The expansion of the high school tuition waiver in Japan, coupled with the removal of income restrictions, is expected to benefit 800,000 students, according to estimates by the Ministry of Education.
The Japanese Ministry of Education has disclosed that the expansion of the high school tuition waiver program, which will eliminate income restrictions, is projected to benefit approximately 800,000 students. This announcement comes ahead of discussions in a special Diet session set to convene on the 18th, where related legislation is expected to be debated. The government aims to commence this expanded waiver by April this year, contingent on timely budget approvals and legislative processes, yet the timeline remains uncertain due to tight scheduling in the Diet.
The current tuition waiver scheme provides financial support equivalent to the average public high school tuition fee of 118,800 yen annually, benefiting all students. The government also offers additional payments to private school students; however, eligibility for these supplementary funds was previously restricted to households with an annual income below 5.9 million yen. With the planned changes, the income ceiling for this add-on will be lifted, allowing many more families to receive support.
The anticipated changes are significant, as they include an estimated 350,000 students from households with incomes between 5.9 million and 9.1 million yen, and an additional 450,000 from higher income brackets. This represents about 24% of all high school students in Japan, totaling 3.3 million. Besides, there is separate support for about 25,000 international students, which highlights a growing commitment to educational accessibility in Japan.
