Scholarships for Flight Training

Flight training is expensive and seems hard to get started. But the mission of LIFT Academy since we opened in 2018 is to make flight training more affordable and available to all. Students fund their training using several different resources or outlets: loans, savings, part-time or full-time work and scholarships.

Scholarships can seem difficult to obtain and confusing on how they can be applied when you first begin to search for them – we get it! But we are hoping that this information, that we plan to update periodically, will help make finding scholarships easy and within your reach! Check out a list of several scholarships that are available now (as of January 26, 2021), helpful websites that often list scholarships available and tips for searching for other scholarships!

SCHOLARSHIPS:

AOPA High School Flight Training Scholarship

Organization: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)

Amount: $10,000

Deadline: February 14, 2021

Eligibility/Details:

  • Current member of AOPA at both the time of application and when the scholarship is awarded. Not a member? AOPA offers a free AV8RS membership to high school students, a free 6-month student pilot membership, as well as other membership options.
  • Current high school student, 15- to 18-years old
  • U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident
  • Parent or guardian approval (if under 18 years of age)
  • Not have completed a sport, recreational, glider, or private pilot certificate at the time of application
  • Minimum GPA of 2.75
  • Agree to complete solo flight or achieve pilot certificate within one year of receiving the scholarship

Website: https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/students/flight-training-scholarships

2021 Sisters of the Skies Scholarship

Organization: Sisters of the Skies

Amount: Cost of flight training

Deadline: February 15, 2021

Eligibility/Details:

  • Must be at least 16 Years of Age
  • Copy of FAA Medical Certificate
  • Copy of a Government Issued I.D
  • Transcript (if enrolled in school)
  • Letter of Recommendation from a Member/Mentor (preferably a pilot)
  • Resume Submission
  • Essay Submission

Website:  https://www.sistersoftheskies.org/scholarship

The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation Flight Training Scholarship Program

Organization: Leroy Homer Foundation

Deadline: January 31, 2020

Eligibility/Details:

  • US citizen or resident alien
  • Between the ages of 16-23
  • Must not have been charged or convicted of any misdemeanors or felonies
  • Must read, write and speak English to FAA standards

Website: https://leroywhomerjr.org/scholarships/application/

The Third Annual Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots

Organization: Sporty’s and the Richard Collins family

Amount: $2,500

Deadline: March 4, 2021

Eligibility/Details:

  • Author must be no older than 24 years of age as of March 4, 2021. The author must be a student pilot or higher.
  • The article should highlight the author’s most memorable or important flying lesson (with or without a flight instructor) and be no longer than 1500 words.
  • The article must be original and have not been previously published.
  • The submission must include a 100-word biography of the author written in the first person (I, me vs. He, her).

Website: https://airfactsjournal.com/2021/01/announcing-the-third-annual-richard-l-collins-writing-prize-for-young-pilots/

 

HELPFUL WEBSITES:

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) : https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/students/flight-training-scholarships

Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA): https://www.eaa.org/eaa/learn-to-fly/Scholarships

Ninety-Nines: https://www.ninety-nines.org/scholarships.htm

National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA): https://www.ngpa.org/about_scholarships#pages

Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals: https://obap.org/outreach-programs/scholarships/

University Aviation Association: https://www.uaa.aero/scholarships.php

Women in Aviation: https://www.wai.org/education/scholarships

It is no secret that flight training can be expensive. A great way to help subside some of cost of flight training is with scholarships. You may be wondering- how do I find these scholarships?

 

TIPS:

Start Early and Stay Organized

When looking for scholarships it is important to keep in mind that most will have deadlines. Starting your search early can help assure that you don’t miss out on any application cycles for scholarships that you may qualify for. You can even try keeping a list of the ones you are interested in so that you don’t miss any deadlines.

 

Know What You’re Looking For

If you are looking for scholarships to apply to your LIFT tuition, keep in mind that LIFT is not a college or university. Try looking for flight training scholarships or scholarships that may be used for non-college trade programs. There are even certain scholarships to help fund individual ratings.  If you decide to do the Vincennes University and LIFT Academy partnership program, you can also apply to scholarships that can be used for a two-year degree program.

 

Search Online/Do Your Research

The internet is a great place to start when looking for scholarships. Try being specific in your search and research different companies and organizations that may offer scholarships. Check out the websites we have included in this article.

 

Talk to a School Counselor

If you are in high school, try talking to a counselor see if he or she know of any scholarships that would apply to a program like LIFT.

 

Search Locally

It is important to also search close to home when looking for scholarships. Larger, national scholarships can be great to apply to, but don’t stop your search there. Local organization, non-profits, and community groups