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Only top 30% of foreign students to be eligible for gov't handouts

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Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

-12 ( +12 / -24 )

I think there is an important distinction to be made between foreign "exchange" students, and foreign students who are enrolled in degree granting programs at Japanese universities.

Most (in fact pretty much all) exchange students are only in Japan for 6 months to 1 year before going back to their home country and it makes sense to exclude them. In fact a lot of them are no longer in Japan anyway since most universities have put those exchanges on hold this term and didn't accept any when the school year started last month.

For foreign students enrolled in 4 year degree programs at Japanese universities though this is unfair - they are full time residents of Japan and are basically the same as Japanese students at their universities. They really should be eligible for this without this ridiculous procedure which seems designed solely to prevent them from applying in the first place.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

Education minister Koichi Hagiuda indicated that students from overseas would be eligible for the program during a press conference Tuesday, when he announced that cash handouts would be provided to around 430,000 university and other students in Japan.

But he made no mention of the additional criteria foreign students needed to fulfill, which only came to light during communication with universities and other institutions.

Looks like insurance or some contracts where the most important details pertaining to the contract

are hidden in fine prints somewhere in the document and you will probably need a magnifying glass

to see it. Just go to show that the handout is not to help or out of the heart but rather to show off or out

of pressure.

Very despicable.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

If you study abroad then you should have enough backup finance to survive in cases of emergency! Most so called ‘ foreign students ‘ in Japan are here to work rather than study!

-4 ( +12 / -16 )

People haven’t received their 100,000yen yet! Some even haven’t received their application forms. Now the Government announces this for students. I wonder how long it will take for these students to claim this...maybe 6 months! Just read an interesting article on Japan Times whereby Korean citizens received their cash handouts within minutes of applying online directly transferred to their banks! Japan can do much better but as always drags its feet!

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Here’s what Japanese hospitality looks like...no free lunches here!

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Japanese way of choosing the chosen ones : plain face discrimination by interpreting criteria as wanted.

And what is 2.3 as grade point average ?

If in Japan, it should mean you are good enough from the start.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

@klausdorth and Hunter James... both are absolutely correct! Many of these foreign students are abusing the system by getting student visa for work purposes! They don’t deserve any sort of cash handouts!

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

why not just come out clear and say that Japan does not have enough funds to support all foreign students and they'll just selectively give financial support. If it was me, I'd opt to give it to foreign students who are actually in dire financial straights and not the top performing ones. The strong ones don't need a boost, it's the ones who are struggling that need a helping hand.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Hardly surprising.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Japan first. What’s wrong with that?

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

If government is going to discriminate against foreign students, then this is a good reason NOT to study in Japan. After this, I wouldn't come here to study. Same as UK, If I was a European, I wouldn't go and study or work there after Brexit either, racism really came up to the surface...

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Good god, seems everybody wants a hand out these days. So you can skip classes, fail tests, do half the homework, and if you don’t get a handout it’s racist? Some commenters here just wouldn’t and couldn’t survive life 150 years ago.

invalid CSRF

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

In addition, foreign students must be achieving high marks and have attained a grade point average of at least 2.30 in the past academic year. This accounts for the top 25 to 30 percent of students, the ministry said.

2.3 is considered high marks? AND it accounts for the top 25 to 30%?

You gotta be joking? If this is a fact, then the foreign students here are hardly "top"!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The politicians are in for a surprise when they find out that every foreign student in Japan is in the top 30% for grades.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"Foreign students" is pretty vague. If they are talking about kids on an exchange, why would they get anything? However, if they are talking about students who have paid the exorbitant amount of money required to get the visa, live, study, and possibly work (and pay taxes) here, they should absolutely get it without exception. After all, those students have likely spent a good part of their school life in Japan now hunkered down indoors and certainly not getting what they paid for. But, according to this racist contest the government has decided to set up, if you get only 69% despite studying hard you won't be eligible to get some of your money back, but if you're the Japanese bum who hasn't even showed up for classes, gets drunk every night, and is failing everything, you get cash in full.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Those of you who support this are supporting discrimination, congratulations.

Let's do one better, and say no foreigners at all, how about that?

These are students who lost their jobs and income while you discrimination supporters

have enough money to survive with no problem.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I was a foreign student in Japan and got a degree there. I think this measure its completely reasonable.

The japanese government is not expected to take care of foreign students. If you go abroad to study, you either have already a scholarship or have the means to support you.

Its in fact a requirement to even get the student visa, you need to show proof that you have funds and can support your stay in Japan.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Those of you who support this are supporting discrimination, congratulations.

Oh really? So every foreigner living here in Japan, who pays little or nothing into taxes or anything here, is deserving of a handout from the government, and if anyone is against giving it them, it's discrimination?

Let's do one better, and say no foreigners at all, how about that?

Right, let's discriminate against ALL the foreigners living here in Japan who pay taxes, and cut them out? THAT's discrimination!

0 ( +4 / -4 )

" However, if they are talking about students who have paid the exorbitant amount of money required to get the visa, live, study, and possibly work (and pay taxes) here, they should absolutely get it without exception."

No, they should NOT.

Exactly the same happens here in the UK; exception to discriminatory practices was reserved to EU students, soon to be removed.

Get Canada to pay all foreigners instead.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Its in fact a requirement to even get the student visa, you need to show proof that you have funds and can support your stay in Japan.

Under normal circumstances, yes. But these are not normal times, globally. So if you had money before, you might not have any now. If you had a partime job to support you, you might not have one now. If you could pay for your apartment before, but can't now. Things change. Abe is the one who said Stay home, so pay for it...

Or do they expect everyone to stay home and somehow able to pay for everything without any income???

1 ( +2 / -1 )

If you’re argument is that students who have scholarships or financial support from someone don’t deserve government support that’s not an unreasonable position to take. If your argument is that someone doesn’t deserve support because they aren’t Japanese you are supporting discrimination. It’s pretty simple.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@Peeping Tom

No, they should NOT.

A few months ago, you had a right problem with the UK putting its own citizens first in line. But when your home country does the same thing, you're completely fine with it. ?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Zichi

You can apply online, today.

Regarding applying for the ¥100,000.

well no the vast majority in Japan cannot apply online because to do so one needs to have applied and received the photo IC chip card and as of April 1 only 16% of residents have the card.

My ward in Tokyo has a backlog and is taking months to process and hand out the photo ID card.

So basically only a handful of people in Japan will get the money any time soon. Just checked my ward and it will only start sending out applications on May 28 I don't expect to see any money before August at best.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Tom did you know that foreign students don't shop in Japan or buy anything or pay rent? They don't eat either. That's why they don't need money because they never contribute to the Japanese economy anyway. Right?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Under normal circumstances, yes. But these are not normal times, globally. So if you had money before, you might not have any now. If you had a partime job to support you, you might not have one now. If you could pay for your apartment before, but can't now. Things change. Abe is the one who said Stay home, so pay for it...

Or do they expect everyone to stay home and somehow able to pay for everything without any income???

But to even get the certificate of eligibility and student visa before coming to Japan you need to show proof of funds to support your stay in Japan; either scholarships or private money.

It is not expected for you to come to Japan as a student and to have to work to support yourself, thats not how it works. Part time jobs as a foreign student are there for you to gain some extra money, not for you to support yourself with that income.

So its not the Japanese government problem if foreign students are having difficulties now with money.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

dbbt that's not the reality of the situation. Most students need to work to support themselves. As far as I know, foreign students in most countries can and need to work to support themselves. geez.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I am not sure if I agree with the J-govt decision on this, especially basing elligibility on grades. Of course, they have the right to base elligibility on whatever they want.

In the U,.S. Interntional Students (F-1 Visas) who do not have Social Security Numbers do not qualify. Most International Students with an intent to return to their home countres have an ITIN not a SSN. So in a round about way, the US is doing the same thing.

"To be eligible for a COVID-19 stimulus check, you must have a valid Social Security Number (SSN). Otherwise, you will not be taken into consideration for this aid. While children can be SSN owners as well, that alone doesn’t grant them the money. As a parent, you need to be the one to hold an SSN, and it’s only in that case that the child will qualify for the check. If the child has an SSN and you don’t, they will not have access to the stimulus check.Aside from this, you must have filed all your tax returns for 2019. If not, then your 2018 tax returns may be taken into consideration as well. People with an ITIN will not qualify for this form of financial help. In addition, if you’re an H4 visa holder, then both you and the visa holder spouse that you filed taxes with should have a valid Social Security Number."

https://www.stilt.com/blog/2020/04/f1-stimulus-checks/#Do_F1_Visa_Holders_Qualify_for_COVID19_Stimulus_Checks

1 ( +1 / -0 )

dbbt that's not the reality of the situation. Most students need to work to support themselves. As far as I know, foreign students in most countries can and need to work to support themselves. geez.

"Most students"?? Where are you getting this info from? Or its only your opinion? I graduated recently from a Japanese university as a foreign student and 95% of all foreign students i knew had a scholarship and yes, almost all had also part time jobs but that was to gain some extra money, not to support themselves with that income.

And here and in every other country its the same; you need to show proof of funds; that you are able to 100% support yourself while studying before even entering the host country and getting a student visa. You are not meant to go to a country for studying purposes and to have to work as a mean to support yourself, thats not how it works.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

its not the Japanese government problem if foreign students are having difficulties now with money.

They are on Japanese soil. So they are the government's problem one way or the other. How they deal with it is what is up for question, not whether it's their issue to deal with.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

You are not meant to go to a country for studying purposes and to have to work as a mean to support yourself, thats not how it works.

What are you talking about? That's exactly how it works a LOT of the time. That's why students are given permission to work a certain number of hours under student visas in so many countries.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

"Tom did you know that foreign students don't shop in Japan or buy anything or pay rent? They don't eat either. That's why they don't need money because they never contribute to the Japanese economy anyway. Right?"

And?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Zichi

the My number card (paper) is not accepted for online application, people need to use that paper card to then be issued a photo IC chip My number.

If you can use the paper one in your town great but that is in violation of the law.

The same applies for online Tax filing only the IC chip photo my number can be used and as has been pointed here in previous articles only 16% of the population has actually applied and received that card.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

from article: """In addition, foreign students must be achieving high marks and have attained a grade point average of at least 2.30 in the past academic year. This accounts for the top 25 to 30 percent of students, the ministry said."""

so 2.3+ is the top 30%! Speaks to the need for foreign students to prop up universities more than academic levels. Thus it's in the best interests of everyone to finance this otherwise universities would have to be properly funded or closed

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Pftt, who cares. By the time any of these students even receive their application form in the mail they’ll be nearing retirement

1 ( +1 / -0 )

When I studied here in the mid 90's, Students were not allowed to get jobs so most of us Aussies relied on Austudy to support us here. Every two weeks, I went to an international ATM (there were like around 5 of them at the time in Osaka) to withdraw around 15,000 to live off. Worse was when the Australian Dollar dropped and lucky, I had my parents (who were also not so well off) giving an extra $100 here and there. It did help that we could pay our housing fees to our Univerisity in Australia (for homestay plus dorms), I think I paid around $1000 for the whole year to stay in homestay.

Point is, we all made it !

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Lonelygaijin2001

Strange I have been in Japan a very long time and as best as I can remember under the Japanese student visa system full time students have been able to work up to 25 hours a week even as far back as the late 1980s. That is where and how many of the English school got their teachers.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Mine Government?

It would be best if would stop telling fibs. Stop trying to be an "expert".

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I am a bit confused here. Anyone with a residence card in Japan is eligible to apply to get 100k yen if I recall. So if you're in Japan for more than 90 days, you're eligible. So should the students then. Or were these 200k yen in addition to the 100k?

The other thing I don't understand is what if Japanese students have wealthy parents, have below 80% attendence, have a lower than 2.3 GPA, earn enough money through part time jobs, or will move abroad after their studies? Those are the criteria the govt are subjecting foreign students to but not their own citizens.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Many of these foreign students are abusing the system by getting student visa for work purposes! They don’t deserve any sort of cash handouts!

Questionable statements without any evidence don't deserve a look in, either.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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