When sending their children abroad to study, many parents assume that having a part-time job will allow their children to cover at least part of their living expenses. Therefore, when their child still asks for financial support at the end of the month, parents may wonder: “If my child has a part-time job, why do they still run out of money?”
However, needing additional financial support does not necessarily mean that a student is spending money irresponsibly. What matters more is understanding where the money is going and whether the child’s studies, work and daily life are stable.
Instead of simply asking, “What did you spend all your money on?”, parents can start with a few different questions.
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ASKING FOR MORE MONEY DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN YOUR CHILD IS SPENDING TOO MUCH
A student may have a part-time job but still find that their income is not enough to cover all their monthly expenses.
Rent, utilities, transport, food, phone bills, personal necessities and unexpected expenses all need to be paid. Some months may also involve additional costs such as medical treatment, study materials, moving expenses or other expenses that the family had not anticipated.
In addition, the number of working hours may vary depending on the student’s study and work schedules.
According to official information from Study in Japan, the average monthly income from part-time work among international students surveyed is around JPY 81,000. The organisation also advises international students not to build their financial plans entirely around part-time work.
Therefore, a student asking for additional money one month is not, by itself, enough to conclude that they are poor at managing money.
What parents need to pay attention to is whether this situation happens repeatedly and what is causing it.
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ASK THESE FOUR QUESTIONS INSTEAD OF SIMPLY ASKING “WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?”
When your child says, “I’ve run out of money this month,” try asking calmly:
“How much did you earn from your part-time job this month?”
“What are your regular monthly expenses?”
“Did you have any unexpected expenses this month?”
“How much financial support do you think you will need next month?”
These questions help parents understand the actual situation without turning the conversation into an interrogation.
If the child can clearly explain how much they earn, what they spend and how much they may need next month, this is a positive sign that they are gradually learning to manage their own life.
On the other hand, if they repeatedly do not know where their money has gone, the amount they ask for keeps increasing and they have no plan for the following month, parents may need to look into the situation more carefully.
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LOOK AT STUDY AND WORK, NOT JUST MONEY
One important point for parents to remember is that the amount of money a child earns is not the only way to assess how they are doing.
If a student is working a lot but:
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Their attendance at school is declining.
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Their academic performance is getting worse.
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They are frequently sleep-deprived.
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They are constantly tired.
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They no longer have enough time to study Japanese.
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They frequently ask to change shifts or miss classes because of work.
parents should talk to them about maintaining a healthy balance between study and part-time work.
According to official guidance from Study in Japan, part-time work must not interfere with a student’s studies, and international students must comply with the permitted working hours and other relevant conditions. The organisation also warns that excessive part-time work can lead to poor attendance and may cause problems when extending a student’s period of stay.
Therefore, if a child occasionally needs additional financial support but is studying well, remains healthy and is learning to manage their spending, parents do not necessarily need to be overly worried.
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WHEN SHOULD PARENTS PAY CLOSER ATTENTION?
Occasionally asking for additional money can be completely normal.
However, if the following signs appear repeatedly, parents should have a conversation with their child:
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They ask for additional money every month but cannot clearly explain their main expenses.
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The amount of financial support they need keeps increasing.
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They are working more but still frequently run short of money.
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Their studies or attendance are declining.
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They frequently complain about tiredness, lack of sleep or stress.
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They do not want to talk about their work, school or daily life.
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They suddenly want to stop studying or leave their job because of financial pressure.
In these situations, the most important question is not:
“Why are you spending so much?”
Instead, ask:
“What kind of difficulty are you having at the moment?”
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DO NOT ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO WORK MORE JUST TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE FAMILY SENDS
When a child asks for money, some parents may immediately respond:
“Get a part-time job. Don’t keep asking us for money.”
But this is not necessarily the best solution.
The main purpose of studying abroad is still education. Part-time work should only provide additional support for living expenses and must be carried out in accordance with the relevant regulations.
If the child is short of money because they do not know how to manage their spending, the solution may be to adjust their budget.
If the problem is that actual living costs are higher than expected, the family may need to review the financial plan.
If the child is short of money because they are working too few hours, they may need to consider a job that fits their study schedule better.
And if the financial problem is caused by another difficulty, parents should first understand the underlying issue before asking their child to work more.
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AGREE ON A SIMPLE WAY TO MANAGE MONEY
Parents do not necessarily need to check every receipt their child receives.
Instead, both sides can agree on a simple monthly budget covering:
Fixed expenses: rent, utilities, phone bills and transport.
Living expenses: food and personal necessities.
Emergency funds: money set aside for unexpected expenses.
Savings: if the child’s income and circumstances allow.
At the end of each month, they only need to review three things:
How much did the child earn?
What were the main expenses?
What needs to be adjusted for the following month?
This approach helps children learn to take responsibility for their finances while still maintaining their independence.
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DO NOT JUDGE YOUR CHILD ONLY BY HOW MUCH MONEY THEY SEND HOME
An international student may have a part-time job and be able to send money back to Vietnam, but that does not necessarily mean that everything in their life is going well.
On the other hand, some students may not yet be able to send money home but may be studying well, improving their Japanese, taking care of themselves and gradually becoming more independent.
For parents, it is more important to consider:
Is my child attending classes regularly?
Is their language ability improving?
Are they healthy?
Do they know how to manage their money?
Can they deal with everyday problems independently?
Are they developing a clear plan for the years ahead?
These questions give parents a much more complete picture than simply looking at how much their child earns each month.
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WHEN YOUR CHILD ASKS FOR MONEY, SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THEM BETTER
A child living far from home does not mean that parents need to control every expense.
But it also does not mean that parents should simply transfer money whenever their child asks.
If your child frequently needs additional financial support, see it as a signal for both sides to sit down and look at the situation together.
Perhaps they are not managing their spending effectively.
Perhaps the actual cost of living is higher than expected.
Perhaps their part-time income is unstable.
Or perhaps they are facing a difficulty that they do not yet know how to share with their family.
The most important thing is to understand the cause, help your child make adjustments when necessary and gradually allow them to take responsibility for their own life.
Studying abroad is not only about what a child learns at school or how much money they earn. It is also a process of learning independence, managing finances and taking responsibility for their own choices.
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