A growing number of universities around Japan are providing scholarships or grants to students struggling to get by due to reasons such as losing their part-time jobs because of business closures prompted by the new coronavirus outbreak. Some financially strapped students have considered dropping out because of the drop in their family's income, and experts are calling on universities to cover a bigger chunk of students' internet costs and other expenses.
A government program to waive or reduce tuition and entrance fees of higher education institutions was introduced in April for students from low-income households. To alleviate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry has set aside 2.7 billion yen in the draft fiscal 2020 supplementary budget for purposes such as purchasing devices to be used for online learning at universities. However, the budget did not include any money that would go directly to students.
Many students are currently facing financial hardship due to reasons including the closure of businesses where they worked part-time. "I'm making ends meet by whittling away at my savings," one student said, while another said, "I will have to leave university because sales at my family's business have plunged by 80%."
Alarmed by these developments, some universities are stepping up to provide their own assistance.
Tohoku University in Miyagi Prefecture announced Thursday a 400 million yen emergency support package. The university will invite applications for about 2,500 students to work part-time, and pay financially distressed students an emergency scholarship based on their circumstances.
On Tuesday, Meiji Gakuin University announced it would disburse 50,000 yen to all of its about 12,000 students. The Tokyo-based university also extended the deadline for paying the spring semester fees by one month to the end of May. However, Meiji Gakuin said it does not intend to reduce tuition fees and other costs because it is "maintaining educational standards through online teaching."
Tokai University, which is based in Tokyo, is offering each student up to 10,000 yen to help cover online learning expenses. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology is offering emergency support scholarships of 50,000 yen to undergraduate and master's students and 100,000 yen to students in doctorate courses who meet conditions such as providing documents that prove their income has dropped.
About 70 students at Hiroshima University have reportedly sought advice because they are unable to meet their living expenses. The university will provide applicants deemed to be in urgent need of assistance with 30,000 yen per month until their situation returns to normal.
"We figured that 1,000 yen was the minimum daily amount a student needed for food," Hiroshima University President Mitsuo Ochi said.
Chiba University of Commerce Associate Prof. Yohei Tsunemi, an expert on the sociology of labor, said, "If the new coronavirus shuts down the potential of young people, it would be a huge loss for society. Universities must grasp the living conditions of their students. They should allow tuition fees to be deferred or paid in installments, and they should provide support to enable students to have internet access."
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