Japan Press Weekly

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2017 August 9 - 15 TOP3 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Local assemblies in Nagano adopt DYLJ’s request for better ‘grant-type’ scholarship program

A local organization of the Democratic Youth League of Japan in Nagano Prefecture has attracted wide attention as four municipal assemblies recently adopted the organization’s written request to urge the central government to improve the current grant-type scholarship program.

The DYLJ local consists of young workers and students living in Iida City as well as in 14 municipalities in Shimoina County in the prefecture.

At a meeting last summer, one member took up the so-called “scholarship” loan issue and said, “Students who use the state scholarship programs have to repay the amount in full after graduation. Why?” This question became an important agenda item to be discussed in the group’s meetings and DYLJ members in their meetings discussed the question every time.

In discussions, members became aware of the fact that other countries’ scholarship programs do not require repayment. They also learned that although Japan introduced a grant-type scholarship program, the program is insufficient in terms of how many students can use it and how much they can receive.

Seeking to improve the existing program, the DYLJ local group began conducting various activities, including a signature-collection campaign and a street survey of young people.

Based on these activities, the group established two goals go work for in their further activities. One is to submit to assemblies of municipalities where the group is working a petition demanding that a local assembly request the central government to expand the grant-type scholarship program. The other is to urge the Iida City government to create a city-run non-repayment scholarship program.

Regarding the former goal, four local assemblies in June adopted the DYLJ-submitted petition. The DYLJ group plans to push other municipal assemblies to approve its petition in September sessions.

Past related article:
> PM expresses his intention to create grant-type scholarship program [ March 31, 2016]