Higher Education Support Scheme
In Japanese: 高等教育の修学支援新制度 (koto kyoiku no shugaku shien shinseido)
Definition
The Higher Education Support Scheme is a national programme that combines tuition and admission-fee reductions with non-repayable grants for students at universities, junior colleges, colleges of technology and vocational schools.
In more detail
It began in April 2020 under the Act on Support for Study at Universities, etc. Support is for students at institutions the state has “confirmed”.
From academic year 2024 it was extended to students in private science, engineering and agriculture programmes and to middle-income families with many children (around ¥6 million household income).
From academic year 2025, students from families with many children qualify for tuition reductions without an income limit.
Institutions are confirmed against requirements such as courses taught by staff with practical experience, published grading standards such as GPA, and published financial and management information. Applications and annual updates have fixed deadlines each year.
In Classio
In Classio, students submit fee-reduction requests to the school, and the school manages invoices and payments in Fees & Scholarships.
See also
Related terms
- Tuition reduction
Tuition reduction (jugyoryo genmen) lowers or waives all or part of a student’s tuition, for example for financial hardship.
- Student fees
Student fees (gakunokin) is the umbrella term for money students pay the school, such as tuition, the admission fee and the facilities fee.
Sources
- MEXT: Higher Education Support Scheme — Outline and the FY2024 and FY2025 expansions
- Act on Support for Study at Universities, etc. (e-Gov) — Articles 1 and 3: purpose and confirmed institutions
- MEXT: guideline on confirming institutional requirements (FY2026), 31 March 2026 (Japanese) — requirements, applications and updates
Sources checked: October 24, 2026