Apply to aviation scholarships this holiday season

The University Aviation Association's DeVore Freedom of Flight Scholarship is a scholarship dedicated to promoting youth in aviation education. The $1,000 award is open to undergraduate students pursuing initial flight training at schools with Part 141 programs. Applicants must be accepted or enrolled in a Part 141 collegiate aviation program, be accepted or enrolled in an aviation-related major, have a 3.0 GPA or higher, write an essay highlighting their  “love of aviation and commitment to flight training,” and receive a recommendation letter from a faculty member of a UAA member institution. The deadline to apply is June 30.

The San Diego Chapter of The Ninety-Nines is offering a $12,000 scholarship toward a student pilot's private pilot certificate. The scholarship honors the late record-setting aviatrix Fran Bera and student pilot members of The Ninety-Nines are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have been a student pilot member of the organization for at least three months before the submission deadline, have a current and valid medical certificate and a student pilot certificate, have at least five hours of flight training in the six months before the application deadline, receive flight training in the United States, demonstrate a need for financial assistance, and have a mentor in The Ninety-Nines. The recipient will have 12 months from the date of the award to utilize scholarship funds. The deadline to apply is December 7. 

If you're a female in aviation, make sure to apply for the Prop Star Scholarship from Girls Love to Fly. The $2,000 scholarship can be applied toward the cost of written exams and pilot examiner fees for a private, instrument, or commercial checkride. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older; be a U.S. citizen; be able to pass an FAA medical examination; and read, write, and speak English to FAA standards. The deadline to apply is April 1. 

If you are of Native American descent, you might be eligible for the American Association of Airport Executives Foundation's $1,000 Scholarship for Native Americans. The scholarship is open to undergraduate juniors and seniors or graduate students currently enrolled “in an aviation/airport management program.” Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, demonstrate academic achievement and financial need, and be involved in their community. Students can apply for the scholarship by visiting their college or university's scholarship office. The deadline to apply is March 31. 

The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) is awarding $12,000 or $3,000 annually to a child of a “medically retired, long-term disabled, or deceased pilot member of the Air Line Pilots Association.” Applications “should not be submitted prior to an applicant's senior year in high school and preferably after the first semester of that senior year." Applicants should request a scholarship application by contacting the Governing Bodies of the Air Line Pilots Association via email or by mail to Governing Bodies, 7950 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 400S, McLean VA 22102. The deadline to apply is April 1 to be considered for the 2022-2023 college year.

The second scholarship from ALPA is the Costas Sivyllis ALPA Education Scholarship. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an aviation-related undergraduate or degree program at one of 13 U.S. universities. Students must also be active in the ALPA education program at their college and have a 3.0 GPA or higher. The application deadline is April 1.