Aviation Scholarships
There are many scholarships targeted toward aspiring aviators, sponsored by a variety of organizations. Note that you normally need to be a member of these organizations to be eligible for their scholarships. While some can be expensive to join, most all of them have special student membership rates that are considerably less than what working professionals would pay to belong. These groups know what it is to be a student pilot! They also know how to succeed in the profession and often have many people willing to mentor you. Students are encouraged to apply for many as some will go unawarded due to no applicants.
- Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
- National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA)
- The Ninety-Nines (99s)
- Women in Aviation International (WIAI)
- Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP)
- National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA)
- Professional Asian Pilots Association (PAPA)
- Latino Pilots Association (LPA)
- Sisters of the Skies (SOS)
The University Aviation Association maintains a large list of scholarships. Visit their website, then select Resources
> UAA Scholarships and browse all four links. The last link is their catalogue, with
hundreds of scholarships listed.There are other scholarships listed on the other link,
so don’t skip them.
You aren’t just paying for flying lessons, so don’t forget the Tiger Scholarship Manager as a great resource for finding scholarships to help with tuition, fees and more!
Writing a Great Essay
Many scholarships require you to write an essay to apply. These essays are typically reviewed by committees. A few hints and tips:
Personalize each essay to the scholarship. Read about the donor organization and find out what they are looking for in an applicant, and what they do as an organization, company or charity. Tell them in your essay how you fit into their part of the aviation world.
- Review your essay for proper spelling and grammar. Do not use contemporary slang, but you may use common aviation acronyms.
- Be professional, polite and courteous in your essay and with each interaction you have with the donor organization.
- Ensure your application is 100% complete and follows 100% of the rules established in the scholarship.
- Ensure your application is 100% honest. Integrity matters and aviation is a very small world. Many of us know aviation people outside of Memphis and the University of Memphis.