The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (abbreviated as Monbukagakusho in Japanese or MEXT in English) sponsors scholarships to enable foreign students from around the world to study and earn degrees at Japanese universities. Since its inception in 1954, more than 100,000 students from approximately 160 countries have taken advantage of these scholarships to study in Japan. MEXT Scholarships generally cover the cost of tuition, provide a monthly stipend to put toward living expenses, and provide round trip airfare. Specifics can be found in the application guidelines for each category of scholarship. Please note that the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville can ONLY accept scholarship applications from U.S. Citizens who live, study, or work in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Tennessee. If you currently reside outside of the jurisdiction, please check with your nearest Consulate-General of Japan.

Scholarships:

Each scholarship has its own individual guidelines and qualifications. Please read everything carefully and note that regardless of when they are postmarked, our office must receive your documents by the stated deadlines. If you are ineligible to apply for a MEXT Scholarship, please visit the Study in Japan Website to learn about other funding options. This organization is an invaluable resource for international students who would like to study in Japan. (Application: Available April, 2025; Deadline: May 30; Exams: June 18; Interview: TBD)

• Level of Studies: Graduate School Level.
• Duration of Program: Varies by degree requirements for masters, doctorial, or professional school students.
• Eligibility Notes: Please review age limits and degree requirements in the application guidelines. There is a unique application for candidates from the US so please ensure that you access your application documents from the link below.
• Exam Notes: American applicants who select English as their “desired language of instruction” will be exempt from taking the in-person exam on June 18^th.
• Application Documents: View the application from this Link

(Application: Available April, 2025; Deadline: May 30; Exams: June 26; Interview: TBD)

• Level of Studies: Undergraduate Level.
• Duration of Program: 5 years including 1 year of Japanese-language training (7 years for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science).
• Eligibility Notes: Please review the age limits and note that generally a candidate must finish high school by March of the year that the scholarship starts. Applicants should also take special note of the required exams*. Applicants for the Undergraduate Scholarship tend to struggle with the mathematics exam, which renders them ineligible to receive our recommendation.
• Application Documents: View the application from this Link

(Application: Available April, 2025; Deadline: May 30; Exams: June 26; Interview: TBD)

• Level of Studies: Specialized School.

• Duration of Program: 3 years including 1 year of Japanese-language training.
• Eligibility Notes: Please review age limits and education requirements in the application guidelines. Applicants should also take special note of the required exams*.  
• Application Documents: View the application from this Link

(Application: January 2026; Deadline: TBD; Exam: TBD; Interview: TBD) 

• Level of Studies: Undergraduate Level.
• Duration of Program: Approximately one year from October 2026 (or the starting month of the course).
• Eligibility Notes: Please review age limits and education requirements. Applicants must be enrolled at a university outside of Japan as undergraduate students majoring in a field related to the Japanese language or Japanese culture.  
• Application Documents: Access the application guidelines and forms from this Link (Note that link may still show the previous year’s application)

* Please see the following link for the Past Examinations: Japanese Government Scholarships for Prospective Students. Note that these exams are formatted differently than American style exams. We strongly encourage potential applicants to review the exams before applying.

General Timeline:

The application process for the Research, Undergraduate, and Specialized Training scholarships starts the spring of the year BEFORE the scholarship begins. For example, the application for the 2025 scholarship was due back in June of 2024.

The application process for the Japanese Studies scholarship starts the winter BEFORE the scholarship begins. For example, the application of the 2025 scholarship was due in February 2025.

The MEXT Scholarships involve a multi-tiered, multi-month process that begins with your application arriving at our office. Promising applicants will be invited to our office, the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville, in order to take scholarship specific exams. Note that the exams can only be conducted in-person.  There is also a interview component which is conducted remotely. For those who receive our office’s recommendation, a second round of selection is carried out by Monbukagakusho in Japan. In some cases there is a final round of selection carried out by an applicant’s targeted university.

Contact Information:

Please contact Tye Ebel at the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville at jet@nv.mofa.go.jp if you have additional questions about the qualifications for a particular scholarship. Please refer to the specific scholarship in the email.

Mail COMPLETED** Applications to:
Consulate-General of Japan
Attn: Tye Ebel- MEXT Scholarship
1801 West End Avenue, Suite 900
Nashville, TN 37203

**Incomplete applications will be disqualified. This is not a postmark deadline. All application material must be received by the deadline to be considered.