Strengthening student support as we usher in a new era
Greetings
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Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) was founded on April 1, 2004, as a core institution to comprehensively implement a variety of student support services for higher education in Japan. The organization has been working towards a target (midterm objective) that had been given to it by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology with a five-year challenge and managed to mark its fifth term in April 2024.
Society is changing along with the rapid progression of science and technology, such as ICT and AI, resulting in significant changes in higher education and the lives of students pursuing such education. In addition, there are concerns that the uncertainty surrounding international order, as well as a series of natural disasters in Japan, would have an impact on the lives of students that JASSO supports.
Under these circumstances, the roles to be fulfilled by JASSO, a national center for student support, are becoming increasingly important. We would like to, in collaboration with the government, universities, and other related organizations, work on further enhancing the following three pillars: Scholarship Programs for Japanese Students, Support Programs for International Students, and Student Support Programs.
With respect to the Scholarship Programs for Japanese Students, the New System for Higher Education Aid was established in April 2020 and began support that combines a collection of benefits consisting of scholarship grants and tuition fee reduction and exemption systems over and above what existing scholarship loans (interest-free and interest- bearing loans) offered. Subsequently, from April 2024, support was expanded for multi-child households and middle-class students on private science, engineering, and agricultural paths, and from April 2025, income restrictions were abolished for tuition fee reductions/exemptions for multi-child households. We will continue to steadily implement and promote awareness of these scholarship programs and any improvements made to them.
When it comes to Support Programs for International Students, we provide financial aid and information on study-abroad topics both for international students looking to study in Japan and Japanese students studying overseas. Since fiscal 2023, along with the second stage of the TOBITATE! Young Ambassador Program, we have been implementing a support project for the formation of a student exchange base through which we aim to work to provide opportunities to study abroad for local high school students and to foster interest in studying abroad. Based on "J-MIRAI: Japan-Mobility and Internationalisation: Re-engaging and Accelerating Initiative for Future Generations," we will further improve various types of support for international students and promote further international student exchange.
With regard to Student Support Programs, we conduct a survey on student life, as well as gathering to provide best practices in student support, helping train faculty and staff‑members at universities with focuses on providing career education and job support, and supporting students with disabilities. Based on the current trends in internships and job search and on the fact on increasing number of students with disabilities, we are working on improving student support system at universities and other such institutions while utilizing online tools.
Operating in accordance with the principle of equal opportunity in education as set forth in the Constitution and the Basic Act on Education, we will continue to reinforce the framework of support that will allow motivated and capable individuals to obtain equal opportunities to study and lead meaningful student lives. We will work to improve the contents of our programs to cater to all students by making sure to adopt the point of view of users and carrying out information activities that are clearer and more carefully tailored towards students, parents, school officials, and citizens.
We respectfully ask that you continue to support and cooperate with us in the fulfilment of our mission.
Society is changing along with the rapid progression of science and technology, such as ICT and AI, resulting in significant changes in higher education and the lives of students pursuing such education. In addition, there are concerns that the uncertainty surrounding international order, as well as a series of natural disasters in Japan, would have an impact on the lives of students that JASSO supports.
Under these circumstances, the roles to be fulfilled by JASSO, a national center for student support, are becoming increasingly important. We would like to, in collaboration with the government, universities, and other related organizations, work on further enhancing the following three pillars: Scholarship Programs for Japanese Students, Support Programs for International Students, and Student Support Programs.
With respect to the Scholarship Programs for Japanese Students, the New System for Higher Education Aid was established in April 2020 and began support that combines a collection of benefits consisting of scholarship grants and tuition fee reduction and exemption systems over and above what existing scholarship loans (interest-free and interest- bearing loans) offered. Subsequently, from April 2024, support was expanded for multi-child households and middle-class students on private science, engineering, and agricultural paths, and from April 2025, income restrictions were abolished for tuition fee reductions/exemptions for multi-child households. We will continue to steadily implement and promote awareness of these scholarship programs and any improvements made to them.
When it comes to Support Programs for International Students, we provide financial aid and information on study-abroad topics both for international students looking to study in Japan and Japanese students studying overseas. Since fiscal 2023, along with the second stage of the TOBITATE! Young Ambassador Program, we have been implementing a support project for the formation of a student exchange base through which we aim to work to provide opportunities to study abroad for local high school students and to foster interest in studying abroad. Based on "J-MIRAI: Japan-Mobility and Internationalisation: Re-engaging and Accelerating Initiative for Future Generations," we will further improve various types of support for international students and promote further international student exchange.
With regard to Student Support Programs, we conduct a survey on student life, as well as gathering to provide best practices in student support, helping train faculty and staff‑members at universities with focuses on providing career education and job support, and supporting students with disabilities. Based on the current trends in internships and job search and on the fact on increasing number of students with disabilities, we are working on improving student support system at universities and other such institutions while utilizing online tools.
Operating in accordance with the principle of equal opportunity in education as set forth in the Constitution and the Basic Act on Education, we will continue to reinforce the framework of support that will allow motivated and capable individuals to obtain equal opportunities to study and lead meaningful student lives. We will work to improve the contents of our programs to cater to all students by making sure to adopt the point of view of users and carrying out information activities that are clearer and more carefully tailored towards students, parents, school officials, and citizens.
We respectfully ask that you continue to support and cooperate with us in the fulfilment of our mission.
April 2025
Japan Student Services Organization
YOSHIOKA Tomoya, President
