How far does an Open University of Japan student card go?
Last checked: September 16, 2026
放送大学 admits students in three categories. All three receive a student card and a university email address, yet merchants draw their eligibility lines in different places — and an automated enrolment check cannot see the difference. People pass verification, turn out to be outside the written terms, and get billed the gap months later. This page sets out what each category qualifies for, with sources.
The three categories
They differ in how long enrolment lasts and in the expiry printed on the card. Only 全科履修生 requires a graduation certificate to be posted in; the other two are completed entirely online. Tuition is ¥6,000 per credit, and a broadcast course carries two.
| Category | Admission fee | Enrolment | Card validity | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 科目履修生 — single coursesAbout ¥19,000 for admission plus one course | ¥7,000 | 6 months | 6 months | Not required |
| 選科履修生 — one yearAbout ¥21,000 for admission plus one course | ¥9,000 | 12 months | 12 months | Not required |
| 全科履修生 — degree-seekingAbout ¥36,000 for admission plus one course | ¥24,000 | Up to 10 years | 24 months | Required |
What each service accepts
The same card is read differently everywhere. Apple names 全科履修生 in its terms; Adobe arrives at the same answer through a rule about how long a plan lasts. Transport discounts are issued by the university itself.
| Service | 科目履修生 — single courses | 選科履修生 — one year | 全科履修生 — degree-seeking | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Education StoreStated in the termsThe terms name 放送大学全科履修生 and 修士全科生 explicitly. | Not eligible | Not eligible | Eligible | Application and review |
| Adobe Creative CloudStated in the termsAn annual plan requires student status to remain valid through the full term, which a six-month category cannot satisfy. | Not eligible | Not eligible | Eligible | University email address |
| JR・私鉄・バス（学割証）Stated in the termsThe certificate is issued by the university, and only for 全科履修生 travelling to a study centre. | Not eligible | Not eligible | Eligible | Application and review |
| 勤労学生控除 / JASSO在学猶予Stated in the terms | Not eligible | Not eligible | Eligible | Application and review |
| Amazon Prime StudentReported by usersSeparately from enrolment length, total membership is capped. | Eligible | Eligible | Eligible | University email address |
| Spotify Premium StudentStated in the termsRe-verification every twelve months, four years in total. | Depends on the external check | Depends on the external check | Depends on the external check | Third-party enrolment check |
| YouTube PremiumReported by users | Depends on the external check | Depends on the external check | Depends on the external check | Third-party enrolment check |
| 国立美術館キャンパスメンバーズReported by users | Eligible | Eligible | Eligible | Show the card |
An automated check cannot tell them apart
The university issues every category an address built from the student number and the same domain. A check that reads only the domain returns the same answer for someone four years into a degree and someone enrolled for six months. Third-party verification services share the gap, and it is usually where a pass that contradicts the written terms comes from.
What happened at 書泉グランデ
On 13 September 2026 the Jimbocho bookshop 書泉グランデ announced early access for students at a damaged-stock sale, and excluded 放送大学 cards specifically. The reason given was people holding enrolment without any intention of studying.
- Entry on production of a student card, with 放送大学 excluded.
- Criticism followed: discrimination between universities, and disregard for people studying while employed.
- Eligibility widened to 全科履修生. The criticism continued.
- That evening an apology, and eligibility widened down to junior high school. Omitting junior colleges and vocational schools drew fresh complaints.
- On 15 September the condition changed again, to students studying mathematics. No method of proof was given, and confusion followed.
Three rewrites in forty-eight hours, and it has still not settled. Drawing the line at enrolment category was tried at the second revision, and did not stop the criticism either. A rule that names a university will always be read by that university's students.
Is discount-driven enrolment growing?
On the university's own published intake figures, no. Admissions to 科目履修生 — the cheapest and shortest category — fell from 7,290 in 2012 to 5,325, about 27 percent. Over the same period degree-seeking 全科履修生 admissions rose 32 percent. The categories that make enrolment cheap are shrinking; the one demanding certificates and a long commitment is growing.
The proportion itself cannot be measured. No survey of enrolment motives offers a student-discount option, and people do not necessarily say. What these figures support is how the category counts moved, and no more.
Conditions change at each operator's discretion. Check the provider's current terms before applying.
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