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arashitranslation
Benefit scholarship
Today, the government announced the details about
the first-time launched "Benefit scholarship" which is to start in April 2017.
Before introducing its contents, firstly,
we shall revise "Benefit scholarship" in the first place.
The "scholarship" supporting people studying universities etc. are
mainly categorised to two types: "loan type" and "benefit type".
The loan type is that one has to repay after graduation
which is the same as "loan".
At the Japan Student Services Organisation managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
as for the people who loan the scholarship with interest
the average amount is about 3,430,000JPY.
This makes the loan become a burden after graduation.
On the other hand, the "benefit type" needs not repayment,
it is supported by tax.
Currently in Japan
There is not "state-operating benefit scholarship".
In fact, among the 34 countries of
OECD = The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development which is joined by most developed countries
"Countries with no state-operating benefit scholarship
are only three countries: Japan, England, and Iceland"
there is such investigation.
In this summer,
I interviewed a lady who
gave up studying in university because of economic reason.
The parents of Homura Haru-san (pseudonym) divorced when she studied in secondary school.
Her mother supported the household, but was sick suddenly and was sent to hospital.
Homura-san who got the offer from university and applied for scholarship
struggled and at the end, she gave up the idea pursuing tertiary education.
■ Sakurai
"How about the university offer?"
■Homura-san
"I ripped it up and threw it away"
The reason was that the scholarship was the "loan type" which "repayment is needed",
After graduation
she has to bear a loan of 2,500,000JPY.
■Homura-san
"It would be awful after graduation isn't it"
After finishing this interview,
on 10 July 2016 when the election result of the House of Councillors Election was released,
I raised this question to Prime Minister Abe.
■ Sakurai
"As for the benefit type scholarship,
though it has been mentioned in the manifest
the timing is not clearly stated.
Would it start from the coming year?
Or would it start a bit earlier?"
■ Prime Minister Abe
"Benefit scholarship is,
included in the budget compilation of the coming year
we would like to make it happen.
The detailed discussion
will start as soon as tomorrow (11 July)"
At that time, Prime Minister, for the first time,
stated clearly the time of establishment of benefit scholarship.
And then, today it is released that,
Japan's first "benefit scholarship".
These are the points to note.
Firstly, the recipients are
students in "household that is exempt from the resident tax" who
are exempted from the resident tax because of economic difficulties.
For instance, in this case of a couple with two children
the standard is that the annual income of the couple is "below around 2,950,000JPY".
Besides, recommendation from "the high school" is needed as the condition of scholarship offer,
"the academic result should be excellent"
"one should also be outstandingly active apart from academic study"
there is such requirement.
The standard amount of the scholarship is, 20,000JPY monthly for students entering public university.
Students entering private university,
and students entering public university from boarding houses will have 30,000JPY monthly.
Students with most severe economic difficulties who enter private university from boarding houses
will have 40,000JPY monthly.
The formal policy will start
for students admitting to universities in year 2018.
As for the students with particular economic difficulties,
the policy will be implemented partially in advance in year 2017.
This time, the target is 20,000 persons a year.
This scale is not sufficient for those who want to apply for it.
This policy will be supported by the tax of the citizen
ultimately around 20 billion JPY
will be invested.
This time we finally stepped the first step
The policy of benefit scholarship.
Hope that this will lead to a "big step".
Source: News Zeroイチメン (http://www.ntv.co.jp/zero/ichimen/2016/12/post-331.html)