FUTI provides scholarships to support two types of study abroad programs: reciprocal short-term summer exchange programs between the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and U.S. universities, and medium to long-term study abroad programs (one semester or longer), primarily for UTokyo undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni pursuing higher degree programs at U.S. universities.
Short-Term Study Abroad Programs
A total of 64 students applied for the 2026 summer short-term study abroad scholarships. These include 57 applicants from U.S. universities seeking to attend UTokyo and 7 applicants from UTokyo seeking to attend U.S. universities. Ultimately, scholarships will be awarded to 10 students: 8 from U.S. universities going to UTokyo and 2 from UTokyo headed for U.S. universities.
As in the previous year, the most popular program was UTRIP (University of Tokyo Research Internship Program), which offers research internships in UTokyo’s science laboratories. A total of 43 applicants applied to FUTI for this program, including many outstanding students from leading universities. However, competition for admission was intense. Among FUTI applicants, only two students were admitted to UTRIP, one of whom participated through the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP).
Three UCEAP students were admitted to the Engineering Summer Education Program (ESEP), which provides research internships in UTokyo’s engineering laboratories. In addition, two students were admitted to the Global Unit Courses (GUC) program at UTokyo and will participate in the short-term program with FUTI scholarships.
One notable feature of this year’s inbound short-term program was that a significant number of students selected by FUTI were ultimately not admitted by UTokyo. In UTRIP, three of the five applicants selected by FUTI were not accepted by UTokyo, while in GUC, two of the four applicants selected by FUTI were not admitted. This suggests that competition for UTokyo’s summer programs has become increasingly intense as applications from around the world continue to grow.
For outbound short-term summer study from UTokyo to U.S. universities, two students, one undergraduate and one doctoral student, were selected for scholarships.
Medium- and Long-Term Study Abroad Programs
FUTI received 39 applications for scholarships supporting study abroad programs lasting one semester or longer, and has selected 13 recipients.
For the first time, an applicant from a U.S. university sought support for a dual-degree program at the University of Tokyo graduate school. Although FUTI selected the applicant, the student was unfortunately not admitted by UTokyo. As a result, all medium- and long-term scholarship recipients this year are students coming from UTokyo to U.S. universities.
The breakdown of the 13 scholarship recipients (selected/applicants) is as follows:
- Six out of eighteen applicants were selected for study abroad while enrolled at UTokyo, including exchange programs with UTokyo’s partner Universities.
- All two applicants who applied were selected to pursue degree programs at U.S. universities immediately after graduating from UTokyo.
- Two out of eleven applicants who had previously graduated from UTokyo and had either entered the workforce or pursued other studies before seeking a degree at a U.S. university, were selected.
- Two out of six applicants were selected from UTokyo’s doctoral programs.
- One continuing scholarship recipient from the previous year was reselected.
Within the first category, approximately 70% of applicants were seeking to apply to universities participating in UTokyo’s USTEP exchange program. UTokyo currently has exchange agreements with nearly 100 universities worldwide, including nine in the United States. Four of the six selected students in this category will participate in the USTEP exchange program. Since USTEP students pay tuition only to UTokyo while tuition at the host U.S. university is waived, and because admission to the host institution is generally assured once students pass UTokyo’s internal selection process, the program remains highly attractive to students.
Until recently, USTEP was available only to UTokyo students. In FY2025, FUTI piloted scholarship support for a U.S. student participating in the exchange programs at UTokyo. However, no applications were received from U.S. students this year.
The third category remained highly competitive in both the quality and number of applicants. Although scholarships supporting overseas study have become more common in Japan, opportunities for individuals who have already completed university or graduate school and later decide to pursue another degree abroad remain relatively low.
While both the number and overall quality of applications from doctoral students had seemingly declined in recent years, this year’s applicant pool included several exceptionally strong candidates. As a result, FUTI was able to award Hisashi Kobayashi Memorial Scholarship to two outstanding doctoral students.
At the beginning of this year, we were concerned that changes in the U.S. administration’s policies toward international students and increasing political pressures on American universities might discourage students from studying in the United States. However, the number of applications for FUTI scholarships slightly exceeded that of the previous year. Nevertheless, reports indicate that many U.S. universities have significantly reduced admissions to doctoral programs for international students compared with last year. It remains uncertain how these developments will affect future study abroad trends in the coming years.
Despite these emerging challenges, FUTI remains fully committed to making the most effective use of every donation entrusted to us. Through our scholarship programs, we will continue to support and cultivate the next generation of global leaders with dedication and sincerity.
Nobuko Sakurai, Chair of the Scholarship Committee