If you come to Japan on a short exchange under an agreement between your home university and a Japanese school, the main scholarship to know is JASSO's Student Exchange Support Program (Scholarship for Short-term Study in Japan). It pays a monthly stipend of 80,000 yen to selected students on accepted programs lasting from 8 days to one year, and it does not have to be repaid. The catch: students cannot apply on their own. Your Japanese host school must have a program approved by JASSO, and your home university selects who receives the money.
How the program works
JASSO, the Japan Student Services Organization, funds part of the cost of study for international students who join a short-term acceptance program run by a Japanese university, graduate school, junior college, college of technology, or professional training college (the specialized course of a vocational school). The program must be based on a student exchange agreement or similar arrangement with the student's home institution abroad, and its length must be between 8 days and one year. In JASSO's own description, it is a grant-type scholarship, so recipients do not pay it back.
How much does it pay?
- Monthly stipend: 80,000 yen.
- Period: tied to the accepted program, anywhere from 8 days up to one year.
Because some programs last only a week or two, the actual total you receive depends on your program's length and on how your host school administers the payments. Ask the host school how the amount is calculated for your dates.
Who is eligible?
JASSO lists seven conditions. Schools also run their own screening, so meeting these is necessary but not sufficient.
- Nationality: citizen of a country with diplomatic relations with Japan. Students from Taiwan and Palestine are also covered.
- Accepted under an agreement: the Japanese host school has approved your participation under its exchange agreement or arrangement.
- Financial need: joining the program at your own expense alone would be difficult for financial reasons.
- Status of residence: you can definitely obtain the "Student" status of residence for the program. For programs of 90 days or less, the type of status does not matter.
- Return to your home school: after the program you go back, continue your studies, and graduate or earn your degree there.
- Strong record: excellent academic results and good character at your home institution.
- Limit on other funding: if you receive other scholarships for the program, their combined monthly amount must not exceed 80,000 yen. Travel funding, repayable loans and student loans do not count toward this limit.
Which scholarships cannot be combined?
- The MEXT Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students (Gakushu Shoreihi), offered under JASSO's acceptance promotion program.
- JASSO's support program for students in advanced courses designed to develop highly skilled foreign professionals.
- The Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship.
Other foundations may also refuse to let their awards be combined with this one, so check with each provider before you accept.
How students are selected
The process happens in two layers, and individual students do not apply to JASSO directly.
Step 1: programs. The Japanese host school applies to JASSO for its acceptance program. JASSO screens the documents and decides which programs it will support.
Step 2: students. Your home university recruits and selects participants and informs the host school. The host school then applies to JASSO on your behalf, and JASSO tells the host school whether you are approved.
Selection criteria differ between schools and programs, so your first contact should be your home university's international office. Ask two questions: does our partner program in Japan have JASSO support this year, and how do we choose recipients?
How many programs and students in 2026?
JASSO announced the 2026 results for programs starting between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027:
- Applications: 436 acceptance programs applied, compared with 429 the year before.
- Approved: 195 acceptance programs were selected, up from 177 in 2025. That includes 55 under the new-program category (Type A) and 140 continuing programs (Type B).
- Planned recipients: 3,135 incoming students were expected to receive the scholarship, the majority (2,543) at national universities.
JASSO also runs additional selections during the year when budget frees up, for example when approved programs withdraw. A June 2026 additional list of acceptance programs has been published, so a program that missed the first round may still be added.
Practical tips
- Start early. Approved program lists are published by fiscal year. If your partner school's program is not on the list, the stipend is not available for it.
- Budget for the gap. The stipend helps but rarely covers everything. Housing in Tokyo is a common pressure point for short programs, and some students arrange a furnished monthly room for the length of the exchange.
- Keep your options clear. Because combinations with the MEXT Scholarship and the MEXT Honors Scholarship are not allowed, decide early which one to pursue.
Details and figures here reflect JASSO's pages as of October 2026. Programs and selection rules are reviewed each fiscal year, so always confirm with your home and host schools.
Sources
- 日本学生支援機構（JASSO）「海外留学支援制度（協定受入）」(checked 2026-10-04)
- 日本学生支援機構（JASSO）「2026年度海外留学支援制度（協定派遣・協定受入）プログラムの選考結果について」(checked 2026-10-04)
Facts are summarized in our own words; see the linked pages for the official details.
Rules and dates can change. Always confirm with the official source before you apply.