Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies

Financial Aid

In addition to attendance fees, medical insurance, and transportation costs, students must defray their living expenses in Japan. During the 2004-05 academic year, average living costs (rent, food, utilities and incidentals) for single students were in the Y1,700,000 to Y2,200,000 range.

Center-Awarded Financial Aid
Outside Financial Aid
General Information about Existing Loans and Deferrals

Center-Awarded Financial Aid

The Center distributes fellowship funds provided by the College Women's Association of Japan, the Shoyu Club, the Tokyo Club, the Mitsubishi UFJ Foundation, the America-Japan Society, the Sato Foundation, the Cressant Foundation, the Hiroko Araki Fowler Scholarship, the Ito Foundation USA, the United States Department of Education Group Projects Abroad, and by the universities represented on the Inter-University Committee. These funds are awarded on the basis of merit and need, and depend on their availability from the specific granting agency. The conditions and perquisites of these fellowships are subject to change. Please do not contact any of the above organizations concerning these fellowships. The above fellowships are awarded directly by the Center.

Every effort is made to offer students partial financial aid to supplement personal funds, university and college fellowships, or outside fellowships. However, IUC resources are limited and no student should expect to receive full support from Center-administered funds. Therefore, students are strongly advised to seek any scholarships or fellowships for which they are eligible. The majority of Center financial aid awarded to students takes the form of full or partial tuition grants. The IUC is obligated to consider donor's criteria when making awards.

Outside Financial Aid

Listed below are a few organizations that fund language study abroad. Students should contact the following organizations directly regarding fellowship opportunities, guidelines, applications, and deadlines.

Bridging Project Clearinghouse, Association of Teachers of Japanese, Campus Box 279, McKenna 16, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0279, Tel: 303-492-5487, Fax: 303-492-5856, Email: atj@colorado.edu
Web: http://www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship (if available at the student's home university.) The Department of Education, the granting agency, permits students holding these fellowships to attend the Center. Applications must be made through the student's home institution. These scholarships typically cover IUC tuition charges and include a stipend to help defray living costs.

David L. Boren Graduate Fellowships (National Security Education Programs-NSEP) enable U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their education through specialization in area study, or increased language proficiency. Boren fellowships support students pursuing the study of languages, cultures, and world regions that are critical to U.S. national security and who are highly motivated by the opportunity to work in the federal government.

The Blakemore Foundation grants typically cover tuition, basic living costs, and transportation. Deadline for applying is December 30, 2008. Information regarding language grants, including application forms and grant guidelines may be obtained from the web. Web: http://www.blakemorefoundation.org

Any fellowship awarded by the student's university, college, or department may be used for study abroad.

General Information about Existing Loans and Deferrals

The Inter-University Center does not participate in the guaranteed student loan program and is unable to certify such loan applications. A student graduating with a BA or BS but admitted to a graduate school should seek assistance from that graduate school on loan certification. Each year, several IUC students ask the IUC administrative office to help them obtain deferrals for educational loans they have outstanding to other institutions. We are willing to help in such efforts when possible, and many of our students are successful in obtaining such deferrals. There have, however, been cases in which the deferrals are denied, and the loan officers' logic is not always clear. IUC students should, therefore, be aware that deferrals might be denied in some cases.