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Pilot training cost and funding

Aviation scholarships

With a wide range of external flight school scholarships offering financial assistance towards the cost of pilot training, now is a great time to follow your dreams of becoming a commercial airline pilot.

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How can scholarships help fund pilot training?

Aviation scholarships are payments awarded to aspiring pilots to support them with financing their training. The difference between a flight school scholarship and loan is that scholarships do not need to be paid back, whereas loans do.

How to find aviation scholarships

With so many different types of aviation scholarships available in the US, you might be wondering where to start your search. If you are considering applying for an alternative pilot training scholarship, you may find the following external links useful for conducting research and finding flight school scholarships that you are eligible to apply for.

The Sallie Mae Scholarship Search is a free way to get access to more than 6 million college scholarships worth up to $30 billion. With Nitro by Sallie Mae, it couldn’t be easier to find flight school scholarships as they get matched to your profile which means you will only see pilot scholarships that you are eligible for.

The UAA offers resources on aviation scholarships, including their own UAA scholarships and a Collegiate Aviation Scholarship Catalog to help you find the right funding for your pilot training.

Fastweb’s scholarship finder helps aspiring pilots to filter funding opportunities based on their own student profile to find aviation scholarships that they are eligible to apply for. The tool is free to use and makes finding flight school scholarships straightforward.

The Federal Aviation Administration provides useful information on the latest aviation regulations, policies, licenses, and certificates, as well as a comprehensive guide to the latest aviation school scholarships. As the FAA is the regulatory body for civil aviation in the US, they are a valuable source of information, particularly when it comes to commercial airline pilot scholarships.

Flight training-specific scholarships

While the above databases contain scholarship opportunities for a range of industries, there are also many organizations that exclusively offer aviation scholarships. No matter how far along you are in your pilot training, whether you are completing your Certified Flight Instructor course or building hours, there are flight school scholarships that you could be eligible for.

Funded by their generous NBAA Charities Scholarship program, the NBAA are able to offer over $100,000 annually to student flight school scholarships. Their aviation scholarships are available to both students and working professionals so you could potentially get a scholarship while already earning a pilot salary.

The National Air Transport Foundation provides flight school scholarships and guidance to students enrolled in full-time aviation courses or college programs. The aim of the NATF is to enhance both the safety and quality of service provided by commercial airlines which is why they offer pilot scholarships, to ensure outstanding candidates have the opportunity to pursue a career in aviation.

A project of APLA's Education Committee, Cleared to Dream is designed to inspire the next generation of pilots, providing a range of resources on their website. As part of their resources, they highlight pilot scholarships and other funding options for cadets.

Spanning 75 different countries, the AOPA provides a useful guide to finding funding and airline pilot training scholarships to suit your experience level and career aspirations. Whether you have no flying experience or you have already gained some certifications and are applying for our ATP CTP, the AOPA has plenty of aviation scholarship options for you.

Money2Fly is a one-stop site for the latest flight school scholarships and grants, providing detailed information on scholarships available exclusively to female students as well as scholarships open to all genders.

Scholarships for minority groups

Most aspiring pilots will be eligible to apply for at least one flight school scholarship. There are also some aviation scholarships open specifically to support cadets from marginalized communities. From financial support for women to pilot scholarships for LGBTQ+ cadets, take a look at the additional support that might be available to you:

Established to empower women in aviation careers, WIA offers flight school scholarships and support to those pursuing careers in both aviation and aerospace.

The NGPA is the largest LGBTQ+ aviation organization in the world. They support aspiring LGBTQ+ pilots and aviation enthusiasts receive funding support through their NGPA flight academy scholarship program to realize their dream of becoming a pilot.

Each year the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals offers aviation scholarships to give minorities equal opportunities to study and pursue careers in aerospace, awarding over 15 pilot scholarships last year alone.

Each year The Ninety-Nines Inc offers specialized pilot scholarships to encourage more women to pursue careers in aviation. Their Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship has helped over 750 women train to be a pilot since its creation.

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