Campus Life

Paying one's way through university is expensive. Paying for university in a foreign country -especially if you are an international student with limited money-can often seem impossible. According to a recent article by the French Insurance Company April International, average yearly undergraduate tuition and cost of living expenses for international students in the six most expensive Higher Education national systems were near or above $30,000!:  

For middle-class families around the world, such expenses represent many years of household income and are simply unaffordable. Japanese universities, in contrast are surprisingly affordable. Japan is one of the rare countries that generally do not charge international students higher tuition fees than domestic students. According to the most recent data from the government sponsored Japanese Student Services Organization (JASSO), average annual tuition fees for undergraduate non-medical degree programs ranges 820,000-1,100,000 Japanese yen, or about $6,210-$8330 (at a 1 USD = 132 JPY rate). Average monthly living costs for international students is estimated at about 93,000 JPY or 1,112,000 JPY annually or about $8,420 a year. (Source: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/academic-fees/)

Not only is annual tuition and living expenses cheaper than many other leading higher education systems; Japanese labor law allows foreign students to earn income through part-time work. This is very different than in many other countries. Assuming that part-time work does not hinder one's studies, student visa holders can work up to 28 hours/week during the school-year and 8 hours/day during vacation periods. With many part-time jobs averaging 800-1200 JPY/hour, students often earn a significant portion of their tuition and living expenses themselves! (Source: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/job/parttime-works/ )

Besides these financial advantages of studying in Japan, KUISs further supports international undergraduate students in TWO important ways. As indicated by the tuition page of KUISs' admissions website (https://www.kuins.ac.jp/admission/guide/expense.html) undergraduate international students can also receive a special tuition discount. As it states:

"In order to support the studies of International Students and reduce their economic burden, the University has set up its own fund, the Kansai University of International Studies Asia-Pacific Scholarship, that will give qualified students an initial 40% discount (50% discount if the student is able to earn an N-1 certificate on the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam) on course fees and education support fees. Additionally, students will also receive a partial discount on the University entrance fee. Based on student's academic performance (GPA) from previous semesters and Japanese Language proficiency, international students might also be eligible for a 30-60% tuition fee discount from the 2^nd semester onwards."

Discount Tuition Rate for Incoming International Students Who Qualify for the Asia-Pacific Scholarship (Figures in Japanese Yen)

Secondly, KUISs provides qualified international students significant cost savings through its transfer admissions framework. For 2^nd year students at other universities who qualify, it might be possible to apply to KUISs for 3^rd year admissions. Such students can thus reduce their graduation time to only 2 years (four semesters). These students can also receive similar tuition discounts and financial aid:

Discount Tuition Rate for Transferring 3^rd Year International Students Who Qualify for the Asia-Pacific Scholarship (Figures in Japanese Yen)

One final note; as with other universities worldwide, KUISs does charge several miscellaneous fees, including health insurance. For the sake of transparency, the following is a breakdown of these additional costs:

Initial Entrance Costs to be Paid at time of Matriculation. (Figures in Japanese Yen)

For many international students, the combination of low tuition costs, increased work opportunities and KUISs' own extensive financial assistance programs can be enough to make ends meet. The relatively low cost of living in Kobe also helps. International students not have to come from a wealthy family or country to study at KUISs; one only has to have the interest in living in Japan and working hard to make their dream a reality!

MISCELLANEOUS FEES

JPY=Japanese Yen