Translation guide
A loan taken out by a student to pay for educational expenses. In Japanese, the most common term is 奨学金 (shougakukin), which literally means 'scholarship' but often refers to a repayable loan. It's important to distinguish between loans and grants, as the same word can cause confusion.
The most common way to refer to a student loan in Japan, typically a loan that must be repaid after graduation.
This is the standard term for a student loan in Japan, though it literally means 'scholarship'. Most Japanese 奨学金 are loans that must be repaid. Use this in most contexts.
大学の学費は奨学金でまかなっています。
I'm covering my university tuition with a student loan.
卒業後、毎月奨学金を返済しています。
After graduation, I repay my student loan every month.
A direct loanword from English, used for private student loans or when emphasizing the loan aspect. Less common than 奨学金 but understood.
銀行の学生ローンを利用するつもりです。
I plan to use a bank's student loan.
Literally 'education loan', often used for loans taken by parents for their children's education, but can also refer to student loans.
教育ローンを組んで子供を大学に行かせた。
I took out an education loan to send my child to university.
When you want to specify a scholarship that does not need to be repaid, as opposed to a loan.
This explicitly means a 'grant-type scholarship' that does not require repayment. Use this to avoid confusion with repayable loans.
給付型奨学金をもらえることになりました。
I was awarded a grant-type scholarship.
Can also mean a non-repayable scholarship, but context is needed. If you want to be clear it's a grant, use 給付型奨学金.
この奨学金は返済不要です。
This scholarship does not need to be repaid.
Referring to the debt or financial burden from student loans.
Means 'repayment of student loans'. Commonly used when discussing the burden of paying back loans.
奨学金の返済が大変です。
Paying back my student loans is tough.
Literally 'student loan debt'. More direct about the debt aspect.
奨学金の借金が数百万円あります。
I have several million yen in student loan debt.
In Japan, 奨学金 (shougakukin) most commonly refers to a loan that must be repaid, not a free scholarship. If you want to talk about a grant or scholarship that doesn't need repayment, specify 給付型奨学金 (kyuufugata shougakukin) or clarify that it's 返済不要 (hensai fuyou, 'no repayment required').
学生ローン (gakusei roon) is specifically for students, while 教育ローン (kyouiku roon) is often taken out by parents for their children's education. Both are loans, but the borrower differs.