StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
Sophia University, a private Jesuit university in central Tokyo founded in 1913, teaches a large share of its international intake in English. Its two entrance scholarships exist for one specific situation: a student with strong grades who has picked Sophia first but would struggle to study there without help. That combination — academic excellence plus financial hardship plus first-choice commitment — is the whole selection test, and it is assessed when you apply for admission, not afterwards.
Understanding the two awards keeps expectations honest. The New Student Scholarship is a sliding tuition cut (one-third, one-half or full) open to Japanese and international students. The Adachi Scholarship is the stronger international award: full tuition plus the education enhancement fee for year one. Neither pays rent or living costs in Tokyo, and neither extends beyond the first year on its own — but enrolled students can chase continuing tuition-reduction support for later years.
Eligibility
- Be applying for 2027 entrance to an English-taught undergraduate or graduate programme at Sophia University, as a new student or a transfer candidate.
- Demonstrate excellent academic performance and financial hardship — both are required, not either/or.
- Have chosen Sophia University as your first-choice institution.
- Meet the entrance requirements of your programme, including its English-language requirements as an international student.
- Apply inside the scholarship application period for your programme and entry term — periods differ by faculty and by spring/autumn entry.
Benefits
- New Student Scholarship: one-third, one-half or full first-year tuition (Japanese and international students).
- Adachi Scholarship: full first-year tuition plus the education enhancement fee (international students only).
- Awarded at admission time, so you know your first-year tuition position before you commit.
- Continuing tuition-reduction programmes are available to apply for once enrolled, for later years.
Eligible programmes
- Undergraduate: Faculty of Liberal Arts; Faculty of Science and Technology (Green Science & Engineering courses, including Digital Green Technology); Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (SPSF).
- Graduate: Graduate Program in Global Studies; Graduate Program in Global Environment Studies; Green Science/Engineering courses (Graduate School of Science and Technology); Graduate Program in Linguistics (TESOL); Graduate Program in Education; Master’s in International Cooperation Studies.
Documents to prepare
- Your admission application for the eligible English-taught programme (the scholarship is assessed with it).
- Academic transcripts and certificates showing excellent performance.
- English-language evidence meeting your programme’s requirements.
- Evidence of financial hardship as the admission/scholarship instructions specify.
- A valid passport (international applicants) and any programme-specific documents.
How to apply
- Pick an eligible English-taught programme and entry term (spring/April or autumn/September 2027).
- Check the scholarship application period for your faculty and entry — the live window is 11 November–11 December 2026 for Spring 2027 undergraduate second applications and Autumn 2027 first applications.
- Submit your admission application together with the scholarship application inside that window — the scholarship is not a separate later step.
- If you miss the December window, the next window is 10 March–7 April 2027 for Autumn 2027 entry (second application; graduate Autumn 2027 entry).
FAQs
Not in the full sense. The Adachi Scholarship covers full first-year tuition plus the education enhancement fee, and the New Student Scholarship covers one-third, one-half or full first-year tuition. Living costs, housing and later years are not covered.
No. Scholarship applications are accepted at the time of your admission application, inside the scholarship application period for your programme and entry term.
11 November–11 December 2026: the second application for Spring 2027 undergraduate entry (first-year students) and the first application for Autumn 2027 entry. The next window after that is 10 March–7 April 2027.
Yes. New students and transfer candidates are both eligible, subject to the programme, grades, hardship and first-choice conditions.
These are English-taught programmes, and the published conditions centre on programme entrance and English-language requirements. Check your programme’s own language requirements on sophia.ac.jp.
Verified 24 Oct 2026: scholarshipunion.com/sophia-university-scholarship-2027/ — New Student Scholarship 1/3, 1/2 or full first-year tuition, Adachi full tuition + education enhancement fee for international students, excellent grades + financial hardship + first choice, English-taught programmes spring/autumn 2027; medjouel.com/jobs/sophia-university-scholarship-2027-in-japan-fully-funded/ — full window table: UG Spring 2027 second application 11 Nov–11 Dec 2026, UG Autumn 2027 first application 11 Nov–11 Dec 2026, UG Autumn 2027 second application 10 Mar–7 Apr 2027, graduate Autumn 2027 10 Mar–7 Apr 2027, graduate Spring Feb exam 15 Dec 2026–8 Jan 2027, earlier September 2026 windows closed; ajiraforum.com/sophia-university-scholarship-2027-in-japan-funded-study-opportunity-for-international-students/ — same award split, programme lists, window dates; youthexpat.com/2026/09/07/sophia-university-undergraduate-graduate-scholarship-programs-2027/ — scholarship applications accepted at admission-application time, first-choice + hardship + excellent grades conditions.
