The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has announced that in 2021, the number of universities and junior colleges eligible for free higher education will be 1,082, which is 98% of the 1,060 schools nationwide.Of the 22 schools that were accredited in April, 4 were revoked and 1,051 new were accredited.
Free higher education started in 2019 with the consumption tax hike in October 10 as a source of funds.It is a system that provides students in low-income households with tuition fees for universities, junior colleges, vocational schools, etc., and scholarships that do not require repayment, and is used by about 2020 students.
From 2021, eight new universities such as Yamanashi Gakuin University, Osaka College of Music, and Daiichi Institute of Technology, and five junior colleges such as Ariake Junior College of Education and Arts, Meirin Junior College, and Nagoya Future Culture College.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology excludes universities and junior colleges that meet all three conditions: the income and expenditure of the operating corporation is in the red for the third consecutive year, the corporation is insolvent, and the number of students is less than 3% of the capacity for the third consecutive year. Students enrolling in four schools that will not be eligible from 3 will not be able to receive support for free higher education, but students who have already enrolled and are receiving support will continue to receive support in 8.
The spread of the new coronavirus has worsened the economic situation, including bankruptcy of companies and dismissal of employees.For this reason, the number of households in need of households is steadily increasing nationwide, and it is expected that the number of students who wish to support free higher education will increase in the future.
