When Scholarships Feel Too Complicated: For Those Who Are About to Give Up on Studying Abroad

If you want to read this article in Japanese, click here

TOEIC：目安 700〜850点, IELTS：6.0〜6.5 程度の記事となります。

“I wanted to go to a university in an English-speaking country after high school, 
but my father was against it and refused to pay the tuition. 
I also didn’t really understand scholarships,so in the end, I just gave up.
I went on leave from university, fell into a dark place,　and even now I sometimes think,
‘If only I had done proper research back then…’ and regret it.”

(Posted on X, anonymous)

Maybe you read this and thought, “That sounds like me.”

Wanting to study abroad, but feeling stuck in a gray zone where money, scholarships, and your parents’ feelings are all mixed together and unclear.

In this article, I want to speak directly to people who:

– Once gave up on studying abroad because scholarships felt too complicated, or
– Are now about to give up for the same reason.

I will also introduce several scholarship options that exist in 2025, so you don’t have to stay in that gray zone alone.

A real story: “I almost went back to my country because I didn’t know about scholarships.”

Let me start with the story of an international student I once supported.
I’ll call her Mika (a pseudonym).

Mika came to Japan from another Asian country and enrolled in a Japanese university. Her grades were good, her Japanese was already at N2 level, and from the outside, everything looked fine.

But during her second year, the situation at home changed.
Her parents told her:

> “We don’t know if we can keep paying full tuition.
> Maybe you should think about going back.”

Mika searched the internet for “scholarships in Japan”, but:

– Most pages were only in Japanese or very difficult English
– There were many types (JASSO, university, private foundations…)
– The conditions and deadlines were all different

Very quickly, she started to think:

> “Maybe I have no choice but to go home…”

When we talked for the first time, she told me:

> “It’s not that I definitely want to quit.
> I just don’t know what my options are.
> Everything is gray.”

Together, we:

– Listed scholarships that her university could recommend her for
– Checked basic conditions like GPA, Japanese/English level, and family income
– Made a simple 1-year money plan:
“If I get Scholarship A + part-time job up to XX hours, can I stay?”

In the end, Mika applied for more than one scholarship, and with a combination of support and part-time work, she was able to continue at the same university.

The important thing here is not “which scholarship she got”.
The important point is:

> “Before she had accurate information, everything felt hopeless.
> After we mapped her options, she could talk to her family more calmly and make a decision.”

You might be in a similar gray zone now — just on the “going abroad from Japan” side.

Scholarships that Japanese students can use from Japan in 2025

(Examples, not a complete list)
Here are some of the main grant-type (no repayment) scholarships that Japanese high school and university students often look at when planning to study abroad.
Details change almost every year, so always check the latest official guidelines yourself.

1. JASSO Student Exchange Support Program (Short-Term Study Abroad)

JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) has a Student Exchange Support Program for short-term study abroad. It supports Japanese students who go to partner universities overseas on an official exchange program.

– Type: Grant (no repayment)
– Typical amount: Universities that host exchange students with JASSO support often mention a monthly stipend of around 80,000 yen per month for the period of study abroad (exact amount depends on the year and program).
– Who it’s for (in general):
– Students enrolled at a Japanese university or graduate school
– Going to a partner institution abroad for a few months up to about one year
– With good academic performance and financial need
– Key point: You cannot apply by yourself.
You must be nominated by your university, so always ask the international office early.

2. “Tobitate! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative”

The Tobitate! Young Ambassador Program is a public–private scholarship initiative that supports Japanese high school and university students who want to study abroad with their own unique plans.

Depending on the program and destination, support typically includes:

– A fixed amount for tuition (for example, 300,000 yen per year)
– A monthly scholarship of about 120,000 or 160,000 yen, depending on the region
– An additional lump-sum grant for flights and initial costs (for example, 210,000 or 350,000 yen)

(There is also a reduced monthly amount, such as 60,000 yen, when household income is above a certain line.)

– Who it’s for (in general):
– Motivated students with a clear study-abroad plan
– High school or university students in Japan
– Key point:
The application requires a clear “why this study abroad, why now” story.
You are not only judged on grades, but also on your plan.

3. Gyomu Super Japan Dream Foundation Study Abroad Scholarship

This scholarship, run by the company behind Gyomu Super, supports Japanese students who will study at overseas universities.

Recent guidelines show support such as:

– Monthly scholarship: 150,000 or 200,000 yen
– One-time grant before departure: 150,000 or 250,000 yen
(The exact amount depends on the region and program length.)

– Who it’s for (in general):
– Students at Japanese universities who will study at overseas universities
– With good academic performance and clear goals
– Key point:
You usually apply through your university, not directly as an individual.

4. Yanai Tadashi Foundation Overseas Bachelor Scholarship

The Yanai Tadashi Foundation offers a very generous scholarship for Japanese students who go to top universities in the U.S. or U.K. as full-time undergraduates.

According to recent announcements:

– For the U.S.:
– Up to US$115,000 per year
– Covers tuition, room and board, insurance (up to US$100,000),
plus up to US$15,000 per year for study and living expenses
– For the U.K.:
– Up to £70,000 per year
– Covers tuition, room and board, insurance (up to £59,000),
– Plus up to £11,000 per year for study and living expenses

– Duration:
– Normally 4 years for U.S. universities
– 3–4 years for U.K. universities
– Who it’s for (in general):
– Japanese high school graduates entering highly competitive universities abroad
– With excellent academic records and strong English

5. Sasakawa Scholarship (Global Leaders Scholarship)

The Sasakawa Scholarship (Global Leaders Scholarship) from the Sasakawa Peace Foundation is another full scholarship program for Japanese students who wish to study at universities in the U.S. or the U.K.

The program:

– Covers actual expenses for tuition, dormitory (including meals),
health insurance, and one round-trip flight
(up to about US$80,000 per year in the U.S. and £54,000 per year in the U.K.)
– Plus a fixed annual living stipend of
– US$15,000 (U.S.)
– £11,000 (U.K.)

– Duration:
– Generally 4 years for U.S. universities
– 3 years for U.K. universities

It is highly competitive, but for some students, it can remove almost all direct study costs.

6. University and local government scholarships

In addition to national-level programs, many universities and local governments offer their own scholarships for students going abroad.

For example, major universities in Japan list multiple scholarship options on their websites, often with:

– Monthly stipends of around 60,000–150,000 yen
– Support for 6–12 months of study abroad
– Eligibility based on GPA, language scores, and financial need

Local governments sometimes offer grants for residents of a particular prefecture or city who wish to study abroad.

If you feel lost after reading about these scholarships, you are not alone.

👉 Free online consultation (30–45 minutes, in Japanese or English)
We can look at your grades, English level, and family situation together, and make a simple list of scholarships that might fit you.

Important: amounts and conditions change every year

All figures above are examples based on recent information.
Amounts, conditions, and deadlines change regularly.

So rather than memorizing every number, it’s more realistic to:

1. Confirm which scholarships your current (or future) school can actually recommend you for
2. Check the latest official guidelines for each scholarship
3. Map them on a simple timeline, like:
– Year 1: Apply for A and B
– Year 2: If admitted abroad, switch to C, etc.

How to stop the “regret spiral” and move forward

When you don’t know what your options are, it’s easy to think:

> “I probably can’t go anyway.”
> “My parents will never agree.”
> “It’s too late now.”

But in many cases, the real problem is not your ability or value.
The real problem is the information gray zone around you.

Here are three small steps you can take:

1. Write down your current situation in simple English or Japanese
– High school/university year
– Grades and English level (TOEIC, IELTS, etc.)
– Rough family financial situation

2. List your possible paths, even if they feel unrealistic
– 4-year degree abroad
– 1-year exchange program
– Language school + later transfer
– “Study in Japan first, then go abroad for grad school”

3. Talk with someone who is not your parent and is not trying to sell you a specific school
– A trusted teacher
– A senior student who actually went abroad
– Or a neutral advisor who can sit with you and map your options calmly

You don’t have to decide everything today.
But you can start by turning “vague anxiety” into “clear options on paper”.

If this feels like your story – let’s talk once before you decide it’s impossible

If you read the X post at the beginning and thought:

– “I’m scared I’ll regret it like that too…”
– “I want to check my options before I say ‘I give up’.”

Then it might be a good time to talk to someone outside your family or school.

👉 Free online consultation (30–45 minutes, in Japanese or English)

In our session, we can:

– go through your current situation (school year, grades, English level, family situation)
– list the types of scholarships that might fit your profile
– create a simple action plan:
“By when do you need to decide? What should you do first?”

The goal is not to push you into studying abroad at all costs.
The goal is to clear the gray zone, so that whatever you choose, you can say:

> “At least this time, I made my decision with proper information.”

If you’d like to start there, feel free to send a short message from the contact form: