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Meiji Gakuin University gives all students ¥50,000 grant to offset the cost of digital classes

12 Comments
By Dale Roll, SoraNews24

To help contain the spread of the coronavirus, many Japanese universities have closed or transitioned to online classes to keep their students and staff safe. However, that also means that access to resources like university libraries is also cut off, and with internet cafes also closed, students who don’t have a computer don’t have the ability to access their online classes.

That’s why Meiji Gakuin University has decided to give all 12,000 of their students a uniform grant of 50,000 yen each, to help offset the costs of online learning. It’s meant to aid students who don’t have an at-home internet connection or a computer, but undoubtedly the funds will also help those who have lost their jobs stay afloat until they can go back to work again.

The university, which closed both its Tokyo and Yokohama campuses on April 8, made the emergency decision to provide the grant with the desire to “reduce even a little bit of the financial burden on our students”. Since they extended the closure and use of online classes to May 20, that’s likely a big help for many. The 600 million yen required for the grants has been taken from the reserves of the university’s scholarship fund.

Meiji Gakuin University is also considering relief measures for students whose families’ incomes have been drastically affected by the pandemic, such as a special scholarship for students whose parents lost their jobs. The due date for tuition payments was also extended from the end of April to the end of May, though the university does not appear to be considering reducing tuition or fees for its students at the moment.

According to the Ministry of Education in Japan, about 80 percent of universities throughout the country have transitioned to online classes, but many are using video conferencing applications that require heavy data use. To save money, many students don’t sign up for internet services in their apartments and simply use their phones for browsing, meaning the switch to online learning could put them over their data limits and cost them heavy fees.

Hopefully the new grant will help Meiji Gakuin students, whether it gets them the supplies they need or helps them pay their bills and eat for one more month.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun via Yahoo! News via My Game News Flash

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

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© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

12 Comments
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 I think it’s because this is the most recent school to do it, And they just report on them because of the timing. I don’t think it was meant to intentionally slight other schools were doing this. I don’t think it was meant just as a plug either, just a new store and something it’s obviously very relevant to many people.

You are being rather generous but its highly doubtful, take a look at how it came to be here.

*Source: Mainichi Shimbun via Yahoo! News via My Game News Flash via *Sora News24 to JT!

Originally posted on April 22nd at Mainichi Shinbum.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@rainyday

Its worth mentioning that this is not Meiji University, just a uni with a similar sounding name. Meiji University is among the top private universities in Japan. 

My bad! You're right. That makes it even more disconcerting.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Yubaru @tokyodepth I think it’s because this is the most recent school to do it, And they just report on them because of the timing. I don’t think it was meant to intentionally slight other schools were doing this. I don’t think it was meant just as a plug either, just a new store and something it’s obviously very relevant to many people.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

That's a 5% refund for 1 year, a trivial amount

Right?! It's goddamn insulting that they would give away money without having first consulting with the internet to figure out how much they should have given away to not be considered worthy of disdain.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Loads of unis doing it.... Sounds like an advertisment for Meiji Uni.

Its worth mentioning that this is not Meiji University, just a uni with a similar sounding name. Meiji University is among the top private universities in Japan. Meiji Gakuin University on the other hand doesn’t even crack the top 100 in the Times Higher Education rankings.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Everything Japan is doing to combat the economic impact of the pandemic seems to be just a single lump sum payment. They don’t know how long this will go on or how bad the economic impact will get. This could go on for six months and get a lot worse before it gets better. People need ongoing financial support throughout the duration of this pandemic. Giving university students a ¥50,000 cash payment is going to straight over the bar or spent in a gaming store. Many of the universities in Australia have given the students a 15% reduction on their second term tuition fees.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Loads of unis doing it.... Sounds like an advertisment for Meiji Uni.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I know some people who used to work there.

They are so eager to promote their image, wouldn't be surprised if they made the effort to get this onto the wire.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Yes, why the plug for this school? Yesterday I was told that Soka University does it too and before that several other universities did it too the past 10 days....

3 ( +3 / -0 )

College students who don't own and use computers in hi-tech Japan. Unbelievable. Will Meiji also subsidize purchases of fax machines?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Why the plug for this school? There are numerous others that are doing the same.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

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