The Bridging Scholarship

The next application deadline is March 15th, 2025. The application will open February 1, 2025.

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.

Bridging Scholars come to the program from disparate academic backgrounds and interests, often from traditionally underrepresented communities. Each class of scholars represents students from large public universities, small liberal arts colleges, and community colleges across the U.S.  

The 2024-25 Bridging Scholars cohort includes 86 students from 29 states. Sixty-six scholars will study in Japan this fall. Another 20 will head to Japan in the spring. Scholar majors range from biochemistry to fine arts but all students share a common interest in Japan, its society, and its language and culture. Their destinations also vary, from giant campuses in Tokyo to small colleges in rural Japan.

Eighty-two percent of past Bridging Scholars reported that their study abroad experience aided in their career and professional development; eighty percent of responding alumni report that they continue to communicate with their Japanese host family, friends, and professors, and fifty-seven percent are currently working in Japan or for a U.S.-Japan related organization.

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 2025–2026 Academic Year, there will be one application deadline: March 15, 2025. Students expecting to study abroad Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and academic-year 2025-2026 must apply by this date.

Application Process Administration:
The application process is administered by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ). All inquires should be sent to AATJ staff.

How to Apply:
Visit the Bridging Scholar Application Portal hosted by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese.