Emergency Student Support
Handout
for Continuing Studies:
Application Guide(for Students)

May 2020

Table of Contents
1. Program Overview................................................................................................................... ..2
2. Application Requirements...................... .......................................... ........................................3(1) Application Period................................. .................................. .... ..................................3(2) Eligible Institutions. .........................................................................................................3(3) Handout Amount....................................... ....... ....... ....... ........................................ ......3(4) Disbursement Method................................................... ...... ...... ....... ........................ ....4(5) Handout Recipient Requirements (Criteria).....................................................................5
3. How to Apply......................................................... .............. ............................ ................ .... ..6(1) The Application Process........................ . ........................... .......................... ........ ............6(2) Confirming Your Required Documents and Where to Submit... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .........7
4. Application Q&A........................ ............................. ........................................................... .....9

Intent of the Program- We believe nothing is more important than providing proper support to students so that they do not abandon theirstudies because of the novel coronavirus.

- The novel coronavirus pandemic is having a significant economic effect on the lives of students, such as bydramatically reducing household income and also severely lowering or completely wiping out part-time income.

- Various measures have been taken for students facing economic hardship, such as: the New Higher Education
Support System initiated in April this year; flexibility in handling scholarship loans due to sudden changes infamily finances; extended tuition payment deadlines at universities and other educational institutions; and support
for fee reductions independently implemented by universities.

- Meanwhile, as it is conceivable that students, especially those who do not live at home, may be forced to drop outof their university or other educational institution due to the further deterioration of their situation because of the
impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, those who face difficulties continuing their studies at their university orother educational institution shall receive support in the form of a cash handout.

11. Program Overview
What sort of program is this?
With students experiencing a significant economic impact on their lifestyles due to heavy reductions in householdincome and income from part-time work because of the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the program will
provide those who face difficulties continuing their studies at their university or other educational institution a cash
handout so that they do not abandon their studies.

When will the program accept
Schools gradually began accepting applications as early as May 19. Check with your school about the application
deadline and make sure you apply in time. (See page 3 for details.)

How much money will be handed out?
People such as students who are exempt from residence tax will receive 200,000 yen, while students of otherhouseholds will receive 100,000 yen. (See page 3 for details.)

Who is eligible for the handout?
People attending universities and other educational institutions in Japan are covered by the program. (See page 3 fordetails.)
Although recipients must fulfill criteria (such as not living at home and covering tuition with resources such as
part-time work, or losing a significant amount of income due to the novel coronavirus pandemic), the final decision
will be left with universities and other educational institutions based on the contents of the application. (See page 5 fordetails.)

What documents are required to apply?
Prepare the required documentation and submit it, along with documentation proving that you meet the handout
criteria, at the office designated by your school. (See pages 6-7 for details.) Check whether your school accepts
applications submitted via a smartphone.

The Process: From Application to Receiving

Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO)(3) Submit recommendation list
School(2) Review (interview if needed)(1) Submit application& documents(See page 4 for details.)(4) Payment(Bank transfer)(See pages 6-7 for details.)

Eligible Student

22. Application Requirements
1

Application Period
Schools gradually began accepting applications as early as May 19. Check with your school about theapplication deadline and make sure you apply in time.

2

Eligible Institutions
The following institutions in Japan: universities (including non-degree courses for graduates, special

courses, and graduate schools), junior colleges (including non-degree courses for graduates and special
courses), technical colleges (limited to students in their fourth or fifth year, and those in non-degree courses
for graduates), vocational schools (specialized training colleges (specialist training [including advanced
courses]) and Japanese language institutions**Eligibility from Japanese language institutions only extends to those attending a Japanese language institution designatedvia a public notice by the Ministry of Justice.
- The determination of Japanese language institutions based on the basic rules for the residence status of international
students under the ministerial order establishing criteria pursuant to Article 7, paragraph 1, item (ii) of the
Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act
http://www.moj.go.jp/nyuukokukanri/kouhou/nyukan_nyukanho_ho28-2.html (Japanese only)*Even students who attend institutions not covered by the New Higher Education Support System are eligible
for this emergency handout.

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Handout AmountStudents exempt from residence tax: 200,000 yen
Other students: 100,000 yen

34

Disbursement Method
The funds will be sent via bank transfer to an account in the name of you, the applicant. If you do not have an

account in your name, open an account that you can use before you apply for the handout.

How Different Financial Institutions Are Treated
Can Receive Funds
Financial
Institution
Account

In Japan and a: bank (including Japan Post Bank),trust bank (with some exceptions), credit union,
workers' credit union, credit association,
agricultural cooperation*
Ordinary deposits (regular savings) bank accountin the applicant's name

Cannot Receive Funds
Foreign bank, internet-only bank (e.g. Rakuten Bank, Japan Net
Bank), and some other banks (Shinsei Bank, Aozora Bank,
Sevem Bank)
An account in another person's name, a savings account, or adormant account*Even some financial institutions that do not deal with JASSO loans and scholarship benefits may be used to receive thehandout.

Handout Disbursement Date
After applying, your school will perform a screening process. After finalizing the recommended recipients,
procedures will commence to transfer the funds.
*You will not receive any special notification about decisions concerning the disbursement. The transfer of funds
to your account will serve as notification of finalized disbursement.

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Handout Recipient Requirements (Criteria)

Under the program, although recipients must fulfill criteria (such as not living at home and covering tuition withresources such as part-time work,or losing a significant amount of income due to the novel coronavirus pandemic), the final decision will be left with
universities and other educational institutions based on the contents of the application.
1. Those who fulfill criteria (1) through (6) below (or if an international student, then criteria (1) through(5) and (7))(1) You are not receiving large sums from family.*1(2) You generally do not live in a supporter's residence.*2(3) Your part-time income accounts for a large percentage of funds for paying daily expenses and tuition.
(4) Due to a loss of income for your family (by either parent) or other such reason, you do not expect toreceive additional support from family.
(5) You have lost a significant amount (50% or more compared to the previous month*4) of part-time income
due to the coronavirus (including compensation for absence from work through the employment
adjustment subsidy*3).
(6) You fulfill the criteria for one of the following programs.*5
1) You are a Class I recipient under the New Higher Education Support System ("New System" below).
2) You are a Class II or III recipient under the New System AND a student eligible to simultaneously
receive a Category I scholarship (interest-free scholarship) who has used or plans to use the entire
scholarship.
3) You are an applicant to the New System or plan to use the New System AND you have used or plan touse your entire Category I scholarship (interest-free scholarship).
4) You are not eligible for the New System AND you have used or plan to use your entire Category I
scholarship (interest-free scholarship).
5) You cannot use the New System or a Category I scholarship (interest-free scholarship) because you do
not meet the criteria, BUT you plan to use a support program provided by the private sector or
elsewhere for which you are eligible to apply.
(7) An international student or the like (including students at Japanese language institutions) must fulfill thefollowing criteria IN ADDITION TO experiencing economic hardship accompanying the novel coronavirus
pandemic. (The same applies to programs such as International Student Study Incentives.)
1) You are a student with excellent grades. Specifically, your average grades for the previous school year
must be 2.30 or higher.
2) Your monthly attendance is at least 80%.
3) You receive an average of no more than 90,000 yen in monthly remittances (not including funds forpaying admission fees, test fees, etc.).
4) Your supporter in Japan has an annual income of less than 5 million yen.
2. Those who, upon taking into account the circumstances listed in Section 1 above, are recognized by their
university or other educational institution as facing economic hardship that poses difficulties continuing theirstudies at said institution*1. The rough standard for receiving large sums from family would be 1.5 million yen or more in remittances (including
those for paying tuition).
*2. If you are not living in a supporter's residence, that means that you are living separately from the person financially5supporting your family and you are paying your own rent. When filing your application, you must submit
documentation (such as a copy of your apartment's rental agreement) proving that you commute to school froman abode that is not your supporter's residence.
*3. If your part-time job is eligible for support under the employment adjustment subsidy and you have been paid a leaveallowance by your employer, then this allowance will be considered part-time income.
*4. The month, from January 2020 or later, in which your part-time income dropped by a large amount shall be considered"the month" establishing eligibility.
*5. Class I, Class II, and Class III refer to income-based assistance categories under the New Higher Education Support
System. Below are the specific income criteria.
Class I: You and the person financially supporting your family are both exempt from municipal tax.
Class II: The allowance for you and the person financially supporting your family has a total calculated base amountof between 100 yen and 25,599 yen.
Class III: The allowance for you and the person financially supporting your family has a total calculated baseamount of between 25,600 yen and 51,299 yen.

3. How to Apply
1

The Application Process

The steps for filing your application are provided below. You must file your application by the deadline set by yourschool. Some schools accept applications submitted with a smartphone. In that case, perform Steps (1) and (2) below
with a smartphone.

(1) Prepare documents for application
For two of the required documents listed on pages 6-7 ("1. Application for Emergency Student Support Handout"and "2. Oath") download the forms from the MEXT website and fill in the required items.

(2) Submit the required documents to your school
Submit the required documents listed on pages 6-7 to your school by the given deadline. Before you submit, makesure you are not missing any of the required documents. (Some schools accept applications submitted via Line. Check
with your school about the availability of this option.)(3) Review by your school
The applicant's school will check the submitted documents and conduct a review for meeting the handout criteria.

(4) Your school submits the results of the review to JASSO
Students who are found by your school's review to meet the criteria will be put on a recommendation list that will
be submitted, along with the students' bank account information, to JASSO.

(5) Bank transfer from JASSO to you
JASSO will transfer the handout to the bank account of the student (or other designated recipient) provided in theapplication.

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2

Confirming Your Required Documents and Where to Submit
Submit the following required documents, and make sure you submit them to the correct place. (Submit the

documents in written or electronic form to your school. At schools that accept applications via smartphone, you canuse image files. If you wish to submit via some other method, consult with your school.)
Required Documents

1. "Application for
Handout" (Form 1)

Emergency

Student

Description

SupportThis document is for applying for the
disbursement of the cash handout under thisprogram.
*If you are already a JASSO scholar, you do notneed to enter the information for the bank accountthat will receive the funds. If you are not a
JASSO scholar, check "How Different Financial
Institutions Are Treated" on page 4 and then enter
the bank account information.

Where toSubmitYourschoolThis document is for confirming that the applicant(students, etc.) meets the handout criteria.
*You may have to return the cash handout if yourapplication contains false information.

2. "Oath" (Form 2)

Where toRequirements(1) You are not receiving large sums from family.
3. Documentation proving you meet the handout criteria(2) You generally do not live in a supporter's
residence.

(3) Your part-time income accounts for a large
percentage of funds for paying daily expenses
and tuition.

(4) Due to a loss of income for your family (byeither parent) or other such reason, you do not
expect to receive additional support fromfamily.
(5) You have lost a significant amount (50% ormore compared to the previous month) of
part-time income due to the coronavirus.

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Required Documents
Enter the annual amount on the "Oath" (Form 2).
*1. If you are a first-year student, enter theamount you expect to be sent. If you are inyour second or later year, enter the amount you
were sent in the 2019 school year.
Copy of deposit passbook (optional)
Copy of rental agreement for apartment or otherresidence, document proving recent payment ofrent, copy of your residence certificate, etc.
Enter the annual amount on the "Oath" (Form 2).
*1. If you are a first-year student, enter thepart-time income you planned to receive. If you
are in your second year or later, enter thepart-time income you received in the 2019 schoolyear.
If you are receiving public support in response to
the coronavirus, submit a certificate proving
receipt thereof (if available to submit) or enter the
information in the application form under "3.
Items to Submit."
Payment statement from your part-time employer
or a copy of your deposit passbook (optional), etc.
(The documentation must prove a decrease inincome between consecutive months anytime
from January of this year or later.)

SubmitYourschool(6) You qualify for one or more of the following
support programs.
1) You are a Class I recipient under the New
System.
2) You are a Class II or III recipient under the
New System AND a student eligible tosimultaneously receive a Category I
scholarship who has used or plans to use theentire scholarship.
3) You are an applicant to the New System or plan
to use the New System AND you have used orplan to use your entire Category I scholarship.
4) You are not eligible for the New System AND
you have used or plan to use your entire
Category I scholarship.
5) You cannot use the New System or a Category
I scholarship because you do not meet thecriteria, BUT you plan to use a support
program provided by the private sector or
elsewhere for which you are eligible to apply.
(7) An international student or the like (including
students at Japanese language institutions)must fulfill the following criteria IN
ADDITION TO experiencing economic
hardship accompanying the novel coronavirus
pandemic.
1) You are a student with excellent grades.
Specifically, your average grades for theprevious school year must be 2.30 or higher.
2) Your monthly attendance is at least 80%.
3) You receive an average of no more than 90,000
yen in monthly remittances (not including
funds for paying admission fees, test fees,etc.).
4) Your supporter in Japan has an annual incomeof less than 5 million yen.

A copy of the following certifications (if available
to submit)- Certificate of exemption from residence tax- Scholarship benefit (scholarship certificate)- Category I scholarship (scholarship certificate)- Private-sector support program*When you apply for the handout, if you are notusing either a scholarship benefit or a scholarshiploan, make sure you will apply to do so within
one month.

Copy of deposit passbook for the recipient bankaccount confirming amount of remittances orsupporter's annual income

Note: With regard to "3. Documentation proving you meet the handout criteria," generally, you must submit thisdocumentation at the same time as your application, but if this proves difficult due to circumstances beyond yourcontrol, it is possible to submit without appending this documentation. However, when filing your application, yourschool may ask questions about this matter as needed, and you may have to return the cash handout if your application
is found to contain false information.

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4. Application Q&A
Q. Can I use the Emergency Student Support Handout at the same time as the New Higher
Education Support System or a scholarship loan?
A. This program requires that you are using or plan to apply to another support program (1. the New
Higher Education Support System, 2. a Category I JASSO scholarship [interest-free scholarship] ,or 3. a private-sector support program), so take advantage of this opportunity to be proactive andlearn about the programs available to you.
Q. Am I ineligible if I do not fully meet the handout criteria due to remittances from family or forother reasons?
A. The program urges you to meet the criteria, but in the end, the final decision rests with your school,
which will take into account the circumstances that you declare you are in.
Q. If I do not meet the criteria for grades or the like, and I cannot use the New Higher Education
Support System or a Category I JASSO scholarship (interest-free scholarship), can I apply?
A. You will be asked to apply for "emergency use" of a Category I scholarship. Those who do notmeet the criteria to apply for a Category I scholarship can still apply if they plan to use a
private-sector scholarship, an independent support program at their school, or the like.
Q. Are students (including graduate school students) who attend schools not covered by the New
Higher Education Support System also eligible for the handout?
A. Yes, they are eligible. However, such an applicant must be using the entirety of their Category I
scholarship (interest-free scholarship) or plan to apply for one.
Q. Are international students eligible?
A. Yes, they are eligible.
Q. Are there age criteria?
A. There are no age criteria.
Q. Are students on leave also eligible?
A. Yes, even students on leave are eligible so long as they fulfill the handout criteria.

Q. Will I be able to apply if I am unable to gather the required documentary evidence?
A. Even if you are unable to gather some of the documentary evidence, you may still apply bydeclaring the circumstances for which you are currently unable to provide documentary evidence.
However, you may have to return the funds if your application contains false information.
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Q. With regard to the handout criteria, what timeframe should I reference when considering theamount of remittances, part-time income, and tuition payment dates?
A. The timeframe you should refer to is from January of this year or later.
Q. Are those who commute to school from their supporter's home or those who do not have to pay
any rent eligible for support?
A. Since this handout is intended to assist those who live away from their family and cover tuition andother such expenses through part-time income, as well as those who face difficulties continuing
their studies due to the novel coronavirus, you will not be automatically excluded from eligibility
simply because you live with your guardians, or you do not pay rent, and so on. Even if you live athome, if you do not receive help from family to pay for tuition and other such expenses, you may be
eligible for the handout if you declare these circumstances to your school.
Q. If I matriculated in April and I have not experienced a loss in part-time income, does that mean
I cannot apply?
A. You are still eligible if you planned to work part-time and you are unable to receive the income you
could have gotten from that work. In this instance, you meet the following two criteria under "3.
Items to Submit" on the application form: "(3) Your part-time income accounts for a large
percentage of funds for paying daily expenses and tuition" and "(5) You have lost a significant
amount (50% or more compared to the previous month) of part-time income due to thecoronavirus."
Q. I'm currently attending multiple schools, so which one should I use to apply?
A. Apply at one of the schools you are attending. Do not apply through more than one school.
Q. I am not currently using a support program, but I do plan to apply to one. If I am not acceptedby the support program, do I have to return the cash handout?
A. Even if you apply to another support program and are eventually not accepted, you do not have toreturn the cash handout.
Q. Can I still apply even if I am receiving a student cash handout or the like offered independently
by my university?
A. You may apply if you fulfill the handout criteria.

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