 |
Sophia University | 387 | 2 |
Toyo University | <353 | 2 |
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies | 218 | 2 |
Kumamoto University | 288 | 2 |
Hosei University | 271 | 2 |
International University of Japan | 281 | 2 |
Tokyo Medical and Dental University | 172 | 1 |
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University | 174 | 1 |
Tokyo University of the Arts | 139 | 1 |
Toyohashi University of Technology | <100 | 1 |
Kyoto Institute of Technology | 112 | 1 |
Nara Institute of Science and Technology | 192 | 1 |
Okayama University | 104 | 1 |
Nagaoka University of Technology | 184 | 1 |
International Christian University | 74 | 1 |
Shibaura Institute of Technology | 73 | 1 |
Soka University | <100 | 1 |
Kwansei Gakuin University | 124 | 1 |
Akita International University | <25 | 1 |
University of Aizu | <25 | 1 |
Kobe University | 1057 | 5 |
Hitotsubashi University | 468 | 3 |
Kansai University | 330 | 3 |
Doshisha University | 347 | 2 |
Nihon University | 204 | 2 |
Chuo University | 211 | 2 |
Yokohama National University | 203 | 2 |
Rikkyo University | 245 | 2 |
Osaka Sangyo University | 111 | 1 |
Takushoku University | <100 | 1 |
Josai International University | 38 | 1 |
Meikai Univerisity | 55 | 1 |
Japan University of Economics | <20 | 1 |
Tokyo International University | <25 | 1 |
International student figures are drawn from universities’ websites, but should not be considered official. Where universities do not publish specific enough information, imprecise figures are given above, as marked by < symbols.
Scholarship Slots per Graduate School
You may already be thinking that there are not many slots available, even if universities use their two extra university-funded travel slots. But the truth is, you’re competing for an even smaller number. That total number of University-Recommended MEXT scholarship slots gets divided among the graduate schools at the university.
Each graduate school evaluates applications separately based on its own criteria, and there’s no objective way to compare an applicant for a Master’s in Japanese applied linguistics with a PhD in Information Systems. So, universities have to divide their slots up among the graduate schools in advance.
This being Japan, they also need to do it in a way that could be considered fair and unbiased and, most importantly, immune to complaints and challenges. One way to do that is to assign the slots in order of the graduate schools with the most international students currently enrolled. After all, they’re the reason the university got so many slots.
So, hypothetically, first the graduate school with the most international students gets one slot, then the school with the second highest number, etc. If there aren’t enough to distribute one scholarship to each graduate school, then you could even see schools grouped to compete for one aggregate sot.
What this means to you is that you’re gong to have to be at the absolute top of your game to get this scholarship.
Of course, that’s the reason I’m writing these articles: to help you become that scholarship recipient.
Want to know more?
My ebook, How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship has updated information on slot availability and competition levels, plus details on the application timeline, eligibility criteria, how to develop a successful applicant mindset, and how to craft your application strategy for the greatest chance of success!
Questions?
Before asking any questions in the comments below, please read through the MEXT Scholarship Application FAQ top page and specific FAQ pages to see what I’ve answered already and to find tips about how to get your questions answered faster.
You can ask your questions in the comments here, on the FAQ page, or by email and I will answer them by updating the FAQ and letting you know when the answers are available.
I’d also recommend signing up for my mailing list to get notified whenever I have updates to any of the FAQs or new articles about the MEXT scholarship!
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Hey there… This is Sangeethan from India… Kudos to your hard work in compiling all this data… Really useful bro… I m applying for Kumamoto university and I have a professor who is willing to give me recommendation of university recommendation. Im applying for Research student under the pharmaceutical sciences, I would like to know how the mext body scores the application…. I mean.. by marks of any entrance exam, no. of publication, no. of project works done…. I need to know where exactly do i need to concentrate to increase my application weightage. I would love to hear from you soon.
Hi Sangeethan,
Thank you for your kind words.
The competitive screening for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship is done at the university level, not by MEXT. Even if the professor is willing to recommend you for the scholarship, the university has a limited number of students that it can nominate overall – last year, the number was three – so you first need to compete with all of the other applicants to Kumamoto University.
The most critical area where you can make a difference in your chances in the application at this point is the Field of Study and Research Program Plan. (You can’t do anything about your past GPA at this point, but that is another key factor).
I have an article that covers how to increase your chances, as well, so that might be worth your time to read, too.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
i am from Ghana and i want to apply for the MEXT scholarship. i have issues with getting the list of schools who are under the MEXT scholarship. and the list of courses under each school so i can select my course to apply for in Japan. can you help to explain to me how i can get a detailed explanation of how to apply for the scholarship and the form and the needed documents
Hi James Romeo Kudoafor,
There is no limit to the available schools. All universities in Japan are able to host MEXT Scholars. I have an article about how to find universities and professors in Japan that teach in English that I think will help with your application process!
As far as getting the application documents and the local process, you should check the website of the Japanese Embassy in your country. Right now, we are in the middle of the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship application period, and each embassy conducts the application slightly differently.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello TranSenz,
Thank you very much for information. It’s really helpfull.
I have a question. I have been recommended by the university. I wrote my study plan but I asked my Japanese friend check all the mistakes and now I’m not sure that it was a good idea. I’m afraid that the Japanese Government could reject me because they could think that someone wrote it for me. So I am wondering what my chances are of being selected or rejected? I just didn’t want to send them my application with the mistakes.
Thanks for your help.
Hi Anna,
Getting your plan proofread is a perfectly natural thing to do. I would never recommend to anyone to submit a plan without proofreading. So, you should not be penalized.
Besides, if you have already passed the university screening, then you have cleared the competitive portion of the application. The MEXT review is only going to be double-checking to make sure that there are no issues with your eligibility and also reconfirming the number of scholarship places available based on their annual budget. Proofreading should not hurt your chances in any way!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hi Travis,
i am Niyongere from Burundi, i wanna know how to find the list of all universities hosting Mext Scholarship Students.
Hi Niyongere,
Every university in Japan is eligible to host MEXT scholars, though as far as I know there is no comprehensive list of the universities that are hosting scholars currently.
If you want to find universities in Japan that offer programs in English, I have an article about how to find them that should help.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, it’s me again!
Thank you for all of your help and your advice. It has been a great help to me. 😀
This time, though, I wanted to ask about my chances.
I am one of the recommended students of TODAI for the MEXT scholarship, and I was wondering how many MEXT slots does UTokyo currently have?
I was recommended for the general program scholarship. Does this mean I have a lower chance in obtaining the scholarship grant? Thank you and please advise.
Hi Timothy Joshua Chua,
If Todai has told you that they have selected you to be recommended to MEXT, then I would think that your chances are very good.
The number of slots available for the university recommended MEXT scholarship has dropped dramatically this year. But if you have been selected for recommendation, then you should already be within that number of slots (it should be 3 for Todai, for the general category) and I would not expect that number to decrease further.
Being recommended for the general category does not decrease your chances at this point. (You had a much lower chance of being selected for nomination, but you have already passed that stage!)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you very much for the reply! May I know when will the results for the MEXT scholarship general program be made public? Thank you!
Hi Timothy Joshua Chua,
The results are never “made public” in the sense of being released to everyone. But you should get your individual results in two phases.
I wrote about the schedule for results in my article about the 2020 University Recommended MEXT Scholarship application process, so please see that link for more details.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Okay, noted. Thank you very much!
Hi! I just wanted to thank you for all the information you’ve provided!!! I received the scholarship grant through an email today!! I am overjoyed. Thank you for everything!
Hi Timothy Joshua,
I am sorry this reply is coming so late! I got overwhelmed in July and and still catching up.
Congratulations on earning the scholarship! Thank you very much for sharing the news with me, as well.
I hope that by now, you have been able to come to Japan to start your studies.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi! I just want to say thank you for all the information you’ve provided. It was incredibly helpful and thorough! I was able to receive the MEXT scholarship grant, and you were part of the reason why 😀 So, again, Thank you!!!
Hi Timothy Joshua,
Congratulations on earning the MEXT Scholarship! That’s great to hear.
I am glad I was able to help in some small way along the way, as well!
Good Luck with your studies in Japan!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello,
First of all I want to thank you for your articles, they helped me prepare for the university-recommended MEXT application to Sokendai. I have several questions:
1) As of now, after having to come to Japan for interviews, I’ve been notified by my prospective supervisor by email that I passed the screening and examination, and he said that now it’s up to MEXT committee. Meanwhile, the guideline from the university says that scholarship announcements will be sent on April. Does that mean that whether I will get the scholarship or not will be notified in April, or merely whether I will be recommended or not?
2) I find that the university is also taking applications for PGP. The application period for this program started after I was notified by my prospective supervisor that I was accepted. My question is: do I compete with applicants for PGP for the scholarship, or do they take up different slot?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Naufal,
Thank you for your kind words.
1) Based on what you described, I suspect that you have been selected for a Top Global University category scholarship. Those operate on a different timeline from the rest of the “normal” University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship Process. From your description, it sounds like you have already passed the university’s internal screening and been confirmed as a nominee for the scholarship. The announcement in April should be the final results for you. (Most of the dates you will find on this website are for the General Category or PGP category MEXT Scholarships, so those would not apply if I am right about your case).
2) No, you would not be competing with the PGP applicants. That should be a completely separate process and category of scholarship with its own slots.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello sir
I am from India and I got the approval from one Prof in Hokkaido University. Prof told me that she would sendme the application documents in Dec to apply. But I don’t understand the University Recommendation procedure. Please tell me how are the selections made for university recommendation procedure and where I need to send my documents? To university? Also, does this process requires me to have a Toefl/IELTS/ jlpt score before applying for this program? Also, what be a better wAy to apply university recommendation or embassy recommendation? Please help me with this I am really stressed with this. Thank you.
Hi Divyanshi,
The application process for the University-Recommended MEXT scholarship is different for each university. (You do apply to the university.)
While I can tell you what MEXT’s requirements are and the steps you can take to improve your chances in general, I do not have the precise application details (deadline, where to submit the documents, etc.) for each university in Japan. I would recommend that you check their website, focusing on the sections about scholarships for international students. Be sure to check the university website as well as the website for your particular program that you want to apply to.
The same goes for the requirements. I can tell you that MEXT requires that you have the equivalent of CEFR B2 language ability in the language that your degree program is taught in (see my article about eligibility from last year for forms of proof accepted by MEXT), but your university can set its own standards, as well, so you have to make sure with the university what those are.
In general, the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship offers more places and therefore a greater chance of acceptance. But the Embassy application process is long-since over for 2020 admission, so if you want to start in 2020, the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship application is your only opportunity. My advice is that you might as well apply for the University application now. If you are not successful, then you can try again for the Embassy when that application process starts around next April/May.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for this vital piece of information. This is really helpful. I have the consent from a professor at Hokkaido university. I tried a lot search for the university recommendation process at this university but no where it is clearly mentioned the application procedure to be followed and when it would start. My professor said that it starts in december and hardly a month left. I mailed her thrice couldnt recieve a reply. So, I kindly request you to tell me what kind of documents are required in general so that I can prepare in advance. Also, in my country, India there is a 10 point GPA system. I have read your article about gpa conversions but it doesnot have information about conversion of 10 point gpa into 3 point gpa. Please help me in this.
I have a 8.57/10 gpa for my last two years record in Masters. I have been a recipient of National scholarship in my own country for 5 years (in Masters and undergraduate) and have been in the top 3 students of my Masters batch in my subject at my university. I have completed two research based internships (2 months) in my subject of interest at 2 highly reputed research institutes of India and one research based dissertation (4 months). Overall my academic record has been fine, (intermediate 89%, high school, 95%), school scholarships . I have heard university recommended process is highly competitive. Do I stand a chance with my record?
sincere regards
Hi Divyanshi,
Unfortunately, there is no “in general” process for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship. It can be very different from university to university, so you need to find out what the process is at Hokkaido. My recommendation would be to contact the admin office of the graduate school, not the professor, though. Professors often don’t have any information about procedures.
My article about the GPA conversion requires that you determine what grades within your system correspond to which bands of performance for conversion. That applies whether you have a 10-point system, a 20-point system, or anything else. There must be some way to know which grades within that system correspond to “excellent” performance, “good” performance, “average” performance, etc. In India, it might be that you need to look at the percentage of marks that corresponds to a First Class Honors, 2.1, 2.2, etc. For example, if First Class Honors is 70% or above, then a 7/10 or higher would correspond to an “A” in the 4- or 5- grade level system. The “Explanation of the Grading System” that you will need to provide during the application should be enough to help you determine how to calculate this.
The qualifications that you listed sound to me like they would be enough for your to be qualified and have a decently high converted GPA (though that’s only a guess at the moment). Beyond that, your Field of Study and Research Program Plan is the next most important step and what will ultimately help distinguish you from other applicants to improve your chances, so the quality of that document is essential.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your reply sir. I contacted the admin office as you directed and I got the information regarding the process and my professor also replied to me in meantime. She had given me the list of documents I need to submit. Among them, I need to submit recommendation letter and certificate of excellence (indicating class rank). who shall I take my recommendation letter from- my supervisor in Masters’ dissertation (who knows me well and can write about my research potential) or higher ranking official in my university (DEAN of Science faculty)? What kind of recommendation would help?
While converting my GPA to 3 point I faced an issue- Do I need to convert all the grades in every subject to 3 point (I have 4 semester and 7 subjects in each) or I need to convert the final GPA of each semester to 3 point and then take an average of it?
thank you
Hi D,
I would recommend that your letter come from the Dean of the Faculty or higher. But as I’ve mentioned in past articles, that does not mean that the Dean needs to write it themselves!
Your advisor could write the letter, or a draft of the letter, then get the Dean to sign it. Or both could sign.
In Japan, typically, a higher ranking letter of recommendation is stronger than a lower one, regardless of the content. It’s a somewhat silly system, but the idea is that if you are a top student, you would be able to get a letter of recommendation from someone higher up. Overall, the contents of the letter of recommendation are not going to make a huge difference, especially not compared to your grades and Field of Study and Research Program Plan, though. In the end, everyone knows that person writing the letter is going to be as nice as possible.
To get the most value out of it, though, inserting concrete examples for your recommender’s rating of your ability will make it stronger.
For converting your GPA, you need to convert every individual grade, as I describe in my article on the process. However, that is only for your reference. The university will do its own, official calculation later.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello sir,
Does it matter from which university one is applying from, if it is a A grade university or a B grade university, if it is state govt or central govt university?
My university is not one of the top notch in the country though 100 years’ old university. Would that effect my application process in getting recommended from the Hokkaido university for MEXT? One of my senior applied for the university recommended KOREAN scholarship, she had good grades and good academic profile too but she could not get recommended from the university itself for the Korean scholarship. She said it matters which university you are applying from, it matters if your previous university is good or not? Is that so?
Hi Divyanshi,
What is more important is whether or not the university you are applying from has a partnership with the university that you are applying to.
To some degree, it may make a difference in the eyes of the individual reviewer, but there is no “official” score or rating for the quality of your previous university. So, if there are any prejudices, you can overcome them with the quality of your application and, in particular, your Field of Study and Research Program Plan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear TranSenz,
Thank you for your useful information, it really helped a lot and saved my time.
I am a master student from China, and plan to apply doctoral program of Tohoku University in October, 2020. I have met a professor in Japan and he gave me the application program form which I could apply in April, 2020. But I have some questions as below:
1. How much chance do I have to get an offer? I know it is not related to this topic, but I really worry about it.
2. Considering I have missed the application of Embassy Reconmmendation in China for 2020, the only way I can apply for 2020 MEXT scholarship for research student is through University Recommendation, which I have to get offer in April, 2020 first and contact the university to apply?
3. Can I apply 2021 MEXT scholarship through Embassy Recommendation in March, 2020, but also aplly for 2020 MEXT scholarship through University Recommendation if I get enrolled.
4. I plan to apply program in English, if I submit N1 JLPT scores, will it be more likely to get MEXT scholarship? Or if I get higher scores of ILETS, will it be more competitive?
Sorry to bombard you with so many questions,
Tian
Hi Tian WANG,
It’s great to hear that you’ve already made a connection with the professor at Tohoku!
If the professor is talking to you about the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship, that can only start in the fall semester, not in April, so that application for April would just be for regular admission, if I’m not mistaken.
1. There is no way to know. It’s a zero-sum game, so it all depends on how you compare to the other applicants. All you can do is take every step possible to create a strong application.
2. Each university has its own process for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship, but you would typically have to apply this fall for an admissions process that specifically offers a chance at the MEXT Scholarship. Usually, the university would decide by February or March whether or not they will accept you and recommend you to MEXT. Since this does vary by university, I recommend that you do some more research on Tohoku.
3. As long as your application for the 2020 University Recommended MEXT Scholarship is ongoing (i.e. you have not received a final answer one way or another), you would not be eligible to apply for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship for 2021. However, if you were to be rejected for the URMS before the ERMS application deadline, then you could apply.
4. Having Japanese language could give you an advantage, but it would not be terribly significant. Language proficiency scores are all about meeting a minimum requirement. In most cases, they are not evaluated competitively. One passing IELTS score is as good as another, even if there is a significant difference between them. The more competitive elements of your application would be your GPA and Field of Study and Research Program Plan quality.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your reply, but I am still a little bit confused about the MEXT scholarship application. The doctoral program is going to be appled in April,2020, and the result will be released in June, 2020, and enrollment in October, 2020. In this case, I can only apply MEXT scholarship in fall, 2020? Or I can apply MEXT scholarship in fall, 2019?
Hi Tian,
Typically, the MEXT Scholarship is determined before you arrive in Japan and there is one application process for both admission and the scholarship.
Of course this can vary from university to university, so the school where you are applying may be different. But in general, the application process is going to begin this fall (2019) for admissions in fall 2020 with the MEXT Scholarship.
I would recommend you research the specific university where you intend to apply and see what you can find about their MEXT scholarship application process from last year. That should give you a guideline on what you will have to do in your application, as well.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello
MEXT recommendation by more than one school for the same applicant is prohibited, but is it okay to apply to multiple and then if you pass the first round screening (for only admission) before ANY sends your name to MEXT, you withdraw MEXT application from all others to avoid problems?
The one-shot route means if you’re even denied by the admissions office, it’s over, and MEXT would never even know you existed. If one rejects you, another might accept, even if MEXT denies eventually.
Hi Jack,
The University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship application is designed to be a one-shot system and specifically intended to prevent situations like the one you described.
Universities are required to ask you if you are applying anywhere else (it’s in the application form) and to tell you that you have to withdraw from one application or the other, even at the earliest stage.
Choose one university and focus all of your energy on creating a strong application tailored to a specific professor there, and that will give you the best chance of success.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
You have told that u had never heard that any nominee did not get MEXT Scholarship at the End but I saw Niighata University Website where they told “In 2009, 8 recommendations were made for Research Students, with 3 being accepted. Meanwhile, 2 recommendations were made for Japanese Studies Students, with 1 being accepted “,thus i can say that it is not certain.When the university make the screen and there are also famous professors and at the end if MEXT denny it ,surely it would be very bad impact on the MEXT Applicant when they wait for a long time and wait for the final confirmation from the MEXT. Though MEXT make the financial decision but they are not above the Professors and University.Professor and University would be highest position in all time.
Thank you Travis
Hi Miang,
Thank you for sharing that. That seems shockingly irresponsible of Niigata University. Every university knows exactly how many scholarships it can receive and should only recommend that number of students. I have no idea why they would recommend more than they are allowed.
Could you send me the link to that post on their site? I want to look into that in more detail.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
May I send the link I found as per below.
https://www.niigata-u.ac.jp/en/campus/scholarship/government/
Hi Eggo,
Thank you for sharing that.
If I am reading that right, Niigata University is saying that their partner universities recommended 8 students to them, but they only accepted 3 and referred them to MEXT.
The way they describe the process in the paragraph above, they use “recommendation” to refer to students being recommended to Niigata, not to refer to Niigata recommending scholarship candidates to MEXT.
If I had been able to find a Japanese version of the same page, I could have been sure, but I think this is almost certainly a case of unclear translation of what they meant to say.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you very much for sharing the matter.
Dear Travis,
Thanks for providing this great information.
I would like to ask about my situation now. So, I applied for a university recommended MEXT scholarship (it’s a PGP anw). But, it feels like I am actually applying for the course, but since you said that each university has their own selection process, could it be that this one is also a selection process? At last, they announced that I pass the entrance examination for the doctoral course. The university send me a certificate (which I think is equal to LOA?). But, they say that the announcement is that I am accepted to enroll in the university, but not the MEXT scholarship itself and that the result of the MEXT scholarship will be announced in late February. Prior to that announcement, they asked me to send a few more documents, including a Monbusho scholarship form.
So, do you think they are nominating me for the scholarship? How do you think my chance is to get the scholarship? Is it possible that i can start my course in April, while the MEXT scholarship result will be announced in late February?
Thanks in advance
Hi Pat,
In order for the university to recommend you for the MEXT Scholarship, you first have to pass their entrance exam and be accepted to the program. Then, they submit the nomination to MEXT for the scholarship, so the process that you are going through sounds normal to me.
For PGP programs that start in April, yes, the timeline you described is accurate. Universities submit their nominations to MEXT by mid-January and MEXT releases the results by the end of February. Based on what you described, it sounds very much like the university has decided to nominate you for the scholarship. Since PGP programs have a number of slots automatically approved each year, it is practically certain that you would receive the scholarship in the end.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, I am currently a student pursuing my undergrad going to pass out in 2021 May. So when should I apply for MEXT if i want to go for my masters right after I pass out?
Hi Akshay,
You should start your application in 2020. I recommend that you start with the Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship Application process. The application guidelines are typically released in April and the application is due to the Japanese Embassy by May or June, depending on the country.
Of course, you should start preparing your application several months before that, particularly researching the universities that you want to study at in Japan and preparing your Field of Study and Research Program Plan. So, if you start working on the application around January 2020, that should give you a good head start and enough time to create a very strong application!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thanks for this guide. My question is in regards to the extension process.
I joined a 5 year doctoral program and have been enrolled for a year (just started 2nd year) in the university. At the time I applied it was the last year for my program under PGP category and my scholarship period was 2 year. Now I will have to apply for an extension.
Do you know if my application for extension will be under PGP category or general?
Also, what are my chances of getting the extension? (My current GPA is 2.75)
Best Regards,
Red
Hi Red,
My understanding is that you would only be able to apply to extend a PGP scholarship under PGP, and that for that to be possible, the PGP program would have to have doctoral as well as master’s slots.
While I can’t speak for your university, I would assume that if they were applying for a PGP program for a 5-year doctoral program that they would have made the proper arrangements in slot numbers for all students to be able to extend from the Masters to Doctoral level. Otherwise, it seems that they would be doing you a disservice.
Since your extension depends most on whether your university has the slots available to nominate you for it, I would recommend that you consult there for a more certain answer.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Good day!
I am currently a research student here at Tottori University under University Recommendation. I am about to take the entrance examination this November 2018. I would like to ask if permitted to become a Ph.D. student here, what would be the process to in converting my Research student status to Ph.D. status? Should I prepare again all the documents like Diploma, transcripts etc.?
Thank you very much!
Hi Red,
The exact application process for the degree program is going to be unique to your university, so I am afraid I have to recommend that you check with them. For extending your MEXT scholarship, I can help explain a little.
It will be a two-step process: You have to apply for admission to the PhD program (this part depends on your university) and you also have to apply to extend your MEXT scholarship to cover your PhD studies. For the scholarship extension application, you do not need your diploma, transcript, etc., unless you have more than 1 semester at Tottori and have a transcript from there showing your grades.
All you would need to submit would be the application form, your advising professor’s opinion on your extension (which is on a designated form) and either a Field of Study and Research Program Plan or a report on the status of your research (if you are continuing the research from your original application).
Your university should tell you exactly what is necessary and when the appropriate time would be to submit all of the documents.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi sophie and Travis
First of all I am very thankful to Travis for providing this platform. Coming to my queries can anyone of you please help me with the admission procedure for waseda university through University recommendation.
While going through the list of documents required for the application, I have some difficulty in understanding the following points:
1) Statement of Source of Fund: Since I am applying for admission for MEXT scholarship through University recommendation, I don’t have a scholarship award certificate. Could you kindly advise what I should fill?
2) Agreement for Defraying Expenses: Is this compulsory to mention a defrayer for admission through MEXT scholarship as I do not have any contact in Japan.
I would be very thankful if you could kindly clear my doubts.
waiting eagerly for your reply.
Hi Sonia,
Could you send a link to the application process you are referring to? I won’t publish it if you don’t want me to, but it would be helpful to be able to look at their application instructions directly.
I suspect that the guidelines you are looking at are for general admission, not for admission under the MEXT scholarship scheme, but I would need to see the guidelines to be sure. If they are guidelines for general admission, then it makes sense for them to ask about your financial resources. On the other hand, if the application process is for the MEXT scholarship, then I agree with you – those documents make no sense.
I’m sorry I couldn’t be more specific, but once I see the guidelines, I should have a better idea.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello,
My daughter is under the PhD program of MEXT. What if she doesn’t finish her program and quits in the middle of the semester or do not graduate? Will she have to pay back the tuition fee, stipend and other costs given to her during her scholarship program? Thank you
Hi Malu,
No, if a student voluntarily withdraws from the scholarship, she would not have to repay the stipend or tuition or other costs.
Of course, she would also not be able to receive the flight ticket home from Japan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I am yegane, from Iran. I have applied for Mext scholarship- university recommendation, at Kobe University, Ph.D. program and after the application process, I got this message:
“Yegane was recommended by the Graduate School of Engineering, became a candidate of Kobe University. Whether this candidate will be adopted from the Ministry of Education will be notified in June. Candidates are not always adopted, so please be aware in advance.”
I want to know, how much is my chance to get the scholarship? and when exactly means June! end of june? which is July?
Kind regards,
Yegane
Hi Yegane,
Congratulations on being recommended!
In my experience, candidates who are recommended by universities to MEXT for the scholarship always receive it in the end. Universities are required to tell you that there is a chance that you will not get it, but in reality, I have never heard of that happening.
“In June” for MEXT means “by the end of day on June 30”, but they sometimes miss their deadlines, so it would not surprise me if you did not hear the results until early July. Don’t worry if there is a slight delay.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis, thank you so much for your reply.
These days i had reviewed your website and found it very helpful, im grateful for the great information you share with us. Further i will ask about information I might need in Japan.
I really hope I will hear good news on coming days.
Cheers,
Yegane
Dear Travis,
Thank you so much for the reply, and i wish i soon hear good news from University as you said, im patient.
I found your website full of great information and very helpful for people alike me and im grateful for finding your blog on internet.
Cheers,
Yegane
Dear Travis
Thank you for your such informative blog. I have a question to you. I have selected for MEXT scholarship under university recommendation for PhD program. The university recommended me to the Japanese government for the Scholarship and the final result will come in June. My B.Sc(Honors) and M.Sc. Results are 3.62 and 3.70 respectively out of 4 scale. This results refers to 70 to 74 percent marks. It is very good result in my country. But today after reading you blog I try to calculate my GPA and found that my GPA is slight lower than 2.30. Although my field of study and research plan is nice told by my professor in Japan. Since the university selected me for the MEXT scholarship after my documents screening, is there any possibility to cancel my scholarship at the Japanese Government?
I am very afraid. Before sending the original documents I sent the scan documents for checking purpose. They told me that your documents are fine.
Please let me Know ASAP to relieve my anxiety.
Dear Carolina,
I think you must not have calculated your GPA conversion correctly. If your GPA was lower than 2.30, then the university would not have been allowed to recommend you.
The conversion depends on the grading system in your home country. In some countries, I know a 74 is in the highest category of grades, but in others, it is below average. The grading conversion would take that difference into account.
I recently wrote an updated article about converting your grades that may help you try again, but it shouldn’t matter. The university clearly calculated your GPA to be higher than 2.3, so you should be fine!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Transenz
I am grateful to you for your kind help. Finally I have selected for MEXT scholarship. But today I have found that when I sent document for MEXT scholarship then in case of photo copy of passport there is a spelling error in my middle name. Such as correct middle name Carolina but in my passport is Caroilna. Today I have contacted to our passport office they have told me that it is a minor error. However they will make correction. But It is required around 15 days. In this case what should I do? Will MEXT provide scholarship certificate according to my passport or application form? Because in every forms I have written correct spelling as my national ID card, certificates. Is there any possibility to reject my scholarship for such unsolicited error. Again the entrance examination result will come around at the end of July. It’s a document based selection. I have sent all the required documents. After this result the university will contact me for further process. In the mean time I will be able to get corrected passport. I’m afraid. Please please please let me know very soon.
Hi Carolina,
Congratulations on winning the scholarship!
MEXT should generate your acceptance and visa paperwork based on the name you wrote in your application form. But in any case, when you go to complete the visa procedure, be sure to bring both the new and old passports so you can show them how your name was updated in the meantime.
Since the error was not your fault, you cannot be penalized and lose the scholarship over it.
I would recommend that you contact the university, too, to let them know that you discovered the error and are working to correct it. Again, it should be no problem, but they may be able to help give you more specific guidance.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I was informed that I was recommended to MEXT by a Japanese University and MEXT decision will come out in July. However, I was just informed this month that I am awarded another full scholarship in America. Since the second scholarship is confirmed and I also want to do the the visa and inform my boss early to arrange all stuffs so now I would like to cancel my nomination to MEXT. Will it now be possible for the school to recommend other students? Will it hurt my chance applying for MEXT scholarship in the future? I still wish to study in Japan, maybe with PhD or short-term exchange scholarship from MEXT, when I am not really pressed for time and business stuffs and can focus more on research.
These questions really trouble me and truly hope to receive your advice.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Julie Hoang,
If you’ve been nominated for the MEXT scholarship, then you are practically guaranteed to receive it, so it’s just a matter of deciding which university and scholarship better suits your goals and needs.
At this point, if you withdraw from the MEXT Scholarship, it is too late for universities to nominate a replacement (unless you are part of the Top Global Universities scholarship category). I think it would certainly hurt your chances of applying for a MEXT scholarship again at the same university in the future, but it would not have any effect on applying to a different university or to the Embassy for the MEXT Scholarhip.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
I want to know one thing to you. If anyone is selected for MEXT scholarship 2018 for doctoral degree program under university recommendation using English proficiency certificate by dean of faculty instead of English test score, there after that he/she can be rejected by Japanese government due to using this certificate.
Please let me know as early as possible.
Hi Proshanto,
This year, MEXT said that applicants should have objective test scores to the maximum degree possible, but did not make it mandatory. So, they cannot reject you for not having one.
Typically, if you make it through the University’s review, you should have no trouble clearing MEXT’s double-check, as well!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
Thanks a lot for the reply. Probably I will complete my IELTS Test on June 2018. After getting the IELTS test score on June, would I send this score to the International affairs division of the university? Although they have nominated me for the MEXT scholarship and recommended me to the Japanese Government. Already I have applied for the International doctoral degree program in that university.
Please let me Know about this matter.
Hi Proshanto,
Sure, you can send that to the university. In case MEXT comes back to them with any questions, it would be useful for them to have.
You probably don’t need to have the scores sent officially to them. Sending a scan of your score report should be fine for now!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
I have selected as one of the candidates for MEXT scholarship for international doctoral degree program 2018 under university recommendation. The international affairs division told me to apply for international doctoral degree program 2018 in the entrance examination division. They also told me that I have to pay the examination fee 30000 yen because the final result of MEXT will not be published at application deadline time.
I prepared the necessary documents and submitted the soft copies of documents first by email to the entrance examination division.
After checking the documents are fine and they told me to send the original application documents by air mail. I sent all the documents and paid the examination fee. They received all the documents and told me to be patient for sometime till the selection result coming out. The selection is based on application documents.
There is any less possibility to get my MEXT scholarship since I paid the examination fee?
.
Hi Proshanto,
Has the university told you that you were recommended to MEXT? If they have nominated you to MEXT, then you are practically guaranteed to receive the scholarship.
Paying the application fee does not reduce your chances. Some universities require that for all applicants (or for applicants to be considered under the Top Global Universities scholarship category). If you are selected for the scholarship, they would have to refund your examination fee later.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
Thank you so much for your answer. Yes! The International affairs division informed me that after a careful screening you have selected as one of the candidates for MEXT scholarship 2018 for the International Doctoral Program under the University Recommendation. We therefore recommend you to the Japanese Governments for its scholarship. The final result from Japanese Government is scheduled to be announced around the end of June 2018. Please be patient for a few more months.
Hi Proshanto,
Congratulations! It sounds like you should have nothing to worry about with your application!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
Thank you for your kind consideration. Also thanks for your such helpful blog. I have a question that, do Universities make any mistake in case of selected candidates for MEXT scholarship under University recommendation, so that the Japanese Government can reject this application to obtain scholarship. Please let me know about such type of mistakes ASAP.
Hi Proshanto,
No, I have never heard of a university making a mistake in their selection of a candidate that resulted in the person getting rejected by MEXT.
As far as I know, it is more or less just a rubber stamp of approval at this point!
Really, the only things that I think MEXT could find would be out of the university’s control, such as if MEXT discovers that the same applicant has been recommended by more than one university or if MEXT discovers that an applicant is on an international terrorist list or something like that.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
Thank you so much for creating such blog. Finally, I have selected for MEXT scholarship under university recommendation. The university and my supervisor informed me that you have been authorized a grantee of MEXT scholarship. The university entrance examination selection result will come at end of July. The necessary documents for entrance examination already I sent and the university received my those documents on April. Is there any possibility to be disqualify or fail in the entrance examination after getting the MEXT scholarship?
Hi Proshanto,
Congratulations on your selection!
If your application process was just a document submission and the university thought highly enough of you that they recommended you to MEXT, I would think that there is absolutely no reason the university would turn around and not accept you to the degree program.
That entrance exam should just be a formality at this point!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Transenz,
Good day. Thank you very much for your excellent blog! This helped me fulfill my dreams. 🙂
I would like to ask something about MEXT with regards to grades and subjects.
1. Do we usually have to submit our transcripts/grades each semester? Will this information be asked by International Office?
2. Considering the grades that we obtain each semester, does Professor (sensei) have access to our grades or we (students) only have access to our grades?
Thank you very much for your answers in advance.
Kindg
Hi Kindg,
Thank you for your kind words!
Every university is different, but administrative staff at the university (including the International Office) should have access to your grades. Professors will likely only have access to your grades in their courses, though your advisor will likely have access to all of your grades.
Each university is going to handle the grade reporting differently, but I don’t think you would be asked to submit them each semester. If your grades were poor or you failed a class, then that can result in your losing the scholarship if it becomes impossible for you to finish the degree on time, but I have never seen that happen.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi
I would like ask you about chance for me to get scholarship. I was accepted by OKAYAMA Uni. for PhD course (ranking 10/12) and they recommended me for MEXT. With the quite low ranking (10/12), can I hoping will be get scholarship in 2018.
Thank you very much!
Hi Pham Hung,
Each university knows how many students they will be able to nominate each year and should only nominate that number. Even if your ranking was low among the nominees, if they recommended your to MEXT, then you should be selected for the scholarship in the end!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for your reply.
Hi Travis! thank you for the blog, It’s very helpful. I had applied to mext university recommendation in kyoto university. My professor agreed to recommend me for the scholarship in Feb.I m waiting for the result of university recommendation, now it’s the end of March still I haven’t got any mail from my univ. I have already mailed my professor and his secretary asking about the status, they told me they didn’t receive the result and they will inform me immediately after the announcement of result. Do u have any idea about the selection procedure of kyoto university because almost every university in Japan has already announced their result? Do u think some university announce their result after the final selection of MEXT?
Hi Sonalk9j,
I’m afraid I don’t know anything specific about individual universities’ procedures.
You may want to clarify with them whether you have been recommended to be considered at the university level or whether you have been recommended to MEXT for the scholarship.
Just to clarify, are you applying for the graduate level scholarship? There are a few undergraduate scholarship types that release results later, but as far as I know, the graduate programs should have all made their nominations to MEXT by now.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I applied for the graduate level scholarship. I am thinking of mailing the admission department of the university to clarify about the nominations. Do you think I haven’t got the mail because the university is not nominating me for the scholarship?
Hi Sonalk9j,
If the results were finalized, you should have gotten an email either way.
If you can find a particular office that is responsible for the MEXT scholarship applications from the university’s website, reaching out to them to ask if the results have been released/when they will be released could be a good idea. If there is no central office that handles those inquiries, then I would recommend contacting the administrative office of the graduate school where you applied.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you, Travis! I will contact the administrative office.
Hey!
I have been recommended for my PhD from GSES of Nagoya University and got acceptance letter mentioning that I’ve been recommended for MEXT. My question is when will I get lettet from ministry (MEXT)? Is it confirmed that i will get this scholarship?
Thank you.
Hi Hussain,
Congratulations! At this point, it is all-but confirmed that you will receive the scholarship. MEXT is just doing an administrative check. There is no more competition at this point.
According to the application guidelines, you should get the final results from MEXT in June. At this time, though the June release date is only an estimate, so it could be delayed until July.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for the nice ly witten post.
I am from Beligum and aplied for the embassy reccomendation one. Together with 5 People in Total. 1 3th year and 4 2nd years. Its the Japanese language program for 1 year.
The thing is we all took the Japanese test and the interview and now are waiting for the results. But we Just didnt get any information on how long it can take and by which means you Will be notified. Our professor in the local university did know that if you get trough the first selection they didnt know anyone Who couldnt go unless you kill someone or something.
Do you have any idea on how long the notification can take, by which means (post, mail, Phone) they notify you and maybe the chances of getting accepted?
Hi Lotte,
Typically, everyone gets notified by email in most countries. Unfortunately, I don’t know how long it will take. The guidelines from MEXT only say that each Embassy will set the date of notification of the results.
My experience is that you are right about passing the embassy screening: I have never heard of anyone missing out on the scholarship once they passed that point!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi! Thanks for your post. I am a Mext undergraduate student and I want to apply this december to extend my scholarship to graduate course.But two of friends applied the previous year and have been failed. They had very good grades but they didnt get the extension. Do you know something about the chances to get the extension as an undergraduate student?
Hi Anna,
I can’t say anything about the chances, since it all depends on the number of other applicants and how many students the university has had in similar situations over the last three years. Assuming that you are not in a special (PGP) program, then the university is allowed to recommend the same number of students to advance to the next degree as the average of the number it did over the previous three years.
That number includes students advancing from the bachelor’s degree to the master’s degree and students advancing from masters to doctorate, so it all depends on your competition.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, Travis
Thank you for the post. It has helped me very much in preparing for the MEXT Scholarship.
I just wanted to ask you a question regarding PGP.
In last November, I applied to a PGP program, and in February, I received an email from the school that I was selected as a preliminary candidate for the MEXT Scholarship. Then I was asked to submit additional documents (including MEXT excel application and ‘Field of Study and Study Program’ forms). The school will further screen the preliminary candidates and let me know by late April if I am the one to be recommended to MEXT.
I know, from your post, that I will be basically guaranteed to get the scholarship ONCE I am recommended to MEXT. However, what worries me is whether I will be the one to be recommended to MEXT by the school.
In most cases I have seen until now, schools ask students to submit the school application & MEXT applications TOGETHER in the beginning, screen them, and tell them whether they are recommended to MEXT or not.
I am little confused as my case is little different.
Have you seen cases of school that (1) screen students first, (2) select some as preliminary candidates for MEXT, (3) ask them to submit all the MEXT application documents, then (4) release the result on recommendation to MEXT?
If so, could you give me any comment on chance of me being recommended to MEXT in this case?? (Plus, I am not 100% why the school will release the result on recommendation to MEXT by April, since this year MEXT requires all the documents to be submitted before March 29th….)
Thank you for reading
L
Hi L,
Yes, I have seen other cases similar to yours. It often happens that universities start their screening process before MEXT releases the official guidelines and forms, so they can’t have you fill in the official forms when you first apply. In that case, they will use their own forms and then only ask applicants to complete the official ones if they have a high chance of being selected.
Some universities try to guess and just update the previous year’s forms, hoping MEXT won’t change them much, but this year the forms changed significantly, so that wasn’t an option.
Mind you, this is just a guess based on my experience working in Japanese universities, but since they are asking you to go through the trouble of re-sending all those forms (by post, I assume), they would not do that unless they intended to nominate you to MEXT. However, they can’t nominate you to MEXT unless you submit all of the paperwork by the deadline, so they would have to call you a “preliminary” candidate until you submitted all of the required forms.
As long as you send in everything they ask for and it is in order, then that should be the only condition they need to make you a final candidate for nomination.
I think your chances of being recommended are nearly certain, provided that you submit everything they ask for on time and it meets their standards.
I’m not sure about the April thing. It has been April in previous years, so there’s a chance they simply neglected to update the month to March in the message they sent you, but it might be worth following up on.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you Travis! Your reply really helped and made this matter more clear!
Hi Travis,
I received email from Osaka University saying I was accepted and that the MEXT selection will come in July. I’ve read that this program is included in the Special Program (adopted 2017). So I am wondering what my chances are of being selected or rejected?
Hi Dario,
Congratulations!
Once you’ve been recommended by the university, the chances of receiving the scholarship are exceptionally high. I have never heard of anyone in your position not receiving it, regardless of whether they were in the general category or special program (PGP). So, I would say that you have nothing to worry about!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello TranSenz,
Your blog helps me a lot in understanding this complicated scholarship, thank you very much! Such an expert living in japan.
By the way, I have one question. I got double Master of Marketing/Business degree in major Hospitality and Tourism. Could I apply for another master in economics, commerce or business… Or I must apply for higher program like doctor. I’m happy to study even in Japanese as I’m learning the language now (I will try to obtain JLPT N2 level on this July)
I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you in advance!
Hi Megan Pham,
I guess my question to you would be, why not apply for a more advanced degree? You will almost certainly be asked during the screening, since the default decision in your position would be to move up to a doctorate.
If there is a particular reason why you want to obtain another Masters and you can show how that degree would benefit your future goals, then you can apply for one, but know that you will face additional scrutiny.
You also would not be able to arrive in Japan as a research student at the Master’s level if you already have a degree, so you would have to apply to start the degree program, directly.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I just received a letter in the mail from Hiroshima University saying I was selected for the scholarship and that the MEXT selection will come in July. So I am wondering what my chances are of being selected/rejected at that stage or am I good to go at this point?
It would be especially helpful to know since I applied for JET as a backup option (since what I want to study is the education system in Japan, I figured teaching there would be a good backup plan) and those selections will come in April. I would find out I was selected for JET in April, before I find out about MEXT in July, so it would be helpful to know if being recommended by the university means I pretty much have the scholarship.
Thanks for any insight you can provide!
Hi Christa,
Congratulations on your selection!
At this point, your chances of earning the scholarship are all-but certain. I have never seen or heard of an applicant being selected and nominated by a university who did not go on to receive the scholarship.
It is not technically guaranteed at this point, but that’s really just a technicality. As you said, you pretty much have the scholarship!
Congratulations again, and good luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you! That is a huge relief. And thank you for everything you do with this blog, it was so helpful through the whole process!
Dear Travis,
Thank you for creating such a useful website. I am currently trying to apply for University-Recommended Mext Scholarship 2018 for Doctoral Program in the field of economics. The university requires applicants to submit the master thesis and the research plan. Thus, I want to ask you that between these two, which one is more important to increase the scholarship chances?
Hi Hana,
Your Field of Study and Research Program Plan is by far the most important document in your application, and the one you have the most control over.
By the way, are you sure they want your entire Master’s thesis? Most universities only ask for an abstract.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I have read your article and I found that it is great! However I still have some question that I hope you can help me,
1. I am applying for Tsukuba University through University Recommendation program. I already got accepted by Tsukuba’s professor. However, it seems that he does not know much about University Recommendation scholarship so he asked me to look up for information. I knew that the registration open around Desember. Do you happen to know how the forms or documents that we need to fill be informed? Will the MEXT send it to our professor and the professor send it to us or it will be posted in some website and the the student download it ?
Thank you in advance!
Hi AHW,
The process and timing is different for every university, so you would have to follow up with Tsukuba directly to find out about the forms and application method. You could try to contact their international office or the administrative office of the graduate school where you want to apply.
MEXT releases the application guidelines in Decemeber, but in practice most universities have their application periods before that time, so I would recommend that you contact them soon!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I am also facing the same problem. Professor doesn’t have any information regarding MEXT 2018 application. If anyone know then please help me.
Hi Shuvo,
It’s very likely that the professor would not have any information. It’s more of an admin job than an academic task. You’d need to check around the university’s website and contact their international office or the administrative office of the graduate school.
I have only seen announcements from a few universities so far, and nothing official from MEXT.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thanks for lots of materials and guides!
I have a question about this one. Are those universities listed in the table the only ones that have recommendation quota? Or they are just those for which we have some public information?
Thanks.
Hi Nareru,
These are the universities that were either Top Global University Project selectees or had the highest population of international graduate students based on JASSO’s annual report (and therefore the highest number of MEXT slots available).
Information should be publicly available for all universities, but every other university is going to have only 1-2 University-recommended MEXT scholarship places, so it isn’t really worth doing in-depth research on them.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hy TranSanz!
How are you ?? Hope so everything will be fine . i would like to ask some question like after filling the MEXT 2018 scholarship form then where will i submit it ???? like japan embassy in pakistan or professor of japan university ?? by Hard form (post) or mailing ?? if mailing embassy then kindly give me mailing address of embassy and if posting by dock then kindly give me posting address
thank you!
MUHAMMAD SALEEM
Hi Muhammad Saleem,
I addressed this question in my recent article, “Applying for the MEXT Scholarship: The Basics” so please read that piece for the submission location as well as some other important information if you’re just getting started!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I want to apply for university recommended MEXT scholarship. So, can i apply in only one university after getting acceptance letter from professor or can apply in more than one university after getting acceptance letter from universities professors?
Hi Sana,
For the university-recommended MEXT scholarship, you are only allowed to apply to one university.
(The Embassy-recommended MEXT scholarship allows you to apply to up to three, but that process is over for this year.)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, I would like to ask if for example I chose a professor and I got selected for the scholarship, what’s in it for him? I mean, will he also get some advantage of having me as his advisee (like research funds from MEXT government?)
I am just wondering if I got selected (if in case), will I be just a burden to him, or he will also benefit from it (like research funds/money from MEXT government?) Will MEXT government give additional budget/research money to the professor too?
Hi Distrib,
The professor does not get extra funds automatically for having a MEXT scholar in his lab. Certainly not from MEXT.
But there is a benefit simply to having another grad student in his lab to help with his research and experiments!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello TranSenz, good day. I thought professor will have additional fund (not from MEXT), for the additional grad student in his lab? Am I right? And if the student did not ask for anything (like for any purchases), the fund will be credited to the lab?
Hi Distrib,
Each university decides how to fund its labs, so there’s no single rule that I can reference. All I know for sure is that professors do not get direct support from MEXT for hosting MEXT scholars.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi there,
Once offered a scholarship, are you aware of what happens if you choose to drop out at any point through the program. Ie, is it common practice for the top Japanese universities to make you repay the scholarship?
Thanks
Hi Nick,
In my experience MEXT scholars did not have to pay back any scholarship amount, unless they were found to have violated the rules or lied on their applications and had their scholarships revoked punitively.
You do forfeit your right to all future benefits, though, including the ticket home.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Everyone in this site,
I would like to say that I have received notification from MEXT. I think Mext has already notified all the universities. If you have not received yet, please, contact with your university.
Thank you for sharing! I hope that was a positive notification!
hey Travis,
i was nominated by tokyo institute of technology. Do you have any updates regarding the MEXT result? it is already july 29th :/
Thanks 🙂
Hi Ezerum,
I’m afraid I don’t have any updates on that. I haven’t heard of anyone from any university getting their notification yet.
But I can at least guarantee you that it won’t be coming out over the weekend!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hopefully it is this week :/
Good day sir,
I am from Bangladesh. I am preparing for applying MEXT 2018, I have few question regarding this issue.
At first, Is Tokai university supported by MEXT scholarship?
Secondly, Is anyone can apply for MEXT scholarship from two different universities?
Thanks for your cooperation.
Hi Shuvo,
Any university is eligible to nominate a candidate for the University-recommended MEXT scholarship, as far as I know.
You are only allowed to apply to one university for a University-recommended MEXT scholarship in any given year.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for ur valuable information.
Have a good day.
Good day sir,
I am from Bangladesh. I am preparing for applying MEXT 2018. Could u please tell me the possible circulation date of MEXT 2018 scholarship for the university of Tsukuba. Or the circulation date for 2017.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Hi Shuvo,
I don’t have that information for 2018 – nobody will know until the university releases it. I suggest you bookmark their MEXT scholarship page and check it regularly.
Last year, Tsukuba launched the call for applications on July 21 and they were due September 23, but there has been no announcement yet this year.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much travis.
A simple question:
if the program starts on October 1st, when is MEXT going to schedule your plane ticket to japan?
Thanks again for your wonderful job
Hi Frederico,
Typically for the university-recommended scholarship, the university will contact you and give you a few choices (or possibly just one choice) then work with the travel agent to schedule your flight. I can’t recall exactly when that process happens, but I think it is late August or early September.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello TranSenz
Good day to you. Really this blog is very helpful for students who want to get their MEXT scholarship is Japanese Universities. I am from Bangladesh. I hold a position as Assistant Professor at a Public University. I have some queries regarding this scholarship.
I have managed a professor at Keio university from the faculty of science and technology. I want to know, how many slots are available for MEXT scholarship at Keio university for PhD program for fall 2018? I have already asked admission office of Keio University, but they did not reply?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Azizur Rahman,
That’s a question no admission office will ever answer for you, so it’s no surprise that they didn’t tell you anything. There are a few reasons for this:
1) They don’t know. Last year, MEXT didn’t release the number of university-recommended MEXt scholarship slots per university calculation until mid December.
The number of slots available is based on the number of graduate international students the university has enrolled as of May of that year, compared to a table that MEXT updates each year.
2) The slots are not divided between Master’s and PhD.
3) Even if they did know, there is absolutely no benefit to the university to telling you how many slots there are.
Based on last year’s numbers, Keio’s website showed that they had approximated 630 international graduate students enrolled. According to last year’s MEXT slot calculation table, that would equal 7 MEXT scholarship slots, multiplied by the change in international graduate student enrollment versus the previous year. (At that number, likely not a factor). So, 7 total slots last year.
That number could change this year, though, so I wouldn’t base too much on it.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your valuable information. I have heard that, slots of MEXT scholarship (university recommendation) for public university is more than the private university and so it is flexible to get a MEXT scholarship from a public university rather than a private university. As I am going to apply a private university for MEXT scholarship (university recommendation), so I am worried about it. Is it true?
Hi Azizur Rahman,
No, that’s not necessarily true.
The number of slots is determined by the number of international students enrolled in graduate programs there multiplied by the ratio of increase in self-financed international students over the previous year.
For the university-recommended scholarship, it matters less whether it is national, public, or private, and more on the size.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello!
I have been accepted to Sophia for Fall, and received a MEXT recommendation from them.
I still have to pay my tuition before I get the official answer in August, but I’m wondering how likely it is that I will receive it.
Thank you!
Hi Valentina,
Congratulations!
It’s taken me a while to get back to you, so you probably have your official answer by now. But just in case, the Domestic Selection scholarship for Sophia that you applied for is part of a guaranteed allotment of scholarships to that university under the Top Global University project. So, the “official answer” is little more than a rubber stamp. Based on my experience and all other applicant stories I’ve heard, your scholarship is 99.99% certain at the point of recommendation!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Transenz,
Can you explain why there is a big difference between the times of releasing final result from MEXT to nominees of the universities in Japan? As far as I know, till this time, some universities has notified their nominees about final result. Also, MEXT have delivered results to universities. However, my university (Nagoya university) said that it gonna be mid July to get the final confirmation to the nominees. Why such a long time to wait?
Hi Yen,
Sure, there’s a very straightforward answer.
As of this year, there are two different categories of scholarships that release results at different times. There is the General Category, for which MEXT released results in late May and the PGP category for which MEXT released results in late July.
The good news is that for applicants waiting for the PGP results, there is a guaranteed number of places per program per university, so if you were nominated, you were practically guaranteed to get the scholarship.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Has anyone already received an email from the university regarding their result for MEXT scholarship (general category)? I am a bit anxious about the result since it’s already June 6. 🙂 I applied in TUMSAT. Many thanks!
Hi Renz. I think most of us have heard back from our universities regarding our MEXT results.
Not to fret, you should definitely hear back from your school within this week.
Thanks for this Nakac! I’m feeling both positive and nervous. Congratulations to you all! Hoping to hear my result, soon.
I got it!
I was accepted.
Congratulations!
Thanks!!!
How hard is to enter a phD course being a MEXT university recommended research student?
How difficult is it to obtain the scholarship extension?
Thanks a lot
Hi Frederico,
It varies from university to university and how thoroughly they screened your application during the primary screening. In some places, all you’d have to do is fill in an application form by the deadline. In others, I’ve heard of there being an interview stage, but it’s quite laid back.
As long as you’ve done well as a research student and have your advisor’s support, it should be quite easy to gain admission to the PhD program.
Extending your MEXT scholarship is also relatively simple under the same circumstances. There are just a few more annoying forms and deadlines, but it should not be a problem.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you very much for the very informative and updated blog on MEXT. As almost everyone got email from their sensei, I almost believe that I was not accepted since I was not able to receive one.
I emailed my professor (since I applied thru university recommendation) inquiring about the result of MEXT. He emailed me back that he heard that the result will be released on the end of June. Does this mean that my application belong to the PGP category?
Many thanks for your help!
Hi Renz,
Thank you for your kind words!
I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t get an email back from the university yet, but if the results hadn’t been released yet, then don’t give up hope!
The PGP results were supposed to be released at the end of July, not June. It’s possible that your professor was confused about that date. July would indicate that you are PGP category. I don’t know of any results releasing in June, so I’m afraid I can’t help with that.
In any case, it has taken me so long to get to your comment that it is now late August, so I hope you have received positive results and are well into your preparations to come to Japan!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Did you receive a formal notification from your university? In other words, how can you say that you have been selected?
I got an email from my Professor and from the International center of my university.
I have been already informed by the university(professor) that I am already selected by MEXT.
Dear Travis,
Thank you again for this helpful website! I am really benefited from it!
I am selected by MEXT at this time; as I am recently informed by my professor. However, is there any application process to MEXT (to the university) after this step.
Thank you!
Hi Christian,
Congratulations! The only “application” you should have left at this point is the visa application, and you’ll find out more about that around July, based on the usual calendar.
Good Luck with your studies in Japan!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Christian! I also applied for University Recommendation at Tottori University. I would like to know when usually the University will release/email the applicants that they are nominated?
I hope you can read this 🙂
I guess that it will come to us by mid of July.
It’s mid-July, and still no news from the university. Is it depend on the rank of university?
Hi Anjar,
No, it doesn’t depend on the rank. But it does depend on the scholarship category. The general category scholarship results came out in the end of May/early June. The PGP category scholarship results are due to be released at the end of July or beginning of August.
When the university told you that you were nominated, they should have let you know when to expect the results. Is there nothing in their email?
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Anjar,
Looks like we are on the same boat. Even I’m waiting for the final results from MEXT. I have been recommended by Kyushu Institute of Technology for a PhD program. The university has informed me the results will be announced mid July, but, it seems, they are yet to rceive it!
Hi Travis, Subraya,
I am also facing a similar kind of situation. I was informed by the university that I have been nominated for the MEXT scholarship by the president of the university and the final result will be out mid-July. However, no more news from the university as well s MEXT. By any chance, is this the way how MEXT disqualify the applicants?
Hi Sanjiv,
As far as I know, nobody from the July notification crowd has heard the results yet.
It sounds like someone gave you mistaken information though (or a bad translation). I think MEXT said they would announce the results “within the month of July,” which in MEXT-speak means “before 5:30 pm on July 31. Probably.”
By the way, that’s when they notify universities. There might be a slight delay before the university notifies you.
Don’t worry yet. I hope you’ll hear good news soon!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi travis, i received the good news from the uni and i did get the scholarship! Yay! ( for ur info: i applied for uni rec mext from tokyo uni)
Travis, I still have few questions i want to ask:
1. Mext suggests for student to bring at least 2000$ to cover for the first 2 months in Japan before money comes in. Will the student get the 2 months allowance back from Mext later on?
2. Usually, how long does it takes for the student to receive their allowance from mext after they come to Japan?
3. For flight ticket, do student usually have to buy it themselves and claim it later? The uni did mention they provide flight ticket.
Thats all for now i guess. Would really appreciate your reply on this matter..
Thanks a lot because your detailed step to step guide makes te application process so much easier!
Hi Lia,
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you!
Wow! University recommendation from Todai? Congratulations! That’s got to be one of the most competitive routes to the scholarship. I bet there are a lot of people on here who would want to learn more from you than they do from me.
1./2. You will not specifically get that $2000 back. Typically, because it takes a while to get your bank accounts set up and all the payment paperwork done, you won’t receive your first scholarship stipend until a month or 6 weeks after arrival. At that time, you will receive back payment for the months of stipend that you didn’t get yet.
Over time, your stipend should be more than your expenses, so you will “make” that money back in savings.
3. In my experience, the university purchase your plane ticket for you and sends it to you.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello,
Can u tell me that either we can apply to JICA Innovative ASIA Scholarship and for MEXT at the same time or not.
Thanks
Hi Asad,
Unfortunately, I don’t have any information about the JICA Innovative Asia Scholarship.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you for your guideline in applying university recommendation MEXT. Now, I am nominated as grantee of MEXT scholarship at Saga University. The Admission Office told me that the final result from MEXT will be announced in the end of July 2017. I am so worry about the result because in the application form the number of grantee are three people. On your information, international student less than 100 will only accept only one student.
Admission office do not tell me anything about extra slot.
Any suggestion?
Best regards
Teguh Hady Ariwibowo
Hi Teguh Hady Ariwibowo,
If the result is coming out in the end of July, that sounds to me like it’s a PGP program. PGP programs have a separate allotment of slots, with a fixed number guaranteed each year. So, if you were nominated under a PGP program, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.
I hope you will be hearing good news soon!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, my name is Nguyen Pham and im in Viet Nam. First of all, I want to say a big thank for what you have been doing for us, for me your blog is the most detailed sourse of information for Uni – recommendation application. Actually, I have some questions hopefully you will take some time to look at them. I really appreciate that.
1. As in you post, uni – recommendation period is often in Nov-Dec every year, and student will enroll for the Fall semester, next year if accepted. But for Wasada University for example, there are some MA majors which application period is from Feb – March (after Mext application period), so my concern is: should I contact professors ( 1- 2 months in advance) before the deadline application of Mext or that course?
2. And it seems that uni-recommendation is only for fall semesters but can I apply this scholarship for majors have Spring semesters by this way, too? I mean for example, application for the course I want is from Sept 2017 – Nov 2017, so I would email professor in about Sept and apply for Mext?
3. I found a professor having interested study fields relating to my research proposal and he is an associate professor. Sorry but honestly, is that ok or I have to look for a Professor? I heard that professors have to compete with others for getting scholarship for their students so…
4. For uni-recommendation, I have to get recommendation letter from the Dean. I graduated from university 5 years ago, so “the Dean” here means the Dean of my old university? Im working in a private university now but it still like im working in a private company, so can I get recommendation from my managers or the president of the university where im working instead?
Sorry for asking too much but I do hope you will take some time to reply. Once again, thank you very much and have a nice day!
Hi Nguyen,
Thank you for your kind words!
1. Typically, there is a completely separate application period for MEXT scholarship applicants. I think you’re looking at the application period for regular, fee-paying students. Universities have to turn in their nominations to MEXT in early February (for general category), so Waseda would have to have a separate MEXT application process. I recommend that you search for information on that process – typically it is under information for scholarships for international students.
2. No. University-recommended MEXT scholarships are only available for fall semester start times (except in the case of some rare, specific PGP programs, but I have not been able to identify those). If you want to enroll in a program that only accepts new students in the spring, then you would typically apply to start the preceding fall as a research (non-degree) student then advance to the degree program in the spring. Waseda’s MEXT scholarhsip application guidelines should let you know if that is possible.
3. I haven’t been able to get a consistent answer on this that applies to all Japanese universities. Unfortunately, the only way I know of to find out would be to ask directly.
4. Typically, the Dean means the Dean of the university you graduated from (they want someone who has overseen you in an academic capacity). However, I have heard of some universities making exceptions for students who graduated a certain number of years previously and asking instead for a letter from a “Dean-equivalent” company official. As this is on a case-by-case basis, I’m afraid you’d have to explain your situation and ask them directly.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
How hard is to enter a phD course being a MEXT university recommended research student?
How difficult is it to obtain the scholarship extension?
Thanks a lot
Hi Frederico,
If you can pass the MEXT scholarship screening, then you should have no difficulty getting in to the PhD program.
It is generally quite easy to get the extension from research student to degree-seeking student, so long as your performance has been up to standards.
If you’re talking about extending from Master degree to PhD, then it’s really a matter of whether there is funding when you try to extend or not. In my experience, I never saw an applicant fail to get the extension, even after MEXT changed the wording to say that not everyone who applied would necessarily receive the extension. As long as the funding holds, I would assume that should not change.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
GOOD DAY SIR!
please i want to know which amongst the two options is best for me to apply the* general category *or the *PGP category*. I would love to apply for the next year scholarship scheme for masters program in banking and financing.
Thank you so much for this piece!!
Hi Michael,
As far as I have been able to tell, the 2017 intake was the last year with PGP slots available, and the application for that intake has ended. I will keep following up to see if I can confirm whether or not the program still exists.
Even during the program’s existence, in most cases, you wouldn’t have had a choice. PGP programs are only for specific degree levels, at specific graduate schools, and sometimes have nationality restrictions. Many universities don’t make this information public. So, in that case, you would just apply for the “University-recommended MEXT Scholarship” and the university would decide whether to consider/select you for the PGP slot (if you qualify) or the general slot, if you don’t.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
When in May is the final confirmation from MEXT gonna be??????
Thanks
Hi Frederico,
For MEXT, “In May” usually means “on May 31.” It could be earlier, but I wouldn’t expect it to be.
MEXT will inform universities then they will inform their nominees, so there might be a slight delay there as the universities get the message out.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
When the results of MEXT scholarship will be announced university recommendation?
Hi Eslam Basta,
The universities should already have the results for the General Category. Some have released them and some are waiting internal bureaucratic procedures before releasing them to applicants. If you haven’t heard yet, then you should soon!
(PGP results are expected late July/early August, last I heard).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I am currently waiting for the final announcement from MEXT for osaka university. Do you have any information related to the usual date for the announcement? I am feeling nervous.
Thanks!
Hi Evan,
They’ve pushed it back this year, so I can’t say for sure.
MEXT has only announced that the results will be released “in May” for general category and “in July” for PGP. In my experience, that usually means “on the last day of the month.”
MEXT will release results to the universities, so it may take the universities another day or two to release them to applicants, depending on their procedures.
But as far as nervousness goes: I have never heard of a nominee not getting the scholarship, so you should be fine!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Really??
” I have never heard of a nominee not getting the scholarship” is that true?
I got nominated by Juntendo, do you think I will get the scholarship?
Thanks
Dear Frederico,
Yes! Universities should know in advance how many scholarships they are eligible to receive and only nominate that number of students.
I’ve heard that universities have already received the General Category results for this year and many have released them (Although Osaka University, where the original poster applied, has not. According to several comments I’ve seen, they are holding back the results for a few days for some bureaucratic reason. I don’t think there is any particular cause for concern though.)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
When the results of MEXT scholarship will be announced…university recommendation today is 30 May?
Hi EslamBasta,
Results for the University-recommended General Category were due to be released to the universities by MEXT by the end of May. Results for PGP were due to be released by the end of July. Once the Universities get the information, it may take them an extra couple of days to release it to the applicants in some cases.
I hope you’ve already heard good news by now!
– Travis from TranSenz