May 15 (Nikkei) - Japan's government has proposed paying as much as 200,000 yen ($1,870) to students at risk of being unable to afford tuition because of financial losses from the coronavirus pandemic.
Students whose income from part-time work has fallen by half or more will be eligible for a 100,000 yen payment. Those from households earning too little to pay local income tax can receive another 100,000 yen.
The relief will be available to students enrolled at universities, graduate schools, junior colleges and Japanese language schools. This includes foreign students, many of whom count on earnings from now-vanishing jobs to pay their way.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, which informed ruling-party and opposition lawmakers of the plan Thursday, expects to provide these payments to around 400,000 students. The measure will be funded with 50 billion yen from the extra fiscal 2020 budget passed last month to finance the coronavirus stimulus package.
Government officials and lawmakers are also considering some form of tuition assistance as part of a planned second supplementary budget.
Aid for students is one of five key elements in this spending plan. Other priorities are capital assistance for companies, help with business lease payments, expanded subsidies for employers that avoid job cuts by taking such steps as putting workers on temporary leave, and higher tax revenue grants to local governments.
