The government will provide financial support of up to ¥120,000 per month to Ukrainian students who have fled their country following the invasion by Russia.

Applications will be accepted from the end of May, and the government is planning to begin offering the assistance as early as July.

According to the education ministry, 100 people will receive the government aid upon the recommendation of universities participating in the program or the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo. The students will be eligible for almost the same benefits as government-sponsored scholarship recipients.

Although normally candidates need to take an oral Japanese exam to enroll in the education institution of their choosing, the government plans to ease that requirement, as well as the necessary level of Japanese-language ability. Universities that agree to accept Ukrainian students will be asked to provide language support for them by offering supplementary Japanese lessons.

According to the education ministry, 106 university students and researchers had evacuated from Ukraine to Japan by May 11 due to the war. They have since been receiving financial support to cover their tuition and living expenses from the universities and other educational institutions they are enrolled in. At present, 27 universities across the country, including the Tokyo College of Music, are accepting and offering support to students who are war evacuees.

As the number of Ukrainians seeking to study in Japan continues to rise, the ministry decided to launch the assistance program for students who entered Japan after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, and for other Ukrainians planning to study in Japan.

“We would like to do our utmost to ensure that international students in difficult circumstances become the workforce that will contribute to the recovery of Ukraine and global development,” education minister Shinsuke Suematsu said after a Cabinet meeting Friday.

Information from Kyodo added.