Visually Impaired To Study Abroad – College Women’s Association of Japan

CWAJ GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP FOR
THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED TO STUDY ABROAD (SVI-SA)

The Scholarship for the Visually Impaired to Study Abroad supports visually impaired people, including LGBT+, who are Japanese nationals or special permanent residents for graduate English-based study abroad. The SVI Program was established in 1978 and was the first scholarship designated for visually impaired students in Japan. Scholarships are awarded based on a candidate’s academic excellence, the quality and feasibility of their proposed plan of study, and their potential to contribute to society. The Scholarship does not have any restrictions on field of study or age.

One Scholarship of ¥3.0 Million

2023 application deadline: November 10, 2022

Applications will be online only. Instructions and the link to start the online application follows the eligibility requirements and timeline.

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must:

Be visually impaired people, including LGBTQ+, with a Certificate of Disability, Grade 1-6.
Be Japanese nationals or special permanent residents of Japan, living in Japan from the time of application until the end of April 2023. Applicants currently studying or living abroad are ineligible.
Have graduated with a degree from a Japanese university (4-year course) by July 31, 2023.
Submit an overall TOEFL score of at least 570 (IBT 88) if applying for a degree in the natural sciences, math, medicine or engineering, and 600 (IBT 98) if applying for a degree in any other field. The TOEFL must have been taken after October 1, 2020. Applicants may submit an IELTS score instead of a TOEFL score. The IELTS overall score must be at least 6.5 if applying for a degree in the natural sciences, math, medicine or engineering, and 7.0 if applying for a degree in any other field. The IELTS must have been taken after October 1, 2020. TOEFL or IELTS scores submitted separate from or after the application will not be accepted.
Be accepted by March 31, 2023 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 2023-2024 academic year. Online study from Japan will not be accepted.

The following are ineligible:

Applicants who have studied abroad at university-level for more than two (2) academic years.
Applicants who have a degree from an overseas university or institution.
Holders of scholarships greater than ¥2.0 million from any other scholarship programs for the duration of the CWAJ Scholarship. Financial aid and awards from the university where the applicant will study and disability pension may not be subject to the same limitation.
Non-scholar Members of CWAJ.

Application Details: All applications must be written in English.

Timeline of application:

Instructions, Sample Application Form and Registration for Application ID Number (required to submit all application materials) are available from July 2022.
Application fees of ¥2000 to be paid from October 3, 2022 .
Applications must be submitted online by Thursday, November 10, 2022 23:59 JST

Links to application materials

Download SVI-SA Scholarship Application Form Instructions in Text format here: https://cwaj.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2023-SVI-SA-Application-Instructions-in-English-Text-format-20220723.doc

Download SVI-SA Scholarship Sample Application Forms in pdf format (for reference only, application must be made online) here: https://cwaj.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2023-C-3-2-SVI-SA-Example-Application-Forms.pdf

Interviews and Selection:

Interviews of the finalists will be held in Tokyo in February 2023.
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.

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

Applicants are required to be residing in Japan at the time of their application. We regret, therefore, that we are unable to accept applications from outside of Japan. Please note that CWAJ communicates by email only. Telephone inquiries will NOT be accepted.

For more information about the scholarship program, please use the Contact Us form. Choose “Scholarship” and put “SVI – Study Abroad” in the title of your inquiry. You may send your inquiry in English or Japanese.

Contact Us form