The Association of Teachers of Japanese Bridging Project offers scholarships to American undergraduate students participating in study-abroad programs in Japan. Funding from private foundations and major U.S. corporations has made it possible for ATJ to award 100 scholarships annually to assist students with the travel and living expenses they will incur while studying abroad in Japan for a semester or an academic year. Contributors to the scholarship fund include Citigroup, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Estee Lauder Group of Companies, The Freeman Foundation, Harmon International Industries, Hartford Financial Services Group, Goldman Sachs, Lockheed Martin, Morgan Stanley, Nishimoto Trading Co., Shinsei Bank, and Weyerhaeuser.

Application form : http://www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj/pdf_files/bridging_app2.PDF

Undergraduate students majoring in any field of study are eligible to apply for these scholarships. Japanese language study is not a prerequisite. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and must be enrolled as undergraduates in a college or university in the United States before and during the time they are studying abroad. (For a list of the most recent recipients of the Bridging Scholarship, scroll down to the bottom of this page.)

Bridging Scholarship recipients receive a stipend of $2,500 (for students on semester-long programs) or $4,000 (for students on academic year programs). Students studying in Japan on summer programs are not eligible to apply.

Applications for Bridging Scholarships are accepted twice a year: the next deadline, for students who will be studying in Japan beginning in Fall 2007, is April 5, 2007. Fifty scholarships will be awarded for Fall 2007.

Please submit three copies of all materials except letters of recommendation and transcripts. Faxed or e-mailed applications will not be accepted. All materials must be received by the end of business on Friday, April 5. The results of the competition will be announced by the end of May. Selection will be made by a committee and will be based on academic potential and financial need.

Each scholarship recipient will be expected to send a brief report about his or her study in Japan to the ATJ office within 60 days of returning from abroad. These reports will be valuable both for students who plan to study abroad in Japan and for teachers and advisors who are helping students to select suitable programs of study.

Instructions for Applicants

Please submit the following to the ATJ office:

1.  A completed application form (three copies). A printed application can be requested from the ATJ office by phone, fax, or e-mail, or downloaded in text format or pdf format. (You may need to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view and print the pdf version of the form.) If you can’t download the form, please request one from the ATJ office by phone, fax, or e-mail.
2. A short essay (up to 500 words) explaining your interest in study abroad in Japan (three copies).
3. An official transcript from your college or university.
4. A letter of recommendation from someone who knows you and is knowledgeable about your abilities and potential, preferably a professor or instructor in your major field. (This may either be submitted together with the application or mailed separately to the ATJ office; please note that it must be received by the application deadline date in order for your application to be considered.) Faxed or e-mailed letters will not be accepted.

For further information on the Bridging Scholarships or the application procedure, please contact Susan Schmidt, Executive Director of the Bridging Project Clearinghouse, at the ATJ office: atj@colorado.edu.

Bridging Project Clearinghouse
Association of Teachers of Japanese
Campus Box 279
240 Humanities Building
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0279
Phone: 303-492-5487 Fax:303-492-5856
E-mail: atj@colorado.edu
Web: www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj