Application Guide for 2024 MEXT Scholarship Program (University Recommendation)

[ As of November, 13, 2023]

1. Application Requirements
(1) Eligible applicants
International students with outstanding academic records (*) who wish to enter the University of Aizu
(UoA) Graduate School as a new student in October, 2024.
(*) Applicants must have university grade points* of 2.30 (out of 3.00) or above in their last attended
(working professionals) or currently attending undergraduate or graduate school (current students) and be
expected to maintain the same academic standards during the course of the scholarship program. (Grade
points will be calculated according to a formula specified by MEXT.)
(2) Nationality
Applicants must have the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with the Japanese government.
Applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application are ineligible. However, Japanese
nationals that reside outside of Japan at the time of application, having dual citizenship with another
country, and plan on relinquishing their Japanese nationality before arrival, may apply.
(3) Age
Applicants who were born on or after April 2, 1989
(4) Academic background
Applicants who have qualifications to enter our Master’s or Doctoral program.
(5) Fields of study
Academic fields which applicants majored in at their university, or other related fields. (, Academic fields
shall be limited to those for which UoA can provide educational and research instruction.)
(6) Language Proficiency *The validity period of the language exam will be the score obtained within two
years from the time of the start of the open call.
Applicants must meet one of the requirements below in either Japanese or English.
<Japanese>
a. Those who has passed N2 or higher level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) by the
time of their enrollment in an official graduate program.
b. Those who completed a curriculum conducted in Japanese as the main language which meets the
entrance qualifications for the master’s or doctoral course of a Japanese graduate school.
c. Those evaluated by the host university to have Japanese proficiency equivalent to or superior to that
detailed above.
<English>
a. Those who have an English proficiency certification or test score equivalent or superior to a B2 on
the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), such as TOEFL - iBT 72 or
more, IELTS 5.5 or more, TOEIC L&R 785 (L:400, R:385 or more) or more.
b. Those who completed a curriculum conducted in English as the main language which meets the
entrance qualification for the master’s or doctoral course of a Japanese graduate school.
c. Those evaluated by the host university to have English proficiency equivalent to or superior to that
detailed above.

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(7) Health conditions
Applicants who are sound in both mind and body to pursue their studies and research at UoA
(8) Arrival dates
Applicants must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan on the date set by UoA, which is normally the
end of September. (It must be within two weeks of the beginning of the 3rd Quarter on October 1.)
(9) Visa
An applicant must newly obtain a “College Student” visa at the Japanese diplomatic mission located in
the applicant’s country of nationality, and enter Japan with the residence status of “College Student.”
Accordingly, even if the applicant already has other residence status (“Permanent resident,” “Long-term
resident,” etc.), the applicant must change it to the “College Student” status and re-enter Japan. Moreover,
the applicant should be aware that after expiration of the status as a MEXT Scholarship student and even
if the student again applies for their original resident status of “Permanent resident” or “Long-term
resident,” such resident statuses might not be necessarily granted. The applicant should also be aware that
the scholarship will be cancelled if he/she arrived in Japan without a newly obtained “College Student”
visa.
(10) Applications who meet either of following conditions are not eligible:
① Those who are military personnel or military civilian employees at the time of their arrival in Japan or
during the period of the payment of the scholarship.
② Those who cannot arrive in Japan by the period designated by UoA.
③ Those who are previous grantees of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship programs (including
those who withdraw from the scholarship program after the arrival in Japan), but do not have educational
research experience of more than three years from the month following the final payment of the previous
scholarship to the month when the payment of this scholarship begins. This does not apply to past
grantees of Japanese Studies scholarship nor Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program for
the Students in Science and Engineering Departments who have graduated or are going to graduate from
universities in their home countries and past participants in the Young Leaders Program. MEXT Honors
Scholarship is not one of MEXT Scholarship Programs.
④ Those who are also applying for a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship for another AY2024
program.
⑤ Those who are must be residing in Japan at the time of application.
⑥ Those who are planning to receive scholarship from an organization other than MEXT (including a
government organization of the applicant’s country) after arrival in Japan.
⑦ Those who are expected to graduate at the time of application and cannot satisfy the qualifications and
the conditions related to academic background by the deadline given.
⑧ Holders of dual nationality at the time of application who cannot verify that they will give up Japanese
nationality by the time of the arrival in Japan.
⑨ Those who plan to, from the time of application for the MEXT scholarship program, engage in long-
term research (such as fieldwork or internship) outside Japan or plan to take a long-term leave of absence
from the university.
⑩ Those who do not aim to enter the master’s or doctoral program as a regular student. Those who have
completed a doctoral course and have no intention to obtain a degree.
(11) MEXT Scholarship will be granted 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

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 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.
(12) The policy of the Japanese Government pertaining to illegal export of materials and technology related
to weapons of mass-destruction, etc. must be fully taken into account for recommendations. Therefore, in
cases where there is a concern that an applicant's major fields might be related to production or
development of weapons of mass-destruction, such an applicant shall not be recommended for this
scholarship.

2. Recommendation Capacity (the maximum number of students to be recommended by the University

of Aizu)
Two students

3. Scholarship Benefits
(1) Allowance
- Students not having regular student status (i.e. research students, non-degree students, and audit students,
etc.): 143,000 yen per month
- Master’s students: 144,000 yen per month
- Doctoral students: 145,000 yen per month
(2) Tuition, admission, and application fees
Tuition, admission, and application fees for recipients of this scholarship shall be paid by UoA.
(3) Travel expenses
- Transportation to Japan:
MEXT will stipulate the travel schedule and route, and provides an airline ticket to grantees who will
arrive in Japan. The airline ticket will be an economy-class ticket for the flight from the international
airport closest to the grantee’s residence (in principle, the country of nationality) to an international
airport in Japan used on the normal route to the accepting university. The grantee shall bear at his/her
own expense all costs related to domestic travel from the grantee’s residence to the nearest international
airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within Japan
(including airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage or unaccompanied baggage
expenses, etc.
- Transportation from Japan:
Based on the application by the grantee, MEXT will provide an airline ticket to grantees who shall
graduate the accepting university and return to the home country by the end of the final month of the
period of scholarship designated by MEXT. MEXT shall provide an economy-class airline ticket from
the international airport in Japan used for the normal route to and from the accepting university to the
international airport (in principle, in the country of nationality) nearest to the returning grantee’s
residence. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense all costs related to travel from the grantee’s
residence in Japan to the nearest international airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes
necessary for travel, travel expenses within the country of nationality (including airline transit costs),
travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage or unaccompanied baggage expenses, etc.

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(4) Period of Scholarship
- Students not having regular student status
For one year and six months (from October, 2024 to March, 2026)
- Master’s/Doctoral students
The standard period necessary for completion of the relevant graduate school programs
starting from October in AY2024.
*<Note> If the grantee wishes to advance to a regular program in a graduate school as a regular student,
or to proceed to a doctoral program from a master’s program, he/she may apply for an evaluation
screening for the extension of the scholarship period for advanced study if he/she meets the prescribed
standards with outstanding academic records. Note that extension is not guaranteed for all who apply.

4. Suspension of Payment of Scholarship

Payment of the scholarship will be stopped in the following cases. Should any of the following apply,
the grantee may be ordered to return a part of, or all of, the scholarship paid up to that time. Payment of
the scholarship may also be stopped during the period up to the decision on the disposition of the matter.
① A grantee is determined to have made a false statement on his/her application;
② A grantee violates any article of his/her pledge to MEXT;
③ A grantee violates any Japanese laws and is sentenced and imprisoned for an indefinite period or for
a period exceeding 1 year;
④ A grantee is suspended from his/her university or receives other punishment, or is removed from
enrollment;
⑤ It has been determined that it will be impossible for a grantee to complete the course within the
standard time period because of poor academic grades or suspension or absence from the university;
⑥ A grantee came to Japan without newly acquiring the “Student” residence status, or changed his/her
residence status to one other than “College Student”;
⑦ A grantee has received another scholarship (excluding those specified for research expenditures);
⑧ A grantee proceeds to a more advanced level of education without receiving approval for an
extension of the period of the scholarship;
⑨ A grantee leaves the university or transfers to another graduate school/university.

5. Application Documents
(A) Check Sheet for Application for MEXT scholarship 2024
(B) Application Form（Single-sided printing, original）
(C) Field of Study and Research Plan
(D) Recommendation letter addressed to the President of the University of Aizu from the president of the
university or dean of the undergraduate/graduate school at the current or last university attended.
(E) An applicant’s photograph taken within six months of submission, and printed on paper specially for
photographs. The photograph should be 4.5 x 3.5 cm. upper-body, full-faced, no hats. Please write
applicant’s name and nationality on the back of the photograph. A photograph in electronic data format
is also acceptable
(F) A copy of the applicant's passport (the page(s) with applicant’s name, date of birth, nationality, photo)
(G) An original of academic transcripts of the last two academic years or more. If the enrollment period of
the last school is less than two years, the academic transcript of the previous school must be submitted,

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 too. The academic transcripts must indicate which term and year the applicants took the courses as
well as the grades and/or scores, and the number of credits of each course (if applicable)..(h) An
original certificate of graduation (or expected graduation) from the applicant's undergraduate school
and graduate school.
(H) An original certificate of graduation (or expected graduation) from the applicant's undergraduate
school and graduate school.
(I) A document certifying that the applicant is/was at high academic level at the university the applicant
currently attending or most recently attended (e.g. GPA, ABC rankings, actual rankings in academic
performance (XXth ranking within YY students)
(J) List of academic papers (Copy of each academic paper must be attached.)
(K) Documents objectively prove the applicant's language proficiency (e.g. score sheet of TOEFL, TOEIC,
IELTS, GEPT, CET, etc.)
(L) Comprehensive Performance Evaluation Report (This report should be filled in English by the
applicant’s prospective research advisor at UoA after having an interview with the applicant.)

Note:
<For applicants>
- Please use the prescribed forms for (A), (B),(C), (J) and (L) above.
Forms are available at; https://u-aizu.ac.jp/en/current/international/#mext
- All documents listed in “5. Application Documents” should be prepared in English using word
processing software in A4 sized paper format (29.7 cm long and 21.0 cm wide).
- Applicants must send all application documents to Student Affairs Division and your prospective
research advisor of UoA by E-mail.
If you are not able to connect internet, please send all documents via post mail.
* Documents [(J) List of academic papers] and (L) Comprehensive Performance Evaluation Report
should be sent in paper form to the Student Affairs Division by prospective research advisor.
-
Email: student-support@u-aizu.ac.jp
(Email Title: AY2024 MEXT Scholarship Program (University Recommendation).)

Address: (Professor’s Name)

The University of Aizu
Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima, 965-8580, Japan

Deadline: December 13, 2023, 17:00PM

<For applicants’ prospective research advisors>

- Faculty members who are planning to recommend applicants for this scholarship are required to have
an interview with the relevant applicants in person. If a face-to-face interview is not possible, an online
interview (Zoom, etc.) can substitute for face-to-face interview. Online interviews must be conducted
by at least two faculty members who are affiliated with the graduate school department.
- Please fill in the form (L) “Comprehensive Performance Evaluation Report” with results of the
interviews and submit it along with other application documents.

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 - Please check whether the papers are major journal and the first author, put a “○”on the corresponding
part in the from (J) “List of academic papers and submit to Student Affairs Division”
- In case the applicant recommended by the university cancel to receive this scholarship, the university
cannot recommend another applicant to fill the vacancy, means that resulting we will lose the slot
assigned to the university. As such, please confirm whether the applicant you are recommending satisfies
the requirements stipulated in “1. Application Requirements” above and communicate with them to
confirm their intentions to come to Japan.
- Please check the application documents you have received from the applicant before submitting them
to SAD.

6. Application Deadline
17:00, Monday, December 18, 2023
* Please note that this deadline is for the prospective research advisor submit the application documents to
SAD.

7 Selection and Notification of Results

Graduate School Academic Affairs Committee will select a candidate and recommend to MEXT.
Notification of the final results by MEXT will be in June, 2024.

8. Note for the application

Please note applicants might be requested to resubmit application documents if the application format is
revised by the MEXT.

9. Application for Admission to the University of Aizu Graduate School

Please note that acceptance of application for this scholarship does NOT mean the applicant will be
automatically admitted to UoA. The applicant must apply for admission to UoA separately from this
scholarship and pass the entrance examination.
For details of the application process for admission, please see URL blow or contact Student Recruiting
Section at the following address:
https://www.u-aizu.ac.jp/en/admissions/graduate/
[Student Recruiting Section]
Phone: 0242-37-2723 (International call: +81-242-37-2723)
E-mail: admission@u-aizu.ac.jp