Japan approves cash handout for struggling students amid pandemic

Japan Times -- May 20

The Cabinet approved Tuesday a program to provide up to ¥200,000 ($1,900) in a cash handout to each of around 430,000 university and other students in the nation struggling financially to pay for tuition or living costs amid the spread of the new coronavirus.

The support measure comes as the pandemic has led to business closures in many regions, and forced students to suspend or cut back on their part-time jobs. Students from overseas are also eligible for the program.

Students from low-income households exempt from residence tax will receive ¥200,000 each, and others ¥100,000.

The government has set aside ¥53 billion from reserves under its first supplementary budget for fiscal 2020 to finance the program. Eligible for the program are graduate and undergraduate students at universities, students at junior, technical and vocational colleges and foreign students studying at Japanese language schools.

“It’s most important for students not to abandon continuing and advancing their education. We’d like to quickly provide assistance to all,” education minister Koichi Hagiuda told reporters.

May 20 (ANNnewsCH) - 政府は19日朝の持ち回り閣議で、新型コロナウイルスの影響で経済的に困窮する大学生などに最大20万円を支給する支援策を決定しました。  萩生田文科大臣:「学生の学びの継続のための緊急給付金を創設することとしました」  政府は今年度予算の予備費を活用し、アルバイト収入の減少などによって学業を続けることが困難になった学生に一人あたり10万円を給付します。特に困窮している学生には給付額を20万円とします。給付の対象は大学生のほか、大学院生や専門学校生、日本語学校で学ぶ外国人留学生などで約40万人が見込まれています。また、政府は第2次補正予算案を来週に閣議決定し、来月17日の国会会期末までの成立を目指す方針です。