2026 Scholarship for the Visually Impaired to Study Abroad: Eligibility, Timeline and Other Information

An Application ID Number is required to submit your scholarship application and your letters of reference.

Please check that you satisfy all of the following criteria for eligibility for this scholarship:

Eligibility Requirements (2026)

To be eligible, an Applicant must:

• • Applicants must be visually impaired women or men with a Certificate of Disability Grade 1-6.

• • Be a Japanese national or special permanent resident of Japan (特別永住者), living in Japan from the time of application until the end of April 2026.

• • Have graduated with a degree from a Japanese university (4-year course) by July 31, 2026.

• • Be accepted by March 31, 2026 into a graduate degree program that is taught in English at an accredited university or research institution abroad. The applicant must be present and enrolled at the accredited university or research institution abroad for the 2026-2027 academic year. Online study from Japan will not be accepted.

• • Have demonstrated English skill by submitting a TOEFL or IELTS score from a test taken after October 1, 2023. If pursuing a graduate degree in the natural sciences, math, medicine or engineering, the application is able to submit an overall TOEFL score of at least 570 (IBT 88) or an IELTS score of at least 6.5. If pursuing a graduate degree in any other field, the applicant will be able to submit a TOEFL score of at least 600 (IBT 98) or an IETLS of at least 7.0.
    A TOEFL or IELTS score will not be required if the applicant submits a transcript of a 4-year university degree in a program taught in English.

The following are ineligible:

• • Individuals currently studying or working abroad are ineligible. Applicants are required to be residing in Japan at the time of their application. 

• • Applicants who have studied abroad at the university level for more than two (2) academic years are not eligible.

• • Applicants who have a degree from an overseas university or institution are not eligible.

• • Holders of scholarships greater than ¥2.5 million per year from any other scholarship programs for the duration of the CWAJ Scholarship are not eligible. Financial aid and awards from the university where the applicant will study may not be subject to the same limitation.

• • Former recipients of CWAJ awards and members of CWAJ are not eligible.

Scholarship Timeline

From July 2025
Registration for Application ID Number on website. Links to the Application Forms will be available after registering for an Application ID Number.

Deadline: November 7, 2025, 22:00 JST
Application with required documents (Form B) and letters of references (2 x Form C) must be submitted online by the deadline.

February or March 2026
Interviews: usually held on a weekend

March 2026
Notification of recipients

May 2026
Event announcing CWAJ Scholars

Application Details

You will be required to submit: an application essay, scans of your education transcripts, a scan of your TEOFL or IELTS score, two letters of recommendations, a copy of your residence card if applicable, a scan of your scan of your Certificate of Disability, and a ¥2,000 application processing fee. All materials are to be submitted in English. All personal material will be deleted at the end of the application evaluation process.

Finalists will be interviewed online or in person in Tokyo. Candidates should plan to be available during the month when interviews are being held and will be notified at least two weeks in advance if they have been selected for an interview. Applicants will be notified of the results by email.

Message about AI: We understand that an applicant might want to use AI tools to revise or improve their essay. However, we would like to offer a word of advice: essays which reflect an applicant’s own voice and effort will be evaluated more favorably than generic and impersonal essays generated by AI.

Please note that CWAJ communicates by email only. Telephone inquiries will NOT be accepted.

CWAJ reserves the right to make its own selections and does not discuss any of its decisions.