Hi all. I have a few questions so I decided to open a topic.

I'm a software engineering freshman from Turkey and I've been learning Japanese for 2 years. This year I decided to apply MEXT (undergrad). I passed both exam and interview and have been recommended to Japan. I think my exam weren't enough but somehow I passed it. Maybe because of good Japanese results? 4 another students have been recommended with me. So my first question is what's the chance of being accepted of me?

And also I heard that MEXT will be over in 2015. Is that true? If so, I'm planning to study abroad in Japan to do master degree as a self-financed student. My parents can pay the university fees (525000 yen per a year) and I think my Japanese will be between N2 and N1 at that time. So I can work as a parttimer. Can I earn enough money to live my life in Japan with parttime? (I know there're other scholarships in Japan but I want to simulate the worst situation)

Hope I could explain myself. Thank you for replies.

I am short on time and cannot give a long answer, but if you have been recommended by your embassy, then you are on the right track. Make sure you get a letter of acceptance from a Japanese university (or two universities, just in case) as soon as possible!

MEXT ending in 2015?!? What is your source? I honestly did not hear anything of the sort. It's true that the money provided by the scholarship has been diminishing, but I really think someone bullshitted you. As far as I know, it will not end in 2015 or in the foreseeable future (unless the economy collapses).

You can work in some English teaching jobs even if you are not N2 or N1, but of course the best your Japanese is, the more opportunities you have.

If you were to lose your scholarship, and your parents would pay for tuition fees, then your only chances of surviving with a part-time job would be if you were living in a student residence that charges less than 30 000 yen per month. I was once lucky enough to get a temporary job as a language teacher for an intensive course. I made 100 000 yen per month, working 2 full days per week. But this job (and contract) was only for 2 months. your chances of finding this kind of high-paying part-time jobs that can keep you in contract for a full year, are slim. Many part-time job offers I see (especially for restaurants or combini) only pay 800 or 900 yen per hour. Some pay 1500 per hour, and even less job offers pay more than that. I would say, if you can get a long-term part-time job that pays more than 1500 per hour, you will manage to make ends meet (but you will not have any luxuries). You cannot work more than a limited number of hours according to your visa requirements.

Good Luck!

I've been on the MEXT undergrad scholarship since April this year, currently undertaking the preparatory year at Osaka University. I haven't heard anything about the scholarship ending anytime soon. I'm not sure how many usually get accepted from Turkey, but I can say that there aren't any Turks in the program here at Osaka Uni. There might be some at Tokyo Gaidai (where the other half of the undergrads are sent), but I'm not sure.

beblo: You don't need to contact any universities etc. for the undergrad scholarship.

I googled and couldn't find anything to suggest that the scholarship is ending in 2015; however, when I did google I noticed I had searched on it before so it must have been mentioned before somewhere.

Also, while the part time work on a student visa is limited. No one is actually going to check that you are only working within the limit and the place hiring you probably won't care either.

OP, as for your financial situation, take TOEIC. If you get over 900, you shouldn't have trouble working at an eikaiwa that pays ￥1500 or more per hour.

Edit: judging by your initial post, you're very likely to score over 900. The test costs ￥3000 and the results only take about a week to arrive.

thecite: thanks for the remark, I was not aware of that.

@bebio
Really thanks for the informations.

@thecite
At the last year, 2 Turkish student applied for MEXT, one of them won the scholarship but he rejected. So, there is no Turkish student in current prep year.

@vileru
Thanks for the recommendation.


I've been waiting for almost 2 months and i have to wait 2 months more.
I have another question to you, thecite. After you accept the scholarship, what do they send to you via post service?