Comments on: University entrance fee system profits from unstable job market

By: Miko

Miko — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:34:54 +0000

There is a middle way: public university (one of 76 schools run by local governments in Japan). The overall tuition fees are basically the same as national universities – around $6000 per annum – but there is far less competition for places. At my son’s school, around one in every eight applicants are accepted, which compares favourably with Todai’s apparently one-in-a-hundred pass rate. These schools tend to be small and specialised, and depending on the city can be quite prestigious – local people gasp when I tell them where my son goes! – but are not very well-known in Tokyo, or other big cities. From what I recall, the exam fees were around $200, but that didn’t bother so much as the huge fees that were suddenly whacked on me after he entered the school, mainly for insurance and alumni membership dues.

Make no mistake about it, parenthood is always going to be full of unpleasant financial surprises, so it’s always best to be prepared. I’m glad I was.

By: Philip Brasor & Masako Tsubuku

Philip Brasor & Masako Tsubuku — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:39:11 +0000

Student loans are expensive here, too, and there's very little in the way of "grants." Actually, we talked about this issue in an earlier post here.

By: James Simons

James Simons — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:32:07 +0000

Bottom line is we as parents want our kids to go to college and get a great job. But the cost is soaring out of control. My son could go either way Japan or U.S., I am hoping for the U.S. since the cost is more than half. But I will have to sacrifice at least $1000 just for application fees. They the government want more doctors and lawyers but don’t want to foot the bill and turn their heads when universities do what they want in fees. By the way High schools don’t allow cell phones in exams, why would colleges allow phones during entrance exams?? I think it’s hilarious.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:33:40 +0000

I think that is a good point, but if you showed many Japanese the fees that American college students have to pay and the fact that most students end up with tens of thousands of dollars of debt upon graduating they might stop thinking that 200,000 yen to sacrifice for security is such a bad thing.

Although I have never heard of financial aid that covers full tuition in Japan. Is that something that occurs?

By: Philip Brasor & Masako Tsubuku

Philip Brasor & Masako Tsubuku — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:52:47 +0000

You could compare the application fee in the U.S. to the test fee in Japan, since both are non-refundable and are about the same amount. Every J. univ. a student wants to try he/she has to take an entrance test that costs up to ¥35,000. The entrance fee, however, is over ¥200,000, and it’s non-refundable, too. That’s a huge difference.

By: James Simons

James Simons — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 02:47:41 +0000

The U.S. isn’t much better. I have a friend who has a son getting ready for college. The complaint he has is each college that his son applies to require between $100 to $200 application fee which you don’t get back and it’s not applied to the normal college costs. Mind you these are just regular old colleges nothing major like harvard or yale. The fees are lost to him no matter what happens. So far two rejections and $300 gone.