“I Have Questions About The MEXT Scholarship…”

In my previous post, I explained about the MEXT Scholarship, but just in case you want to know more about it, I’ll explain it here! Of course, the very full details are already explained on the Japan Study website so please definitely check that out first. Ever since I received the scholarship, I get quite a lot of questions so I am going to attempt to answer those questions here as well. Please note that I will only be answering questions related to graduate/research students as I am not familiar with other levels.

Q. “What is covered in the scholarship?”

Tuition fee, travel allowance (round-trip airfare) and monthly allowance. Monthly allowance depends on each level; for graduate school level, the monthly allowance is ¥143,000~¥147,000 per month, which is about BND$1,430~BND$1,470. You are also expected to pay your own accommodation from the monthly allowance.

Q. “How is Japan’s standard of living? Is it expensive?”

Average living expenses in Japan including accommodation, travel (train, bus, etc.), utilities, food, clothing and study materials are approximately ¥80,000 per month, which is about BND$800. So the monthly allowance given by MEXT is enough to live just comfortably; or perhaps you have to make a sacrifice a bit on your lifestyle. Unless you are planning to live at expensive apartment and go out to expensive restaurants often, maybe that’s a different story. Working part-time in Japan while holding a student visa is also possible, but I believe you have to get permission from your university. I would suggest you to do monthly budgeting to make sure you don’t overspend!

Q. “When is the application period?“

First of all, you need to know that there are two ways of applying to the MEXT Scholarship: 1) Embassy Recommendation, and 2) University Recommendation. The application period for the Embassy Recommendation usually starts in April each year and ends in June. You can check your embassy’s website or social media for more information; Embassy of Japan in Brunei. Meanwhile, the application period for the University Recommendation usually depends on the university itself; typically after Summer. However, it is to note that, University Recommendation is mostly open to graduate (Masters/Ph.D.) students only – although there are very few universities that do accept undergraduate students (you just have to do your research!).

Q. “What is the difference between Embassy Recommendation and University Recommendation?“

Generally, the documents needed are the same for both Embassy and University Recommendation; which I have mentioned in my previous post. However, there are just a few differences in the process between the two routes. Especially for the University Recommendation route, you do not need to deal with the embassy, however most of the time you need to apply to the prospective university directly by yourself and pay for the application fee (generally between ¥25,000~¥30,000 which is around BND$300) after receiving a letter of acceptance from your desired supervisor. The process for the University Recommendation is shorter compared to the Embassy Recommendation, however, it is generally understood that University Recommendation is a lot more competitive as you’re competing with other applicants from other countries when compared with Embassy Recommendation.

The reason you need to pay the application fee is that most of the time, you will directly become a regular student at the university. If you’re applying through Embassy Recommendation, you’ll often start as a research or non-regular student. During this period, you’re expected to pass the university’s entrance examination. Some universities may also require payment of both the application and entrance examination fees, but you’ll receive a refund if you’re successfully admitted to the course.

Q. “Do you have lists of universities that offer University Recommendation?”

Unfortunately, I don’t. You can check each university’s website. Please note that not all departments of the university will offer MEXT Scholarship so I’d say the courses for University Recommendation are very limited. You just have to check the university website constantly or you can directly ask the person in charge; normally the scholarship section. If your current university is partnered with a Japanese university, sometimes they will advertise any opening for the MEXT Scholarship through your school.

Q. “Can I apply via both Embassy and University recommendations?“

Unfortunately no. However, for example, if you’re not selected by the Embassy Recommendation, then you can apply the University Recommendation; or vice versa. You just cannot apply to both at the same time.

Q. “What course is covered in the scholarship?”

If you’re applying through Embassy Recommendation, you can take any course but it has to relate to your previous major. For University Recommendation, the course is very limited and not all courses are eligible for the MEXT Scholarship.

Q. “How can I find universities that offer English language programs?”

Go to Study in Japan website and click the excel file titled “Data on University Degree Programs Offered in English”. It’s a very big file but you should be able to find the course you’re interested in by using the search function.

Q. “Do I need to know Japanese?“

It depends on the course you’re planning to choose. If the course requires a Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), then knowing the Japanese language is important. However, if the course does not require the Japanese language, then it’s okay not to know the language – although I recommend studying them beforehand as it could be useful for everyday use. Most of the time, some universities will recommend students to attend a foreign language school to study the Japanese language during their first 6 months, but this can be completely different for each applicant depending on their Japanese language proficiency.

Q. “Do I need TOEFL/IELTS?”

When you apply using Embassy Recommendation, especially if you’re from non-native English speaker countries, you will have to sit for the English Language examination and you need to certainly pass to move on to the next stage. However, when applying using University Recommendation or just applying to a Japanese university in general, some require TOEFL/IELTS so it’s an advantage if you have one. In my case, I do not have TOEFL/IELTS but I have qualifications from Cambridge O’Level which is not really acceptable by many Japanese universities. So what I did was, I requested a letter from my last university stating that the medium language used in my last degree was English which is possible and accepted. You can ask your prospective university for details on this!

Q. “Do I need to pay when applying for the scholarship?”

If you’re applying through Embassy Recommendation, the only fee you’ll likely encounter is the “Medical Examination Fee,” unless it’s waived in your country. In Brunei, a full-body checkup is no longer free, so that’s an additional cost to consider. However, in some cases, you’ll need to cover the application and entrance examination fees for the prospective universities, typically around ¥30,000 (BND$300). However, even if you pay these fees, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll receive the scholarship, and in most cases, MEXT will not reimburse you. If you pass the application screening and entrance examination, you will be refunded. The refund usually occurs about one year after you submit your application.

Q. “What is the minimum GPA?”

It’s 2.30 out of 3.00 on a MEXT GPA Scale. It’s not stated in the application guidelines either for Embassy or University recommendations, however, it appears on the guidelines that MEXT issues to the universities/organizations. Further information regarding the GPA calculation could be found here. While having a high GPA increases your chances of getting the scholarship, there are cases where applicants are accepted despite having an average grade. This is because acceptance depends heavily on your research plan and essays. In Brunei, 2.30 out of 3.00 on a MEXT GPA Scale is more or less similar to GPA of 3.50 on a 5.0 Scale. If you’re applying through the Embassy Recommendation, you are also expected to submit your certificates from Cambridge O’Level and A’Level (only if you have ones) because they will use those to determine if your application is good to go. But again, different embassies have different threshold so there is really no concrete evidence that “such grade is not eligible to apply for the scholarship” – so it doesn’t hurt to try!

Q. “Can you share your research plan?”

I am not trying to gatekeep or anything, but this is honestly a personal question, and I don’t think it’d be a good idea to share one’s research plan as I’m afraid of plagiarism. To get the MEXT scholarship as a graduate student, you need to do research – so I always remind people about this. If you’re not passionate enough (or at least interested) about doing research, in my opinion, then I think that’d be a bit difficult. You can relate your research plan to your previous research project during your undergraduate studies (if you had those) OR you can start a new research plan related to your previous studies/major. In my case, I did research on “Consumer Behavior” during my undergraduate research project so my research plan is about that as well. You can look at this sample from Travis’ blog on how to write a good research plan!

Q. “Can I do my research that is not related to my major?”

In the application guidelines, it is stated that you must do research based on your previous studies/major. However, if you think you’re interested in researching different areas (other than those prohibited by the Japanese government), it is possible but you can contact the embassy or the university beforehand for more details.

Q. “What does Research Student mean?”

When you got the scholarship through the Embassy Recommendation, most of the time, you will first start as a “non-degree student” (a.k.a. Research Student) for one semester (6 months) or longer (depending on your supervisor). You will not be able to take credits for the course you’re applying to during this period as you are technically just a research student. This is also when you will probably be placed at a language school in Japan to study the Japanese language. If the university or MEXT determines that you’re proficient enough in the Japanese language, then you probably do not need to enroll in the language school. To officially become a “degree-seeking student”, you need to take the entrance examination of your university. Each university has a different entrance examination, for example, some require a written examination, some require interviews only and some require just application submission. So it really depends. You can check this from the university website itself!

In my case, I underwent the Research Student period for one year. During the first 6 months, I studied Japanese language at JASSO Tokyo Japanese Language Education Center. Afterward, I attended university for the remaining 6 months, participating in classes as usual but without receiving any credits. My university instructed Research Students to engage in classes or research activities equivalent to 600 minutes per week. As a Research Student, I had limitations on which classes I could take and what resources I could access. I decided to begin my regular student period in April 2024, one year after arriving in Japan, so I could start my course in the Spring term. It’s worth noting that students have different experiences as Research Students; for example, science students may have more demanding requirements. However, this isn’t always the case. Ultimately, the experience depends on your supervisors and their guidance on how to spend your time while awaiting regular student status.

Q. “So if I continue my Master’s Degree via MEXT Scholarship, it’s not coursework based?”

Yes and no. It is normal for graduate MEXT scholars to start off as a “Research Student” first especially when they take a Master’s Degree course, which you technically are not officially a “degree-seeking student”. Although, once you passed the entrance examination, you can take the classes normally as per other degree-seeking students. However, you still need to finish your thesis or research by end of your scholarship period. FYI, most Masters in Japan require coursework and research at the same time.

Q. “How difficult is the university entrance examination?”

I can’t say this for certain because each university has a different examination process. As I mentioned, some universities require students to take a written examination, some conduct interviews, and others may request additional documents if necessary. It all depends on the university and the specific course you’re applying for. In my case, the entrance examination involved submitting an application along with a personal statement essay. However, some of my friends at the same university had to undergo interviews as part of their entrance examination. So once again, it varies depending on the course and the university itself.

It’s important to note that being a MEXT scholar does not guarantee automatic admission to your desired course. I know several MEXT scholars who failed the entrance exam and were sent back to their home country after two years, which is the maximum duration for being a Research Student. In the worst-case scenario, students who fail to pass the entrance examination still have the option to change universities depending on their application. However, this process can be tedious. Nonetheless, it remains the only option if you wish to avoid being sent back.

Q. “How long is the study period under the scholarship?”

It depends on your course, but the maximum is 2 years for a Master’s Degree student and 4 years as a Doctoral Degree student. On top of that, you have a maximum 2 years as a Research Student.

Q. “The deadline for the application submission is in a week. Do you think I still have the time?”

Honestly, it’s a bit tight in my opinion, but I think you can give it a try though. From my experience, there are A LOT of things to prepare for the application. Especially in Brunei, when applying through embassy recommendation, you need to get most of your documents stamped by your last/current university. You also need to do a medical check-up before submitting your documents, which took me several days to have my final check-up result ready. So there are a lot of things to do, but it’s not impossible to do it at the last minute I’d suggest that you prepare as early as possible so you can make sure not a single mistake is made!

Q. “Am I bonded to the Japanese government if I got the scholarship?”

No. You can choose to either go back to your country or continue working/studying in Japan.

Q. “What is the purpose of the scholarship? What do I need to give back?”

The main aim of the MEXT Scholarship is to promote a friendly relationship between your country and Japan. This blog explains clearly why there is MEXT Scholarship. In the MEXT’s official application guidelines also stated that, and I quote, MEXT Scholarship will be granted to those who are willing to contribute to mutual understanding between Japan and their home country by participating in activities at schools and communities during their study in Japan while contributing to the internationalization of Japan. They shall also make efforts to promote relations between the home country and Japan by maintaining close relations with the university attended after graduation, cooperating with the conducting of surveys and questionnaires, and cooperating with relevant projects and events conducted by the Japanese diplomatic mission after they return to their home countries.

In conclusion, I believe that if you have strong interests in Japan as well as doing research, then I’d recommend for you to go for this scholarship. Being interested in Japan is not just about the country itself, but you also have to be willing to learn the language and the culture, and also contribute your studies back to your home countries! If you have questions that I did not cover in this section, you can leave me a comment or go check my Instagram at @nsyefahy. Thank you for reading and hope to see you another time!