The University of Tokyo has announced that it will increase tuition fees for new students starting from April next year, marking its first tuition hike in two decades due to reduced government funding. Despite some resistance from students and faculty, the prestigious national university has decided to raise the annual tuition to 642,960 yen ($4,500), an increase of approximately 107,000 yen.
The university's President Teruo Fujii told a press conference that improving the educational environment is an issue that should be dealt with immediately, citing the 'increasingly severe global competition'. He said the increased revenue will be used to upgrade facilities and reinforce barrier-free access.
Many national universities have been facing difficulties due to reduced subsidies, a sign of the Japanese government's challenging financial situation. Some universities in the Tokyo area have already raised their tuition fees, and it remains to be seen if this trend will spread to other institutions nationwide. In response to the financial burden on students, the University of Tokyo plans to broaden its full tuition waiver program. This program will now cover undergraduate and master's students whose annual household income is below 6 million yen.
The university's current eligibility requirement for a full tuition waiver says candidates must be undergraduate students with an annual household income at or below 4 million yen. Students whose annual household income falls between 6 million yen and 9 million yen will qualify for a partial waiver as well, depending on their situations.
The tuition increase will not impact current undergraduate students or PhD candidates, but those entering the master's program from April 2029 will see their fees rise by approximately 107,000 yen. For national universities in Japan, the standard tuition fee is established by an education ministry ordinance at 535,800 yen, a rate that has remained unchanged since fiscal 2005. Universities have the authority to raise their tuition by up to 20 percent above this standard amount.
The management expense grant system for national universities was established in 2004 when the government transitioned these institutions to corporate status, aiming to enhance their management autonomy. These grants, used for salaries and other expenses, amounted to approximately 1.08 trillion yen in the current fiscal year, reflecting a 13 percent decrease from fiscal 2004.
