Pay Forward Fund

Since its foundation, donors have empowered ICU students with their contributions. The Pay Forward Fund was established in 2021 to hand over the baton of support to the next generation to make sure that no students will have to forgo the ICU experience for financial reasons. With thoughtful gifts from many donors, we have started the Pay Forward Fund in AY2024 with 8.4 billion yen, including that incorporated from the university’s endowment. We would like to express our deepest appreciation for your enduring support. Operating profits from this fund have enabled us to expand our scholarship system on a large scale with the introduction of the “ICU Torch Relay Scholarship”, which provides tuition waivers for one term, and to extend the scope of the “ICU Peace Bell Scholarship” to fully cover tuition and dormitory fees. The “ICU Cherry Blossom Scholarship” also supports students from outside the Tokyo metropolitan area by securing two-thirds of their tuition in advance. Furthermore, we offer programs such as the “ICU Study Abroad and Experiential Learning Scholarship” to support students who require financial assistance for study abroad and other experiential learning opportunities. The Pay Forward Fund will be operated as part of the ICU Fund, as a long-term source for grant-type scholarships. Despite our intense efforts to cut spending, new challenges, such as the depreciation of the yen and rising costs, may force us to raise tuition fees. As economic disparity expands with more students needing support, we ask you to continue your cooperation to achieve the goal set three years ago of increasing our scholarship rate to 25% of the student body.