The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is pushing to eliminate income restrictions on tuition subsidies for households with high school students from next year. This aims to make tuition essentially free for all high schools, including private schools in Tokyo.
At present, families with children attending public high schools in Tokyo receive tuition fee support through direct payments from the government to the schools. Meanwhile, for households with students in private schools in the city, an annual subsidy of approximately ¥475,000 is provided by the national and city governments.
But these subsidies currently apply exclusively to households with an annual income equivalent to or less than ¥9.1 million.
As the cost of living soars and inflation takes its toll, households with an annual income of ¥9.1 million find themselves grappling with an increasing economic burden. The decision to eradicate income restrictions was also taken into account Tokyo’s unique landscape, characterized by a higher prevalence of private schools with heftier tuition fees than public schools. The city aims to implement these changes for the upcoming fiscal year, signaling a transformative shift towards alleviating the financial burden of education