Temple Japan experience for U.S. students — academics, aid, campus life, and Philly transfer?
Hi everyone,
I’m hoping to hear from current or recent Temple University Japan students, especially anyone who started at TUJ and later transferred to Temple’s Philadelphia campus.
We’re looking into TUJ for a U.S. student living abroad who may be interested in International Business, Communications, or a related major. The idea would be to start at TUJ, complete as many credits as possible there, and then possibly transfer to the Philadelphia campus for the final year.
A few questions:
- Is a 2+1 path realistic or better for 3+1? For example, completing spring, summer, and fall sessions for about two years at TUJ, then finishing the last year in Philadelphia through the Fly to Philly Program. Is this actually doable in terms of course availability, required major classes, gen eds, and electives?
- Are there enough courses offered at TUJ to take a heavier credit load? We’re wondering whether students can realistically complete a lot of credits in Japan before moving to Philly, or whether course availability becomes limiting.
- How is the recent experience with staff, advising, and professors? We’ve seen some negative reviews online, but many seem to be from a few years ago. Would love to hear what the current or recent student experience is actually like.
- What is the campus community like? Are there many U.S. students or international English-speaking students? Is it easy to make friends and navigate campus life in English?
- How much Japanese is really needed day to day? The student is open to learning and acclimating, but we’re trying to understand whether someone can comfortably start college there without feeling overwhelmed by both college transition and a major language barrier.
- How does U.S. financial aid/Pell Grant work at TUJ? For U.S. students attending TUJ, how smoothly does FAFSA/Pell Grant funding apply to tuition and school fees? Does the aid apply directly to the student account like it would at a U.S. campus, or do students usually need to pay upfront and get reimbursed later?
Also, has anyone used summer Pell Grant while studying at TUJ? Since we’re considering a heavier spring/summer/fall credit plan, we’re trying to understand whether summer Pell works normally there and whether it can help cover summer tuition if the student is enrolled in enough credits.
Any honest experiences, advice, warnings, or success stories would be really appreciated. Thank you!