Pre-reading questions:
- What is your understanding of a scholarship?
- What kind of students do you think should be given scholarships?
- How do scholarship programs benefit the society?
About 20,000 students will be given state-sponsored scholarships in Japan in 2018. Students at public universities who live with their parents will receive a monthly allowance of ¥20,000; students of such schools living away from their parents and students attending private universities who live with their parents will get ¥30,000 monthly; and, students at private universities who live away from their parents will receive ¥40,000.
As a first step, Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) will give financial support to 2,650 students in 2017. The scholarships will be introduced to students from low-income households. It is a big step to helping students achieve higher education without student loans and part-time jobs. The recipients will be awarded scholarships with the recommendation from and criteria set by the education ministry, JASSO and high schools in Japan.
Vocabulary:
state-sponsored [adjective] – supported and operated by the government of a state
allowance [noun] – money that you are given regularly, especially to pay for a particular thing
recipient [noun] – persons who receive something
recommendation [noun] – a suggestion that something is good or suitable for a particular purpose or job
Comprehension Questions:
- How many students will receive state-sponsored scholarships in Japan in 2018?
- Who are qualified to receive scholarships?
- Which organization will provide financial support to 2,650 students in 2017?
- Who will give recommendations and set criteria for the recipients of the state-sponsored scholarships?
- In the state-sponsored scholarships, who will get the biggest monthly allowance?
Express Your Opinion:
- Do you think scholarships should only be given to students from low-income families? Discuss.
- In Japan, what kind of jobs can a person get if s/he’s an undergraduate?