Aviation Scholarships - Monetary Help In Your Quest to Becoming A Pilot!
The cost in becoming a pilot is staggering, isn’t it? Aviation scholarships can help your dreams come true! The cost of learning to fly can be really expensive for the average student.
Have you called those academies in Florida that offer flight training only to hear them say something along the lines of : we can get you in the seat of an RJ for only $65000 to $80000!!
How can the average person afford this?
With any amount of research, you will quickly learn that college or academy-based aviation training requires an investment between $50,000 and $150,000. Even the mom-and-pop flight school at the local airport can charge upwards of $25,000 for a Commercial License.
So, what to do? Give up on your dream to fly?
Well, guess what? There are people out there who actually want to give you money to fulfill your dreams and become a pilot!
Believe it or not, there are hundreds of thousands of free dollars available for aspiring professionals who have what it takes to be all that you can be! Curious? Read on!
Money to fund your dreams can come from several sources:
Out of all of these sources, aviation scholarships seems to be the best potential for acquiring free money in order to become a pilot.
Aviation scholarships are considered free money and the recipient is never expected to pay the money back.
These scholarships can come from a variety of sources such as
Some of these are awarded once, while others can be renewed yearly.
Bear in mind that scholarships are generally granted to students engaged in traditional, collegiate-level studies. However, there are aviation scholarships available for flight training exclusively.
According to the folks at AvScholars, scholarships are often categorized according to origin.
National Awards: These are very competitive and usually have several restrictions placed on them.
Typically, national awards offer large monetary scholarships. The major aviation manufacturers like Boeing and stellar organizations such as AOPA, EAA, NBAA, and WIAA figure prominently in this category.
Regional Awards: Regional awards are very competitive and are restricted to a student’s geographic location, field of study, ethnic background, test scores, gender, etc.
State Awards: State awards are competitive and are restricted to students that are residents of a specific state. Other restrictions may include a specific field of study, ethnic background, test scores, gender, etc.
Local Awards: Local awards are less competitive and are usually aimed at students who are residents of a specific city, county, or district.
Other requisites may include enrollment at a specific high school, field of study, gender, etc. Generally, local awards are $1,000 or less, not publicized, overlooked, and given on a one-time basis.
Institutional Awards: Scholarships awarded by colleges and universities are also quite competitive and generally require that the student demonstrates financial need for the award.
However, some institutional aid is awarded to students based on their merit and/or academic achievements.
Who's Giving The Money?
Here are just a few examples of funding available:
AOPA Air Safety Foundation: ASF lists three scholarships awarded annually, including the AOPA Air Safety Foundation/McAllister Memorial Scholarship. It is administered jointly by ASF and the University Aviation Association. One award in the amount of $1,000 is made to a promising young man or woman who, without assistance, would find it difficult to obtain a college education.
Women In Aviation International: This organization has provided over $3 million in scholarships to its membership over the past seven years. Nearly 50 scholarships are listed encompassing all fields of aviation valued from $750 up to $35,000.
National Business Aircraft Association: NBAA offers ten scholarships promoting professional development for flight attendants, international operators, schedulers, dispatchers and more.
Ninety-Nines: The Amelia Earhart Memorial Career Scholarship helps students advance their aviation career by paying for the cost of training to complete an advanced pilot or aviation training course, such as a multi-engine rating or jet type rating, a flight instructor or airline transport pilot certificate, or a college course.
These unique scholarships cover the entire cost of flight training or tuition to complete the certificate, rating, or coursework. Among other eligibility requirements, the applicant must be a two-year member of the Ninety-Nines.
These are just the tip of the iceberg. A good tool for researching what is available can be found at the University Aviation Association.
For $20, they will send either a book or a CD listing hundreds of aviation scholarships sources. Small pennies for something that could potentially pay for your aviation career.
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