The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) pays for a development-related master’s degree for mid-career professionals from developing countries. It covers tuition, basic medical insurance, a monthly living stipend, a return economy flight and a US$600 travel allowance per trip, for up to two years. You can use it only at one of 44 participating master’s programmes at 24 universities in the United States, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Japan, and you must be admitted to that programme before you apply.
The World Bank has already published the 2027 dates for developing country nationals. Window 1 runs from 18 January to 26 February 2027, and Window 2 runs from 29 March to 21 May 2027. Which window you use depends on the programme you are admitted to. Below are the eligibility rules (they are strict and applied without exceptions), the benefits, the selection scoring, and a timeline that works backwards from those deadlines.
Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funder | Government of Japan, run by the World Bank’s Development Economics Vice Presidency |
| Running since | 1987; more than 7,000 scholars from 160 developing countries and Japan |
| Where you study | One of 44 participating master’s programmes at 24 universities |
| Who can apply | Citizens of eligible developing World Bank member countries with three years of paid development work |
| Duration | Length of the programme or two years, whichever is shorter |
| Return rule | Go back to your home country after the degree |
| Application fee | Free |
| Deadline | Window 1: 26 February 2027. Window 2: 21 May 2027 |
What the JJ/WBGSP scholarship covers
- Tuition for your participating master’s programme.
- Basic medical insurance bought through the university.
- Monthly living stipend while you are on campus, meant for rent, food and books. The amount depends on the host country.
- Round-trip economy airfare between your home country and the university, at the start and end of the scholarship.
- Travel allowance of US$600 for each of those two trips.
Costs it does not cover
The World Bank names these as excluded: visa costs, family members’ expenses, extracurricular courses, research and internship costs, computers and residence permit fees. Add the costs before the award starts too: application fees for the master’s programmes, English tests, and document translation if your diploma is not in English.
Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship eligibility
The guidelines say you judge your own eligibility and the Secretariat will not do it for you. Every one of these must be true on the deadline of your window:
- Nationality: citizen of a developing World Bank member country listed in Annex 1 of the guidelines, and not a dual citizen of any developed country. Most African countries, and developing countries across Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific, are on the list.
- Degree date: a bachelor’s degree or equivalent earned at least three years before the deadline.
- Work history: at least three years of paid, development-related work since that degree, all within the six years before the deadline.
- Current job: a paid, full-time development-related job at the time you apply.
- Admission: admitted unconditionally (except for funding) to a participating programme located outside both your country of citizenship and your country of residence.
- Not already enrolled: students already in a participating programme cannot apply.
- No World Bank ties: you are not a World Bank Group staff member, Executive Director or alternate, or a close relative of one (parent, sibling, child, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew).
- No earlier award: you have not declined a JJ/WBGSP scholarship before or left one without graduating, and you are in good health.
Edge cases that trip people up
- Studying in your own region: a Kenyan cannot use a programme in Kenya, and a Kenyan living in the UK cannot use a UK programme either.
- Unpaid work: volunteering and unpaid research do not count towards the three years.
- Fragile and conflict-affected countries: applicants from countries in Annex 3 get some flexibility on job history and referees, but must upload proof of successive employment.
- Pre-sessional English courses: you can still be considered, but finalists need written confirmation that passing the course is not a condition of admission.
- Visa conditions: an admission letter that mentions visa requirements or first-year grades is still treated as unconditional. A letter asking for missing documents or proof of English is not.
Participating programmes and the two windows
You do not pick any university you like. The World Bank publishes two lists, one per window, covering 44 master’s programmes at 24 universities. Listings of the 2027 programmes include, among others:
| Window | Application dates | Example universities |
|---|---|---|
| Window 1 | 18 January to 26 February 2027 | Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Yale, UC Berkeley, Brandeis, Williams College, University of Tsukuba |
| Window 2 | 29 March to 21 May 2027 | University of Tokyo, GRIPS, Keio, Australian National University, Oxford, LSE, SOAS, Leeds, IHE Delft, Erasmus University |
Check the official list for your window before you apply to any programme, since being admitted to a different master’s at the same university does not count. If Japan is your main target, our Japan scholarships guide covers MEXT, ADB-JSP and university awards you can apply for in parallel. For the US programmes on the list, compare funding in our best American scholarships for international students roundup.
How to apply for the Joint Japan/World Bank scholarship
- Get admitted first: apply to one or more participating programmes in the year before. Each university sets its own admission deadline, and Window 1 closes in February, so plan your master’s applications for the year before.
- Wait for the link: the World Bank sends the application link only to candidates admitted to a participating programme and shortlisted by the university.
- Send the recommendation request form first: it must be submitted before the main form. You need exactly two professional recommenders who supervised or worked with you in paid jobs after your degree.
- Prepare uploads: proof of development work, your bachelor’s diploma (and highest graduate diploma), a CV in the Annex 4 format, and the unconditional admission letter. Transcripts do not replace diplomas.
- Translate where needed: upload an English translation next to any non-English document. Free online translation is accepted; certified translation is not required.
- Fill the form on a computer: phones are not supported. Write in English or the language of your programme, and submit only one application.
- Submit a week early: the Secretariat recommends it, and it does not promise replies to emails sent within three business days of the deadline.
A working timeline for the 2027 windows
The admission letter is the step that sinks most applicants, because it has to be unconditional by your window’s deadline. Working backwards from the official dates, a realistic plan looks like this:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Now to December 2026 | Pick programmes from the official Window 1 and Window 2 lists, book an English test if your programme needs one, and apply for admission |
| December 2026 to January 2027 | Ask two paid-work supervisors to act as recommenders; collect diplomas, proof of employment and translations; write your CV in the Annex 4 format |
| 18 January to 26 February 2027 | Window 1: submit the recommendation request form, then the application, at least a week before the close |
| 29 March to 21 May 2027 | Window 2: same steps for Window 2 programmes |
| After the deadline | Scoring, finalist selection and Steering Committee approval, then offers to winners |
If an offer arrives with conditions, clear them before your window closes. A letter that still asks for a final transcript is accepted only if the programme confirms the condition was met by the deadline, so ask your admissions office for that confirmation in writing.
How applications are scored
Two assessors score each eligible application from 1 to 10 on its own. The Secretariat averages the scores, then picks finalists with geographic spread, gender balance, hardship and access to money in mind. The Steering Committee approves the list. The weights are:
| Criterion | Weight | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Professional experience | 30% | Clear development work with responsibility and results |
| Professional recommendations | 30% | Detailed letters from paid-work supervisors |
| Commitment to home country | 30% | A specific plan to return and apply the degree |
| Education background | 10% | Grades and relevant training |
Ninety percent of the score is about your work and your plans, so spend most of your effort on the essay answers. Start each answer with a concrete fact about your job, for example: “Since 2021 I have led the procurement unit of Malawi’s rural water programme, which serves 140,000 people across four districts.” Then link the master’s to one problem in that job and say what you will do after you return. You may not draft any part of your recommendations, so brief your referees on what you need them to describe instead.
After you are selected
- Identity: send your passport ID page within three business days of the offer. The name must match your application.
- Medical certificate: from a doctor, less than three months old at programme start, sent at least 21 days before travel.
- US students: scholars at US universities must travel on a J-1 visa, or the scholarship is withdrawn.
- No transfers: the award is tied to the programme you applied with.
Common mistakes
- Applying with a conditional offer that still asks for an English score.
- Using a professor as a referee when you are not from an Annex 3 country.
- Counting work from before your degree or older than six years.
- Submitting two applications, which disqualifies both.
- Applying in the wrong window for your programme.
JJ/WBGSP compared with similar scholarships
| Scholarship | Where | Work experience | Admission first? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship | 44 listed programmes | Three years, paid | Yes |
| Australia Awards Scholarships | Australia | Five years for Africa | No |
| Aga Khan Foundation scholarship | Any reputable university | Preferred, not fixed | Yes |
| MEXT and other Japan scholarships | Japan | Usually none | Varies |
Who should apply and who shouldn’t
Apply if you have three or more years in paid development work (government, NGOs, public health, finance ministries, utilities and similar), you are working now, and you can get admitted to one of the listed programmes. Skip it if you are a fresh graduate, if your work is purely commercial with no development angle, or if you want to stay abroad after the degree.
Frequently asked questions
Can Africans apply for the Joint Japan World Bank scholarship?
Yes. Citizens of developing World Bank member countries on the Annex 1 list can apply, and that includes most African countries, as long as they are not dual citizens of a developed country.
Can I study in my own country with JJ/WBGSP?
No. The programme must be outside both your country of citizenship and your country of residence.
How much is the JJ/WBGSP monthly stipend?
The World Bank does not publish one figure. The stipend is set by host country to cover rent, food and books, on top of tuition, insurance, flights and US$600 per trip.
What is the JJ/WBGSP deadline for 2027?
26 February 2027 for Window 1 programmes (opens 18 January) and 21 May 2027 for Window 2 programmes (opens 29 March).
Sources and updates
Checked on 25 October 2026 against the World Bank’s JJ/WBGSP page (benefits, exclusions, 2027 windows, eligibility, selection weights, return commitment) and the 2027 Application Guidelines for Developing Country Nationals, Window 1 (updated August 2026), which set the admission letter, recommendation, document and finalist rules. The example universities come from published listings of the 2027 programmes; the World Bank’s own programme lists are the final word. The 2026 Window 2 deadline was 29 May 2026. This post will be updated if the Bank changes the 2027 windows.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
