Apply to the US-Japan Bridging Scholarship!

The U.S.-Japan Bridging Scholarship application is now open! Applications are due March 15, 2026.

The Bridging Scholarship is a life-changing opportunity to study abroad in Japan in a credit-bearing semester or academic-year program. Each year approximately 70-100 academically outstanding, financially deserving U.S. undergraduate students are selected as Bridging Scholars. In addition to receiving a cash stipend, Bridging Scholars participate in cohort programming designed to assist students build a future as a global citizen with a lifelong connection to Japan.

Qualifications:

1. Applicants must be U.S. citizens enrolled as undergraduates in a college or university in the United States before and during the time they study abroad.
2. Students majoring in any field of study are eligible to apply.
3. Japanese language study is not a prerequisite.
4. Students must study in a semester (at least 3 months) or an academic-year program in Japan and must earn credit that will transfer to their home campus in the U.S.
5. Students who have already begun their study abroad in Japan are not eligible to apply.
6. Scholarships must be used for tuition, travel, or daily cost-of-living expenses.

Scholarship Amounts:
1. Semester scholarship: $2,500 cash stipend.
2. Academic-year scholarship: $4,500 cash stipend.

Bridging Scholars use the funds to bridge the gap between university-awarded financial aid and the high cost of Japan study abroad. Approximately $300,000 in scholarships are awarded each year.

Application Deadline:
For study abroad in the 2026–2027 Academic Year, there will be one application deadline: March 15, 2026. Students expecting to study abroad Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and academic-year 2026-2027 must apply by this date.

Email operations@bridgingfoundation.org  with questions.

Application Link: https://bridgingfoundation.smapply.us/