A national university has raised tuition fees for international students for the first time since the Japanese government abolished the upper limit on tuition fees for international students last year. It is Tohoku University, a prestigious university in northeastern Honshu.
According to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun on the 30th, Tohoku University has decided to receive 900,000 yen as an annual tuition fee for foreign students in undergraduate and graduate master’s courses in 2027.
The school’s current annual tuition fee is 535,800 yen regardless of student nationality. However, from the 2027 academic year, only foreign freshmen will have to pay about 70 percent more. National university tuition in Japan is based on 535,800 yen. Depending on the school situation, it can be raised from the standard amount to 20 percent.
Tohoku University plans to expand its scholarship program to attract international students instead of receiving more tuition from foreigners. It aims to increase the proportion of international students to 20 percent from 2 percent in the 2022 academic year.
Some point out that the government is trying to pass it on to foreign students as the university’s financial situation worsens due to the lack of school operating expenses grants from the state. Asahi said, “Students have different language and lifestyles and often need consideration, so we need to assign more faculty members,” adding, “There are many famous Western universities that have set higher tuition fees for international students.” However, with many local universities trying to overcome the decline in enrollment due to low students by attracting international students, there are concerns that if the number of international students decreases due to discriminatory tuition increases, financial difficulties will worsen.
Hiroshima University, another national university, also plans to raise tuition fees for international students. The timing and scope of the hike will be determined after discussions. The Yomiuri Shimbun said, “As many schools are considering revising tuition fees for international students, the uniformly applied tuition system for national universities is now facing a turning point.”
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
