Japanese Government to Lift Cap on Tuition Fees for Foreign Students
The Japanese government has announced that they will lift the cap on tuition fees for foreign students starting next month. This decision is expected to lead to an increase in tuition fees for international students studying in Japan.
Currently, standard tuition at Japan’s 86 national universities is set at 535,800 yen ($3,500) per year. However, schools have the option to increase this by up to 20%, bringing the total to 642,960 yen. This change will affect the fees for foreign students, who currently pay the same amount as domestic students.
According to a report by Nikkei on March 4, Japan’s Ministry of Education will amend university tuition fee regulations to remove the cap for foreign students. This move is aimed at improving the learning experience for overseas students and encouraging more schools to provide specialized support and services for international students.
Many public and private universities in Japan are expected to follow suit in raising tuition fees to accommodate the additional services provided to foreign students, such as Japanese language courses, report writing assistance, and student accommodation.
The Japanese government has set a goal to increase the number of foreign students in the country to 400,000 by 2033, a 30% increase from 2019. However, Japan still lags behind European and American countries in terms of the proportion of foreign students in universities, with the University of Tokyo having only 2% international student enrollment compared to 24% at the University of Cambridge and 12% at Harvard University.
Currently, there are approximately 290,000 international students studying in Japan each year, with Chinese students making up the largest proportion at about 38%. A survey report by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) revealed that in 2022, there were a total of 231,146 international students from various countries in Japan, with China accounting for almost half of the total number.
The decision to lift the cap on tuition fees for foreign students comes at a time when many Asian students are choosing to study in Japan following the COVID-19 pandemic. This move reflects Japan’s commitment to attracting more international students and improving the overall educational experience for those studying in the country.