Aviation Scholarship

Scholarships in Aviation

Are you dreaming about entering aviation school or are you already well on your way to becoming a pilot? Do you wish to fly small gliders or cross the Atlantic in a Concorde? Regardless of whether you are still a young teenager or already a skilled pilot aiming for even higher certificates, there are financial aids available that can help you to achieve your future goals. On this site you will find a comprehensive guide to a vast array of different aviation school scholarships. We continuously update our site in order to provide our visitors with current and accurate information.

When you are looking for aviation school scholarships, there are several things to consider. The first rule is to start early. The different scholarships all have different deadlines and keeping such deadlines is of course of imperative importance. If you miss a deadline, even if only by a day, your application will most likely be discarded and you will have to wait until the next application date. Many foundations only accept new applications once a year or even less frequent. Starting out early and meticulously keeping track of the different deadlines are therefore highly recommended.

Another reason to begin your search for aviation school scholarships early is that many foundations want you to send in several documents that can take some time to obtain. You will often have to send in a smaller essay accompanied by one or several letters of recommendation. If the scholarship requires current enrollment in a certain school or membership in a particular organization, you must of course also enclose documents related to this. Other commonly required documents are copies of all aviation licenses and your pilot logbook, medical certificates, and proof of your GPA. Asking for a minimum GPA of 3.25 is not uncommon. Scholarships that require previous aviation education will often have special requirements regarding the letters of recommendation. You might for instance have to obtain recommendations from your flight instructor and Squadron Commander.

Carefully checking the eligibility requirements for each scholarship is important, since you will otherwise end up spending your time and efforts on applying for aviation school scholarships that you are not qualified for. This is not only a waste of your time and energy; it is disrespectful to the foundations as well since they will have to devote time to ineligible applications. Keep in mind that some donors offer several scholarships and that the requirements can differ between them. Eligibility requirements are not necessary mutually exclusive and you might be able to apply for several scholarships from the same foundation.

If you are member of any organization or attend a particular education, you should definitely check if this makes you eligible for any aviation school scholarships. Most schools are very good at advertising scholarship opportunities for their students, but you can never know for sure. Browsing through our collection of available scholarships and paying extra attention to any schools or organizations that you - or your parents - belong to, is therefore a very good idea. Don’t forget to check scholarship opportunities for schools that you would like to attend in the future and organizations that you could become a member of.

Your age and your current level of education will often determine which aviation school scholarships you can apply for. Some scholarships are only available for those who are currently enrolled in an aviation school or are being trained by a licensed instructor. In some cases you won’t be able to apply for the scholarship if you have less than 30 semester hours left before graduation. Others require extensive aviation experience, e.g. an U.S. FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with an Instrument Rating and a minimum of 750 flight hours. Many scholarships have age limitations and you might for instance have to be 16 to 23 years old or below a certain age. Most scholarships will have a lower limit that states that you must have reached a certain age before you can apply.

Other factors that will affect your eligibility for certain scholarships are your financial situation, your gender, and your race or ethnic heritage. Your citizenship and where you live can also be of importance.

Always read through the specifications for each aviation school scholarship before you agree to accept one. Some scholarships are very short and can for instance be limited to a summer camp or weekend courses. Others will pay for several years of tuition. You must also decide whether you are ready to move in order to receive your aviation training, since many scholarships are linked to a specific school. The type of education offered is naturally also of imperative importance. Do you aspire to learn how to fly a sailplane, and single-engine airplane or a larger aircraft with passengers? Do you need a scholarship that will pay for advanced pilot ratings, such as the U.S. FAA ATP certificate?

Devoting some time to read through the scholarship regulations is important for your future aviation studies. Aviation education consists of many different parts, and it is therefore important that you find out in advance what will happen if you fail one or more of these parts. It is for instance common that students who fail certain written exams will be prohibited from continuing with the flying portion of the scholarship. Students can be required to maintain a 2.5 grade point average in their regular high school as well as keep up with certain academic performance standards within the aviation program. Some scholarships will also ask of you to observe a certain dress code, stay clear of illegal substances and perform voluntary work.