Financing Study Abroad

In this assignment, I am supposed to research my costs and plans for covering costs. I have done most of the leg work already, and I think this information could be pretty useful for anyone planning on studying abroad in Japan.


Using the information from my host university's website, I calculated all of my fees and estimated costs of living, and I accounted for tuition, transportation to and from Japan, and things like insurance. It ends up being a pretty big, scary number! I have taken out student loans, but even that is not quite enough to cover all of my expenses. Also, I do not qualify for federal funding such as the MAP Grant. Luckily, my study abroad advisor helped me find and apply for these scholarships:

1. Boren Award
www.borenaward.org
This is a really intense application process, but the award funds your entire study abroad program. The only stipulation is that you have to spend a certain amount of time working for the U.S. government in a field contributing to national security. Anyone can apply, but they have a preference for students who want to learn less common languages or travel to less popular locations.

2.Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO)
This scholarship application is part of the application to the Nagoya University Program for Academic Exchange. You apply for both at the same time, but if you're accepted to NUPACE, you aren't necessarily guaranteed the scholarship. This award provides a monthly stipend of 80,000 Yen during your entire program.

3.Freeman-ASIA
www.iie.org/freeman-asia/
This is an award for students wanting to study in an Asian country. The award is up to $7,000 for one year, and in return, the student must do a service project at their home university to encourage more students to study in Asia.

4.Bridging Scholarship
www.aatj.org/studyabroad/scholarships.html
The Bridging Scholarship is an award from the American Association of Teachers of Japanese. It is an award of $4,000 for students planning on studying in Japan.

5.Morgan Stanley Japan
www.aatj.org/studyabroad/morgan.html
This is for juniors and seniors at US universities with an interest in policy, economics, or international finance who have been accepted for study in Japan. You have to fill out the Bridging Scholarship application and also write an essay on an a designated topic. Only 2 students are selected for their $7,500 award.

I applied for all of these scholarships, and I was awarded the JASSO and the Bridging Scholarship! It was pretty disappointing to read the other 3 rejection letters, especially after all of the work involved in the Boren Award and Morgan Stanley, but I'm still thankful for what I did get.

I already received my check from the Bridging foundation, so I was able to purchase my plane ticket and take care of prep-related expenses. Student loans should take care of tuition costs, and my savings and the JASSO should cover nearly everything else.

PS: I got the info for these scholarships when I applied for the 2012-2013 academic year, there may be some changes in future years, so make sure you check the websites.