MEXT Scholarships

2025/12/12
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Research Undergraduate Specailized Training Japanese Studies
2026 Applications are CLOSED.
Applications for 2027 open in April.		 2026 Applications are CLOSED.
Applications for 2027 open in April.		 2026 Applications are CLOSED.
Applications for 2027 open in April.		 2025 Applications are CLOSED.
Applications for 2026 open in December.

Want to get notified when the applications open? Fill out the notification request form HERE.


Monbukagakusho (MEXT), the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology offers four different scholarships for non-Japanese nationals wishing to study in Japan. Only U.S. citizens living within the following states can apply for a MEXT Scholarship at this Consulate: IL, IN, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI. U.S. citizens living in other states should apply through the consulate responsible for their state. Non-US citizens should apply through the Japanese embassy in their country of citizenship. To read about other scholarships for non-Japanese to study in Japan, please see our links page.


All MEXT Scholarship applications will be subject to a document screening after the appointed application deadline. Only those applicants who pass the document screening will be invited to the Consulate to sit for the interview and exams for their respective scholarship. Please read the guidelines and FAQs listed below for the scholarship(s) you are interested in. If you need further assistance, please contact the JIC.


 

Application are currently CLOSED. Applications for the MEXT Research Scholarship open in April.

This scholarship offers college graduates and graduate students the opportunity to study and research a specific field to obtain a masters or doctorate degree at a Japanese university. Applicants should apply for the field of study they majored in at university or its related field(s).

 

Eligibility Requirements:*

  • U.S. Citizen
  • Born on or after April 2, 1991
  • Have a bachelors degree by April or September 2026
    *Read the Application Guidelines for more detailed descriptions and additional requirements

How to Apply
ALL Applicants must carefully read the Official Application Guidelines before beginning to prepare their application packet. The resources below offer information on studying at Japanese universities and details about the scholarship. Please note that some are required reading, while others are optional and for your reference only.

Interviews and Examinations
Full interview details will be announced to applicants upon receipt and review of the application documents. Typically, interviews are conducted online via zoom. In addition to the interview, applicants who select "Japanese" or "English or Japanese" for their course language on their application will sit for a written exam held at the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago, IL.

 

Application Timeline

April MEXT Scholarship application documents become available.
Late May Application submission deadline. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.
Mid-June Interviews for applicants who successfully pass the document screening stage.
Late June Exams (if applicable). Exams are done in-person and the test date is not negotiable.
Early August Notifications of results for the First Screening. Successful applicants documents sent to Tokyo offices for secondary screening.
January Notification of results for the Second Screening.
February Notification of university placement.
March Scholarship recipients travel arrangements are made
Following April
or Sept/Oct		 Depart for Japan!
 

The above text only offers a brief summary of the scholarship. Please read the required readings linked above for answers to our frequently asked questions and more details on how to apply.

 

If you have questions about the MEXT Research Scholarship after reading the links above, please contact the Chicago MEXT Scholarship coordinator at mextinfo@cg.mofa.go.jp

 

Unavoidable Circumstances
In the event of unavoidable or unforeseen circumstances, the Japanese Government reserves the right to change or cancel the arrival date, scholarship, and contents of the application guidelines or the above timeline, at any time before or after notification of the results of the final selection.

 

Application are currently CLOSED. Applications for the MEXT Undergraduate Scholarship open in April.

This scholarship is for high school seniors or recent graduates who want to pursue an undergraduate degree in Japan. The scholarship covers tuition, airfare to Japan, and provides a living stipend for a period of up to five years. It's available for students pursuing majors in the Social Sciences/Humanities or Natural Sciences.
 

Eligibility Requirements:*

  • U.S. Citizen
  • Born on or after April 2, 2001
  • Completion of high school diploma (or equivalent) by March 2026
    *Read the Application Guidelines for more detailed descriptions and additional requirements

How to Apply
ALL Applicants must carefully read the Official Application Guidelines before beginning to prepare their application packet. The resources below offer information on studying at Japanese universities and details about the scholarship. Please note that some are required reading, while others are optional and for your reference only.

Interviews and Examinations
Full interview details will be announced to applicants upon receipt and review of the application documents. Typically, interviews are conducted online via zoom. In addition to the interview, all applicants will sit for written exams held at the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago, IL.

Applicants will take exams for Japanese Language, English Language, and Mathematics. Additionally, applicants whose chosen field of study is a natural science must take a chemistry exam and either a physics exam or a biology exam. Sample examination questions from previous years can be found here.

 

Application Timeline

April MEXT Scholarship application documents become available.
Late May Application submission deadline. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.
Mid-June Interviews for applicants who successfully pass the document screening stage.
Late June Exams. Exams are done in-person and the test date is not negotiable.
Early August Notifications of results for the First Screening. Successful applicants documents sent to Tokyo offices for secondary screening.
January Notification of results for the Second Screening.
February Notification of university placement.
March Scholarship recipients travel arrangements are made
Following April
or Sept/Oct		 Depart for Japan!
 

The above text only offers a brief summary of the scholarship. Please read the required readings linked above for answers to our frequently asked questions and more details on how to apply.
 

If you have questions about the MEXT Undergraduate Scholarship after reading the links above, please contact the Chicago MEXT Scholarship coordinator at mextinfo@cg.mofa.go.jp
 

Unavoidable Circumstances
In the event of unavoidable or unforeseen circumstances, the Japanese Government reserves the right to change or cancel the arrival date, scholarship, and contents of the application guidelines or the above timeline, at any time before or after notification of the results of the final selection.

 

Application are currently CLOSED. Applications for the MEXT Specialized Training Scholarship open in April.

The Specialized Training College Scholarships offer high school graduates the opportunity to receive professional training in Japan in a variety of vocations.

 

Eligibility Requirements:*

  • U.S. Citizen
  • Born on or after April 2, 2001
  • Completion of high school diploma (or equivalent) by March 2026
    *Read the Application Guidelines for more detailed descriptions and additional requirements

How to Apply
ALL Applicants must carefully read the Official Application Guidelines before beginning to prepare their application packet. The resources below offer information on studying at Japanese universities and details about the scholarship. Please note that some are required reading, while others are optional and for your reference only.

Interviews and Examinations
Full interview details will be announced to applicants upon receipt and review of the application documents. Typically, interviews are conducted online via zoom. In addition to the interview, all applicants will sit for written exams held at the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago, IL.

Applicants will take exams for Japanese Language, English Language, and Mathematics. Sample examination questions from previous years can be found here.

 

Application Timeline

April MEXT Scholarship application documents become available.
Late May Application submission deadline. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.
Mid-June Interviews for applicants who successfully pass the document screening stage.
Late June Exams. Exams are done in-person and the test date is not negotiable.
Early August Notifications of results for the First Screening. Successful applicants documents sent to Tokyo offices for secondary screening.
January Notification of results for the Second Screening.
February Notification of university placement.
March Scholarship recipients travel arrangements are made
Following April
or Sept/Oct		 Depart for Japan!
 

The above text only offers a brief summary of the scholarship. Please read the required readings linked above for answers to our frequently asked questions and more details on how to apply.

 

If you have questions about the MEXT Specialized Training Scholarship after reading the links above, please contact the Chicago MEXT Scholarship coordinator at mextinfo@cg.mofa.go.jp

 

Unavoidable Circumstances
In the event of unavoidable or unforeseen circumstances, the Japanese Government reserves the right to change or cancel the arrival date, scholarship, and contents of the application guidelines or the above timeline, at any time before or after notification of the results of the final selection.

 

Application are currently CLOSED. Applications for the MEXT Japanese Studies Scholarship open in December.

The Japanese Studies Scholarship offers undergraduate students who are currently enrolled in university a one-year scholarship to study in Japan. Applicants must be majoring in Japanese language, Japanese affairs or Japanese culture.

 

Eligibility Requirements:*

  • U.S. Citizen
  • Born between April 2, 1995 and April 2, 2007
  • A current undergraduate majoring in fields related to Japanese language/culture.
  • Must have studied Japanese language/culture at a university for a total period of one year or more as of September 1, 2025.
    *Read the Application Guidelines for more detailed descriptions and additional requirements

How to Apply
ALL Applicants must carefully read the Official Application Guidelines before beginning to prepare their application packet. The resources below offer information on studying at Japanese universities and details about the scholarship. Please note that some are required reading, while others are optional and for your reference only.

Interviews and Examinations
Full interview details will be announced to applicants upon receipt and review of the application documents. Typically, interviews are conducted online via zoom. In addition to the interview, all applicant will sit for a written language exam held at the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago, IL.

Applicants will take a Japanese Language exam. The exam we administer is roughly equivalent to JLPT levels N2 or N1.

 

Application Timeline

December MEXT Scholarship application documents become available.
Early February Application submission deadline. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.
Mid-February Interviews for applicants who successfully pass the document screening stage.
Late February Exams. Exams are done in-person and the test date is not negotiable.
Late March Notifications of results for the First Screening. Successful applicants documents sent to Tokyo offices for secondary screening.
Late May Notification of results for the Second Screening.
July Notification of university placement.
August Scholarship recipients travel arrangements are made
Sept/Oct Depart for Japan!
 

The above text only offers a brief summary of the scholarship. Please read the required readings linked above for answers to our frequently asked questions and more details on how to apply.

 

If you have questions about the MEXT Japanese Studies Scholarship after reading the links above, please contact the Chicago MEXT Scholarship coordinator at mextinfo@cg.mofa.go.jp

 

Unavoidable Circumstances
In the event of unavoidable or unforeseen circumstances, the Japanese Government reserves the right to change or cancel the arrival date, scholarship, and contents of the application guidelines or the above timeline, at any time before or after notification of the results of the final selection.

Beyond the Scholarship
 

Teacher Training

The Teacher Training Scholarship will no longer be offered through the Embassy and Consulates in the United States.

 

Warning

Attention to Japanese Government Scholarship Applicants:

All application procedures for Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) Scholarships are conducted solely through Japanese government embassies and consulates, or institutions of higher education in Japan. For further information on the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarships, please contact the Japanese embassy or consulates in your home country, or the institutions of higher education in Japan in which you wish to enroll.

There are never any application fees, deposits, or any other form of charges assessed when applying for the MEXT Scholarships. Please be aware that any organization or individual who charges an application fee or deposit in relation to applying for the MEXT Scholarships has no relation with the Japanese Government and is committing fraud.

Thank you for your attention.

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