20 Scholarships for Aviation Students to Apply For in 2024
Best Aviation Scholarships to Apply to
According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Air Traffic Organization (ATO), 16,405,000 flights are handled by the FAA every year. In order for all of the planes to continue to take passengers to their destinations, they need to be kept in the best shape possible to handle all of those flights.
Who keeps those planes in the air? Technicians who are trained to maintain and fix these planes. But before these technicians become such an integral part of this aviation system, they start out as students.
In order to help support the next generation of aviation students, there are scholarships that are open to these students to earn financial awards to cover school costs. Some on our list might be just what you’re looking for.
Aircraft Mechanics for Aircraft Mechanics Scholarship
The Aircraft Mechanics for Aircraft Mechanics Scholarship seeks to provide $1000 to two low-income or underrepresented minority students who are pursuing a degree or certificate in aviation maintenance.
- Amount: $1000
- Application Deadline: September 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: September 30, 2022
Larry’s Legacy Scholarship
To honor Larry Parker’s life and legacy, his memorial scholarship seeks to award $500 to two high school or undergraduate students who are or will be attending a trade school or community college and are involved in their communities.
- Amount: $500
- Application Deadline: October 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: October 31, 2022
Ron Dennis Memorial Scholarship for the Trades
This scholarship aims to support the legacy of Ron Dennis by awarding $500 to two trade school or high school students who will be pursuing trade school in Oklahoma or Texas.
- Amount: $500
- Application Deadline: August 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: August 31, 2022
Ben Bonner Memorial Scholarship
The Ben Bonner Memorial scholarship aims to prove $1,500 to two low-income undergraduate trades students or high school seniors interested in trade school.
- Amount: $1,500
- Application Deadline: August 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: August 31, 2022
Arthur and Elana Panos Scholarship
In honor of the namesakes of this scholarship, this scholarship seeks to award two students $1,000 each who have an entrepreneurial mindset. Applicants can be high school seniors or undergraduate students who are students of faith.
- Amount: $1,000
- Application Deadline: September 15, 2022
- Winner Announced: October 15, 2022
Sullivan Promise Project Scholarship
The Sullivan Promise Project Scholarship was created to honor students who are “everyday heroes” of their communities by awarding $500 to one student. High schoolers from Virginia are eligible to apply if they have a non-traditional home life and make time making a difference in their community.
- Amount: $500
- Application Deadline: September 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: September 30, 2022
Marcarelli Community Spirit Scholarship
In order to celebrate students who are active members of their community, the Marcarelli Community Spirit scholarship aims to award $1,000 to two high school seniors who live in Maryland and are active in their school or community through athletics, volunteer work, or related activities.
- Amount: $1,000
- Application Deadline: March 30, 2023
- Winner Announced: April 30, 2023
Students for Animal Advocacy Scholarship
In order to encourage student animal advocates, this scholarship aims to provide $500 to a high school or undergraduate student who has experience with a non-profit organization for animal advocacy or volunteer experience at an animal shelter.
- Amount: $500
- Application Deadline: September 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: September 30, 2022
WiseGeek Community Service No-Essay Scholarship
To support students who prioritize giving back to their community, the WiseGeek Community Service No-Essay Scholarship aims to award $500 to a student of any field of study. But because this is a no-essay scholarship, students who apply earlier have a better chance of winning.
- Amount: $500
- Application Deadline: August 16, 2022
- Winner Announced: September 16, 2022
Alexis Potts Passion Project Scholarship
This scholarship aims to help driven, motivated, and passionate students afford higher education by awarding $620 to a high school senior or undergraduate student with a strong passion for something.
- Amount: $620
- Application Deadline: September 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: September 15, 2022
Lee Avenatti Memorial Scholarship
This $2,500 memorial scholarship is open to any self-identified LGBTQIA+ high school or undergraduate student who is motivated, passionate, and has a history of time spent in a group home or foster care.
- Amount: $2,500
- Application Deadline: August 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: August 31, 2022
Francis “Slip” Madigan Scholarship
The unique challenges faced by first-generation students can make it difficult for them to pursue higher education. To combat this, the Francis “Slip” Madigan Scholarship seeks to award $1,000 to a high school senior in Massachusetts who will be a first-generation college student.
- Amount: $1,000
- Application Deadline: September 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: September 30, 2022
Michael Rudometkin Memorial Scholarship
The Michael Rudometkin Memorial Scholarship seeks to award $600 to a student who is involved in their community and pursuing a degree, certificate, or trade school in the field they’re passionate about.
- Amount: $600
- Application Deadline: September 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: September 30, 2022
Affordable College Prep’s First Time Winners Scholarship
Applying for scholarships can be a long and disappointing process, especially if you haven’t won any. If you are a high school student who has never won a scholarship before, the Affordable College Prep’s First Time Winners Scholarship wants to give you an opportunity to write about what you’ve learned from the application process for the chance to win $500.
- Amount: $500
- Application Deadline: November 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: December 1, 2022
Mental Health Matters Scholarship
Leaders can struggle too. In order to support students who have struggled with their mental health but have still been able to still be active in their community, the Mental Health Matters scholarship seeks to award one student who has dealt with mental health issues $500.
- Amount: $500
- Application Deadline: September 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: September 30, 2022
ProjectGiveBack Scholarship for Black Women
The ProjectGiveBack Scholarship intends to highlight young Black women, who have demonstrated excellent leadership skills and a commitment to give back to the Black community. The $2000 financial award will be split between two winners who will be chosen by a panel of black women.
- Amount: $2,000
- Application Deadline: July 26, 2022
- Winner Announced: August 26, 2022
Bold.org Ambassador “Celebrating Summer” Scholarship
Summer is here! Start off your summer vacation by getting a jump start on covering your college costs. This is a no-essay scholarship, so students who apply earlier will have a better chance at winning.
- Amount: $1,015
- Application Deadline: July 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: July 22, 2022
Bold Optimist Scholarship
Can you keep a smile on your face in the face of adversity? You have a chance to be awarded $500 for being a positive person. The word count for this application is low, so it’s great if you want to apply for a couple scholarships last minute.
- Amount: $500
- Application Deadline: July 14, 2022
- Winner Announced: August 14, 2022
First-Year College Students: Jennie Gilbert Daigre Education Scholarship
Even if you study music, you will have to pick up a textbook or two from your university’s bookstore at some point. This scholarship intends to provide $500 to an undergraduate student to cover the cost of books.
- Amount: $500
- Application Deadline: September 1, 2022
- Winner Announced: September 30, 2022
About Aviation Scholarship
Despite the emphasis placed on careers that require a two-year or four-year degree, careers in skilled trades are still important and very needed. Aviation maintenance is predicted to have a positive job outlook for the next ten years. In order to keep these jobs full and planes running, students learning and practicing in these trades need financial support. Scholarships are a very helpful way to support these students.
What are Aviation Scholarships?
Aviation scholarships are financial awards that are given to students who are learning and studying skills in aviation. These will typically go to students who will attend a trade school.
What Qualifies as an Aviation Scholarship?
Any scholarship that is created for or only open to aviation students is an aviation scholarship.
It is usually very easy to tell when a scholarship is meant specifically for aviation students because this requirement can usually be found in the description of the scholarship or in the prompt of the essay entry if there is a writing component.
Types of Aviation Scholarships Available
There are scholarships that are created to be awarded to aviation students, and some that are open to all students that aviation students can benefit from. Some are listed below.
Academic merit-based
These scholarships are based solely on your proven academic ability. These can be decided on the applicant’s grade-point average (GPA), standardized test scores (ACT, SAT, AP exams, etc.), or other academic scores.
Athletic
Athletic scholarships are decided based on a student’s athletic ability usually within a given sport. Oftentimes, coaches from interested schools will scout out students who are performing well during their sport’s season and decide whether or not to make an offer.
Identity-based
Scholarships with the qualification partially based on the applicant’s identity are open only to people within those groups. Reasons why these scholarships exist range from trying to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds and marginalized communities to giving awards to students who share the same characteristics as someone who has passed in their honor.
How to Find Aviation Scholarships to Apply for?
Looking for scholarships can be a difficult and long process especially if you don’t know where to start. But, there are a lot of resources available to help students find scholarships that they qualify for.
The internet is the best place to start if you need help looking for scholarships. There are so many websites dedicated to collecting and showcasing scholarships to students in need. Using these websites are helpful, because you can filter out scholarships that you know you won’t qualify for.
Tips for Winning aviation Scholarships
Frequently Asked Questions About aviation Scholarships
Still have some questions about scholarships for aviation students? Here are some common questions that you might have.
Are aviation scholarships legit?
Yes, scholarships for aviation students are legit. There are scams out there which is why it is important to be careful when you’re applying for scholarships especially if you are doing so online.
How can I improve my chances of winning aviation scholarships?
There are several things you can do to improve your chances of winning college student scholarships. This shortlist will be helpful if you’re applying to essay scholarships.
- Go for scholarships with smaller dollar amounts
- Apply for scholarships that are looking for a specific type of applicant
- Apply earlier than the deadline
- Look for awards that give awards to multiple winners
How many aviation scholarships can you get?
There is no limit to how many aviation scholarships you can get. However, scholarships sponsored by a specific trade school usually have a requirement that you attend that school if you accept the award, so there is a limit to the number of those scholarships that you can have.
Are aviation scholarships taxable income?
As long as you spend the money on school-related expenses, then your scholarship awards will not be considered taxable income.
What’s the best way to apply for aviation scholarships?
Applying online is likely one of the easiest ways to apply for scholarships. You can find and filter the scholarships you apply for as well as keep track of these scholarships after you apply. Other students who are applying at the same time can also share links to scholarships that they think you would have a good chance of winning.
