Watanabe Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions (For Study Abroad in Japan)
Eligibility
Q1. I am studying in Japan as a degree-seeking student. Am I eligible to apply for the remaining years of my degree?
Yes. However, the scholarships are only awarded for a maximum one academic year (September–June) per application cycle. You may reapply for the remaining years, but there is no guarantee that you will be awarded every year.
Q2. Are graduate students eligible?
Yes. Please note:
- The scholarship supports one academic year at a time. You may reapply for the remaining years, but there is no guarantee that you will be awarded every year.
The scholarship covers tuition/program fees for classroom/coursework years only. It cannot be used for research, fieldwork, or thesis/dissertation writing.
Q3. If I am already receiving another scholarship, am I eligible?
Yes, but only if other scholarships and financial resources do not meet the tuition/program fees. Please see the Financial Information section below on how to calculate the request amount for the Watanabe Scholarship.
Q4. What are eligible programs for the Watanabe Scholarship?
| Program Type | Definition | |
| Degree-seeking | A student is attending or will attend a school in Japan for multiple years in order to earn an undergraduate or graduate degree. | |
| Exchange | An exchange program based on the inter-institutional exchange agreement between a school in the U.S. and a school in Japan; The student pays tuition to the home institution in the U.S. and is admitted as a temporary, non-degree seeker at the host institution in Japan. | |
| Affiliate/Third-party | When not offering its own study abroad programs in Japan, an applicant’s school in the U.S. may permit students to go abroad using a third-party provider (e.g., ISEP, CIEE, IES Abroad, World Learning). The home school often connects students to study centers or external institutions for study abroad. | |
| Direct Enrollment | A student enrolls directly in a school in Japan as a temporary, non-degree seeking international student. The student needs to navigate administrative and academic procedures independently, utilizing recourse from the host school in Japan. |
Q5. Please give us examples of programs that are NOT eligible for the Watanabe Scholarship.
A summer/winter program: not eligible because the scholarship is for a study abroad program that is at minimum a semester long.
Language schools: not eligible because at least 75% of the courses must be content courses (e.g., Arts, History, Political Science).
Internships or research: not eligible
Q6. I am planning to begin studying in Japan in Spring 2027. Am I eligible?
Yes. At this time, our application is for students who plan to study abroad at any time during the Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 academic year. If your time abroad beginning in Spring 2027 includes Fall 2027 (like in the Japanese academic calendar), then you need to apply for two separate cycles of the Watanabe Scholarship: Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 cycle and Fall 2027 – Spring 2028 cycle.
Q7. Do I need to be accepted to my program before applying?
No. You may apply at any stage from planning applications to actually being accepted.
If you get accepted, or your college/university changes after applying for the scholarship, please ensure to report to the Watanabe Scholarship Administration.
Q8. If I am reapplying, do I need to submit new materials?
Yes. All materials must be current for the 2026–2027 cycle.
Q9. Can I defer the scholarship if awarded?
No.
Application Materials
Required materials:
All students must apply via an online application portal on our website. Please submit the following documents in English. There will be no interviews.
- One (1) Online Application Form
- One (1) Recommendation Letter (do not send more than one)
- One (1) Study Abroad and Financial Certification Form
- One (1) Personal Statement Form
- One (1) Resume
- One (1) Proof of Residency (passport, birth certificate etc.)
IMPORTANT: All materials are due on the same date. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Recommendation letter (recommender)
- English only, no format (do not send more than one as it will disqualify the applicant)
- Must be written specifically for this scholarship from someone who knows the applicant well in an academic, professional or volunteer capacity, such as an academic advisor, professor, or professional/volunteer supervisor. It cannot be the applicant’s friends or family.
- After the applicant registers their recommender on the online application platform, an automatic email will be sent to the recommender to submit the recommendation letter.
Study Abroad and Financial Certification Form (both applicant and school administrator)
- English only, formatted (see the format here for 2026-2027 cycle)
- Starting from 2026-2027 cycle, this combined form is to certify the applicant’s intention to study abroad via credit-eligible program as well as their financial need
- After the applicant fills out and signs the first portion, the rest needs to be completed and signed by an appropriate school official (Study Abroad Office, International Admissions, Financial Aid, or Bursar etc.)
Personal Statement Form (applicant)
- English only, formatted
- Answer a series of prompts in a designated form that you can access once you start the application. The form generally asks for your motivations, goals, leadership skills, contributions, and financial barriers in studying abroad.
Resume (applicant)
- English only, no format but no Japanese-style resume (rirekisho)
- Focus on education, extracurricular activities, achievements, and leadership experience
Financial Information
Covered costs: Tuition or program fees for studying abroad only
Average award: $7,000 per person (the amount depends on the individual applicant’s financial need)
Average number of scholars: it depends on the funds available and the requested amounts
Scholarship Disbursement:The Watanabe Scholarship will be paid to the academic institution (either the U.S. or Japan), not to the student, in one lump sum at the start of the term.
Calculating financial need:
| Tuition/program fees | ー | Confirmed Financial Resources for tuition/program fees | ＝ | Total Amount Requested |
- The requested amount of scholarship cannot be increased after submission. Students are responsible to obtain an accurate estimate of the tuition/program fees.
- Please only include confirmed financial resources to cover the tuition/fees. This could be other scholarships, grants, or savings.
- Do not include confirmed financial resources to cover non-tuition/program fees, such as room and board, health insurance, travel etc.
- Do not include pending financial resources, but please enlist the expected dates of pending scholarship notifications in the online application form. Prior to receiving the Watanabe Scholarship, the applicant will have to verify under penalty of law any outside scholarships/awards they have received to study abroad. This is to ensure that the scholarship amount does not exceed the tuition/program fees and instead to give more opportunity for other potential applicants.
- The applicant does not have to include loans in the financial resources, as it requires repayment.
Examples of Financial Need Calculations
- Tuition for Study Abroad: $18,000
- Amount of Confirmed Financial Resources for tuition: Bridging Scholarship (confirmed) $4,000; student loan $2,000; Gilman Scholarship (unconfirmed) $8,000
- Amount of Confirmed Financial Resources for non-tuition items: Family contributions $3,000
| Tuition | Amount of Confirmed Financial Resources for Tuition | Total Amount Requested | ||
| $18,000 | ー | $4,000 | ＝ | $14,000 |
Note:
- No need to include loans in the financial resources as it requires repayment
- Do not include family resources to be used for non-tuition
- Do not include pending scholarship for tuition
Does applying for less money increase my chances of receiving this scholarship?
No, it does not. This is a scholarship aimed at meeting a student’s full need to study abroad. In cases where we cannot meet full need, we may offer partial support. You should apply for the amount you need.
I applied to more than one study abroad program at the time of applying to the Watanabe Scholarship, what figures do I use?
Since the requested amount of scholarship cannot be increased after submission, use the figures for the most expensive program. Once your school is determined, please notify the Watanabe Scholarship Administration to adjust the scholarship amount.
General
- Repayment: Repayment is not required as the Watanabe Scholarship is not a loan. However, the Watanabe Scholarship requires students to attend required activities and fulfill reporting requirements during the scholarship period. If scholars fail to fulfill such obligations of the scholarship, they must return the scholarship funds.
- Required activities: leadership training activities (virtual in recent years)
- Missed application: Please apply next year when the application re-opens on the Watanabe Scholarship page.
- Posting this scholarship info by academic institutions: We welcome schools and other academic institutions to share the Watanabe Scholarship opportunity, but please notify the administration at [email protected] to track the recruitment.
- Questions not in FAQ: Contact [email protected] (email only; no phone inquiries please)