What is Japan's high school tuition support payment
The High School Tuition Support Payment (高等学校等就学支援金) is a national program that pays toward high school tuition. Starting FY2026 (Reiwa 8), the income test was removed for Japanese nationals, so every student now gets a flat annual amount based on school type (national, public, or private full-time/correspondence), regardless of household income.
The program for non-Japanese nationals still applies an income test: a calculated amount derived from municipal resident tax determines a 3-tier amount, at under ¥154,500, ¥154,500 to under ¥304,200, and ¥304,200 or more (not eligible). Prefecture-level tuition reduction subsidies are separate from this national program and vary by prefecture.
This shows only the national tuition support cap (actual payment is capped at your tuition if tuition is lower). Prefecture top-up subsidies must be confirmed separately. The Japanese-national and non-Japanese-national programs differ (income test presence). Figures are current as of FY2026 (Reiwa 8). Osaka Prefecture and some other municipalities run their own additional tuition-free scheme structured differently.
How much do you get from Japan's high school tuition support? Full table by school type
Starting FY2026 (Reiwa 8), the income test was removed for Japanese nationals, so every student gets a flat amount by school type: ¥115,200 (national), ¥118,800 (public), ¥457,200 (private full-time), and ¥337,200 (private correspondence). Non-Japanese nationals still face an income test, with the payment set at 3 tiers based on a calculated amount: under ¥154,500, ¥154,500 to under ¥304,200, and ¥304,200 or more (not eligible).
How to calculate it
- Choose your nationality - Japanese national or non-Japanese national.
- If Japanese national, just select your school type (national, public, private full-time, or private correspondence) to see the national support cap automatically.
- If non-Japanese national, enter your calculated amount (yen), derived from municipal resident tax.
- A calculated amount under ¥154,500 gets the school-type cap for that tier; ¥154,500 to under ¥304,200 gets a flat ¥118,800; ¥304,200 or more is not eligible (¥0).
- Prefecture top-up subsidies are separate - select your prefecture and check its official page for the exact amount.
How the calculated amount works (non-Japanese nationals)
Calculated amount = municipal resident tax taxable standard amount x 6% - adjustment deduction (combined for both parents)
- Calculated amount under ¥154,500 (Tier 1): ¥396,000 for private full-time, ¥297,000 for private correspondence, ¥118,800 for national/public
- Calculated amount ¥154,500 to under ¥304,200 (Tier 2): a flat ¥118,800 regardless of school type
- Calculated amount ¥304,200 or more (Tier 3): not eligible (¥0) - roughly household income of ¥9.1 million or more
Quick answers
For a private high school (full-time), how much is paid in FY2026?
¥457,200 - the national support cap for Japanese nationals, since there's no income test.
What about a public high school (full-time)?
¥118,800 (Japanese national, no income test).
What about a national high school (full-time)?
¥115,200.
What about a private high school (correspondence course)?
¥337,200.
For a non-Japanese national with a calculated amount of ¥100,000, how much for private full-time?
¥396,000, since the calculated amount is under the ¥154,500 tier boundary.
For a non-Japanese national with a calculated amount of ¥310,000, what's the result?
Not eligible (¥0), since the calculated amount is ¥304,200 or more.
For a non-Japanese national with a calculated amount of ¥200,000 at a public school, how much?
¥118,800 - that falls in the ¥154,500-to-under-¥304,200 tier.
What changed from FY2025 to FY2026?
The income test was abolished for Japanese nationals, and the private full-time cap rose from ¥396,000 to ¥457,200.
Japanese nationals: national support cap by school type (FY2026, no income test)
| School type | National support cap (annual) |
|---|
| National high school (full-time, etc.) | ¥115,200 |
| Public high school (full-time, etc.) | ¥118,800 |
| Private high school (full-time, etc.) | ¥457,200 |
| Private high school (correspondence course) | ¥337,200 |
Non-Japanese nationals: tiers by calculated amount
| Calculated amount tier | National support cap (annual) |
|---|
| Under ¥154,500 | ¥396,000 private full-time / ¥297,000 private correspondence / ¥118,800 national or public |
| ¥154,500 to under ¥304,200 | Flat ¥118,800 |
| ¥304,200 or more | Not eligible (¥0) |
Frequently asked questions
How much do you get from Japan's high school tuition support?
Japanese nationals get a flat amount by school type - ¥115,200 (national), ¥118,800 (public), ¥457,200 (private full-time), or ¥337,200 (private correspondence). Non-Japanese nationals get ¥0, ¥118,800, or ¥396,000 (¥297,000 correspondence), depending on their calculated amount tier.
When was the income test abolished?
Starting FY2026 (Reiwa 8), the income test was abolished for Japanese-national students. The separate program for non-Japanese nationals still applies an income test.
How much do private high schools get?
Japanese nationals: ¥457,200 for full-time, ¥337,200 for correspondence - both up from the prior full-time cap of ¥396,000. Non-Japanese nationals: ¥396,000 full-time / ¥297,000 correspondence if the calculated amount is under ¥154,500; ¥118,800 at ¥154,500 to under ¥304,200; not eligible at ¥304,200 or more.
How is the tuition support payment calculated?
Japanese nationals just pick a school type for a flat amount. Non-Japanese nationals compute a calculated amount from municipal resident tax (taxable standard amount x 6% minus the adjustment deduction, combined for both parents), then match it to one of 3 tiers.
What about prefecture top-up subsidies?
Separate from the national payment, your prefecture may add its own tuition reduction subsidy. Check your prefecture's official page for the exact amount. Osaka Prefecture is moving to its own scheme starting FY2026 that makes private high school tuition effectively free, structured differently from other prefectures.
This shows only the national tuition support cap (actual payment is capped at your tuition if tuition is lower). Prefecture top-up subsidies must be confirmed separately. The Japanese-national and non-Japanese-national programs differ (income test presence). Figures are current as of FY2026 (Reiwa 8). Osaka Prefecture and some other municipalities run their own additional tuition-free scheme structured differently.
Sources: MEXT - High School Tuition Support Payment System, MEXT FY2026 (Reiwa 8) leaflet (PDF), Osaka Prefecture - Private high school tuition support (official)