Assistance Benefit for School Expenses

Saitama City offers financial assistance for families who have difficulties in purchasing school supplies and paying school lunch fees for their child/children attending or expecting to enter into elementary/junior high school. Please read this information leaflet carefully and submit your application accordingly should you wish to apply for support assistance. In addition, you will need to renew your application each year should you wish to continue receiving support assistance payments through the next school year.

Eligibility:

Families residing in Saitama City with child/children attending or expecting to enter elementary/junior high school, and any family members aged 16 or over and must satisfy one of the following circumstances. However, families receiving public assistance (生活保護) and/or with child/children attending schools such as special needs school and non-Japanese school are not eligible.

 1.   Your public assistance (生活保護) has been suspended or terminated.
 2.   You are exempted from inhabitant tax (市民税).
 3.   You are receiving a reduction or exemption on individual enterprise tax (個人事業税).
 4.   You are receiving a reduction or exemption on the fixed asset tax (固定資産税) of your residence property due to a natural disaster or such.
 5.   You are exempted from paying national pension premiums (国民年金の保険料).
 6.   You are receiving a reduction or exemption on your national health insurance tax.
 7.   You are receiving child support allowance (児童扶養手当) (not child allowance (児童手当) or special child support allowance (特別児童扶養手当)).
 8.   You are receiving a living welfare fund loan (生活福祉資金).
 9.   You are unemployed and qualify for unemployment insurance (雇用保険) benefits.
 10. You have difficulties sending your child/children to school due to financial reasons, however criteria 1-9 does not apply to your situation and that you do not qualify for public assistance.

Special Education and School Attendance Incentive Subsidy

Saitama will pay a part of the cost of school lunch and school supplies to parents of eligible children. Your household income will determine whether or not you qualify for this subsidy. The subsidy amount varies according to your household income.

Eligibility:

Households with children attending special needs classes at elementary or junior high schools in Saitama City.

School Student Loans

Under this program, high school students and university students are provided with financial assistance in the form student loans.

Eligibility:

High school students and university students who are having financial difficulties.