These scholarship programs are part of the AOPA You Can Fly program, a collection of initiatives working toward building a larger, more vibrant pilot community. They are also a major benefit of AOPA membership, helping members reach their goals and advance into the aviation and aerospace careers they have always dreamed about.
High school scholarship recipients can use the $10,000 individual scholarship money for direct flight training expenses to pursue a primary pilot certificate. They must also complete a flight training milestone, achieving either solo or earning a primary pilot certificate, within one year of receiving a scholarship.
Teachers will be awarded scholarships of $10,000 each to pursue a private, sport, or recreational pilot certificate. To be eligible, a teacher must be an AOPA member—and a full-time employee of a school or school system—who is preparing students for a future in aviation.
AOPA Primary Flight Training scholarship awards range from $2,500 to $7,500. Current AOPA members who are at least 16 years of age by the application deadline are eligible to apply. The scholarship award can be applied to training for a private pilot, sport pilot, or recreational pilot certificate.
Applications open January 3, 2020, and close at 11:59 p.m. EDT on March 15, with a priority application date of March 1, 2020.
To support outstanding pilots with career aspirations, the AOPA Foundation awards various scholarships, ranging from $3,000 to $10,000, to AOPA members seeking one of the following ratings or certificates:
In addition, there are many industry-funded scholarship opportunities outside of AOPA to help you fund your aviation aspirations. aopa.org/aviationscholarships