Application Guidelines FAQ

📜 Online Application Form
First, please be sure to read through the application guidelines before continuing:
Application_Guidelines

💻General Procedures

・I have uploaded the required documents, but it seems that I cannot continue to the next section. What should I do?
Each document must be uploaded in a specific format. In the unlikely event that you are unable to proceed to the next section, it is possible that your documents have been uploaded in a format other than the one requested. The following documents MUST be uploaded in the format listed below. Other documents can ONLY be uploaded as PDF files.

・I realized I uploaded the wrong document on my application and re-uploaded the correct document, but when I check the uploaded document again, it still shows the wrong document. What should I do?
If there is a cache left on your PC, it may appear that way on the screen. Please close the screen, clear the cache, and reopen the form to confirm that the correct documents have been uploaded.

💡Section Based Questions 
＜Basic Information＞

・There is no faculty option in the SKP application form that is close to my major at my home university. I would like to take courses related to my major, but is it possible to select courses outside the faculty I am affiliated with?
It is possible to take courses offered by faculties other than the one you have chosen as your faculty, as long as they are listed on the course list handed to SKP students. (Courses that require specialized knowledge may not be available.)
Please note that SKP students can select courses only from the course lists for each track/campus distributed to them at the start of the course registration period. Students will not be able to choose from among all of the courses for regular students offered in English. 

For your reference please have a look at courses offered in past semesters from the link below:
Courses offered in past semesters

・A track other than the one I want to apply for is listed in the Basic Information section. What should I do?

For exchange students from Partner Universities: Please contact your home university Study abroad coordinator and consult with them. If your track will be changed, have your coordinator to submit a new nomination form, It is not possible to use the email address which is already registered, so inform your coordinator a different e-mail address of yours.
For self-sponsored students: Please use a different email address than the one you are already registered with and submit a new application form.

・Is it possible for SKP students to take courses at campuses other than which they are registered at? Or is it required that they take all their courses at one of them?

Students can take courses from other campuses, however, please be reminded of the following.
Intensive Japanese Learning （IJL） track students:
IJL track students will take a Japanese placement test prior to their arrival and will receive a prefixed timetable according to their class level. They may not be able to take additional courses if the courses conflict with their Japanese timetable.
In addition, for courses offered in English, RCE track students have the first priority to register for these courses. The IJL track is an Intensive Japanese Learning track and requires a lot of review as well as preparing for lessons. so, as a general rule, IJL students may register for a maximum of two (2) English courses.

Regular Courses in English （RCE ）track/Regular Courses in Japanese （RCJ） track students:
Please note that in general, students who are registered at the campus will receive the first priority to register for courses offered at that campus.

Notes:
For courses that have limited capacity, if the applicants exceed the capacity limit, a lottery will be held. Students may not be able to take their preferred courses.
Students should be mindful that it takes about 1 hour and a half one way to commute by public transportation between each campus.

＜Scholarship and Finacial Support Information＞

・I would like to apply for the JASSO Scholarship and RUSSES Scholarship available at Ritsumeikan University. Is it acceptable to mention the JASSO and RUSSES scholarships in the scholarship section?
In the column for scholarships you plan to receive, you do not need to list JASSO scholarship or RUSSES scholarship; please provide information on scholarships you plan to apply for other than JASSO scholarship and RUSSES scholarship.

・Is it possible for me to apply solely for the JASSO scholarship, or for the RUSSES scholarship?

It is not possible to select and apply for only one of the scholarships. Based on the submitted documents, the university will conduct an internal selection process and notify applicants only for the selected scholarships. Please understand that both the JASSO and RUSSES scholarships are highly competitive, and applicants may not be selected for either scholarship.

・I have been selected to receive a scholarship of more than 80,000 yen per month, which was not determined at the time of application. What should I do?

Students who receive other scholarships totaling more than 80,000 yen per month are required to contact the SKP staff as soon as possible. Please note that if you are found to be receiving a JASSO scholarship without declining it, you will have to pay back the scholarship you have already received, and you may also be subject to penalties such as revocation of your international student status.

＜Application for Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and Student Visa＞

・I do not have a passport valid until the end of my SKP study period and am currently renewing it. What should I do?

Please follow the procedures below.

①Submit one of the following documents to the application form.

＜If you already have a passport and are in the process of renewing it or intend to renew it ＞
Submit a copy of your current passport and a copy of your new passport application or a statement. In the statement, please indicate that you are renewing your passport in the same name order, date of birth, and gender as in your old passport.
The COE application should be submitted using the information provided in the statement or the copy of the application form for the new passport. If there are any changes, you will need to reapply for a COE, so please make sure to fill out the statement correctly.

<If you do not have a passport>
Please submit a copy of your new passport application or a statement. In the statement, please indicate that you are renewing your passport in the same name order, date of birth, and gender as written in your statement.
The COE application should be submitted using the information provided in the statement or the copy of the application form for the new passport. If there are any changes, you will need to reapply for a COE, so please make sure to fill out the statement correctly.

②Please send us a copy of your new passport as soon as you have it by e-mail with a password protected PDF file.

・I have entry/exit history to/from Japan, but when I renewed my passport in the past, I returned the old passport and cannot submit the stamped page. What should I do?

For the date of entry on the "Past Entries" sheet of the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) application form, please enter the date of arrival and departure based on the airline ticket reservation screen, etc. If you do not have your old passport, please select "No" in the field to select whether you have a passport record or not.

・In the section of the COE application form where I indicate how I will pay for my expenses, can I include information about scholarships that I have not yet been selected to receive ?

Please list only those grant type scholarships that you have been selected to receive.
If you intend to submit a certificate of loan-type scholarship, please be reminded that the Immigration Services Agency of Japan has detailed requirements for loan-type scholarship certificates. For information, please check the URL below of the Immigration and Residence Management Agency. Students should be mindful that in some cases COE issuance may take time. 

 Website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan

＜Other Application Materials＞

・For Certificates verifying financial support, can I submit documents other than bank balance certificates and income certificates?

In general, please submit a bank balance certificate or income certificate of the person who will pay the expenses. For bank balance certificates, important information such as the name of the bank, name of the bank holder, type of account, final balance, and date of issue should be highlighted in colored pen, and the currency should be converted to Japanese yen. Documents should be written in Japanese or English. For other languages, please attach translations. If the applicant is submitting a bank balance or income certificate from a person other than the applicant, please have the same person sign the Certificate of Finacial Support and submit it as well.

・Upon submitting the required documents at  No. 6 "Other Application Materials" section, when I click on the submit button it returns back to the "Basic Information" section. What should I do?

If there is still cache on your PC, it may appear that way on the screen. If you have pressed the submit button, please close the screen once, clear the cache, and re-open the form. The problem may be resolved.

💊Health Registration Form

I am not currently undergoing treatment; do I need to submit a medical certificate?

Students who are not undergoing treatment do not need to submit a medical certificate. However, students who are currently undergoing treatment or need follow-up for a major illness or surgery should be sure to submit the Medical Certificate and Prescription Form specified by Ritsumeikan University.

I plan to bring medicines into Japan, what are the procedures?

 If you need to bring medication more than 1month supply with you or medication that is not approved in Japan, you will need to complete a “"Yunyu Kakunin-sho (Yakkan Shoumei-shol)”. For details, please be sure to check the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website and complete the required procedures.