New Life International School

1. Inquiries and eligibility: New Life International School welcomes inquiries from all interested students. Students are accepted throughout the year.

2. Application and admissions fees: Submit the application for entrance to elementary, junior high, or high school and pay the application fee of 10,000 yen at the time of application. All admissions fees are non-refundable.

3. Age & grade placement: Students are placed primarily by age. Grade 1 begins at age 6, with an April 1 cut-off date, though this may be adjusted for students transferring from overseas or from schools with different calendars.

4. English language requirement: All students are interviewed and assessed to determine English proficiency and readiness. An oral English interview lasts 10–20 minutes, and at least one parent is interviewed in English or Japanese. Overseas families may complete interviews online. Students entering Grades 2–5 with limited English may be accepted if highly motivated and willing to attend after-school ESL classes (additional fees apply). Students in Grade 6 and above must be able to speak, read, and write in English.

5. Reading & math assessments: All students take reading and math assessments (30–60 minutes) to determine placement and support needs.

6. Agreement to school policies: At least one parent must read and agree to the NLIS Handbook and school policies. Students are also expected to follow school rules. Upon acceptance, families submit required documents, including contracts, health records, and permission forms.

7. Transfers: Transfers for English Students, Homeschoolers, and Japanese School Students are welcomed; NLIS offers flexible placement and support to help students make up missed credits and transition smoothly. Permanent records, transcripts, and a letter of recommendation are required for all students.

8. Uniforms and related expectations: Uniforms are required. Elementary students wear NLIS T-shirts daily; short-sleeved shirts are currently 1,600 yen and long-sleeved shirts 2,000 yen, with colors available in black, white, and blue. Junior high and high school students wear a navy blazer, trousers, a white shirt, a tie for boys, a bow tie for girls, and sweater vests in winter; during PE and field trips, a NLIS T-shirt is worn, and a jacket is worn in winter for PE. All elementary students must wear a school badge on days they are not wearing a school shirt; the first badge is free, and each additional badge costs 300 yen. (Uniform details also cover winter wear and badge policies.)

(References: Admissions page for enrollment steps and requirements; Fees page for fee items such as application fee and tuition. )

Waitlist/Pool: NLIS accepts students year-round; the admissions information indicates that students are accepted throughout the year and does not describe a published waitlist or enrollment pool. This implies there is no formal waitlist process described in the available admissions details.

Scholarships: NLIS does not list a separate scholarships program on its site. The Fees page outlines the application fee (10,000 yen), entrance fees by level (elementary 180,000 yen; junior high 120,000 yen; high school 150,000 yen) plus a non-refundable status, annual building fees (70,000 yen), insurance fees, and a 27% tuition reduction for siblings. The tuition amounts are 804,000 yen per year (67,000 yen per month) for the first child and 588,000 yen per year (49,000 yen per month) for subsequent children, with a 27% reduction applying only to tuition. A late payment fee (30,000 yen) and a withdrawal fee (30,000 yen) apply, and the school follows a plan to increase the first child's monthly tuition by 2,000 yen every other year and the sibling tuition by 1,000 yen. There is no separate scholarship program described.