Last call for AOPA Foundation scholarships

If you’re a high school student wanting to apply for one of those coveted scholarships, you must be an AOPA member (free membership is available to high school students), be between 16 and 18 years of age, and have completed the FAA private pilot knowledge test prior to submitting. The scholarship money must be used toward obtaining the private pilot certificate.

AOPA Scholarship Program Manager Taz Thomas said that “scholarships are a significant benefit of AOPA membership,” and “help members achieve their aviation goals while also fostering diversity and inclusion.”

Flight training can be costly for some, especially for students from “underrepresented communities or disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Thomas, and these scholarships are meant to relieve the financial burden.

Apart from the high school aviation scholarships, the foundation also offers up to 20 AOPA Teacher Flight Training Scholarships for educators currently teaching the AOPA High School Aviation STEM Curriculum, a $10,000 award that can be used toward the private pilot certificate; multiple AOPA Primary Flight Training Scholarships to be used toward sport, private, or recreational certificates; and multiple AOPA Advanced Scholarships to be used toward additional certificates and ratings such as instrument, commercial, flight instructor, or multiengine instrument.

Additional scholarships are awarded to obtain training in the fields of aircraft maintenance, aircraft engineering, airport management, and FBO management. An additional award is geared toward high school students preparing to take an FAA knowledge test.

Last year, the AOPA Foundation awarded a total of 250 scholarships, including 100 for high school students.

The application process is easy—one application fits all scholarships. All applicants must be AOPA members. Requirements for high school students include references, minimum GPAs, and transcripts. Prior flight training is admissible; however, a passed checkride before the application closes will make students ineligible. Teachers must be full-time employees of a school system in the 2024-2025 school year and use the AOPA Foundation High School Aviation STEM Curriculum. Recipients have 12 months to obtain the certificate or rating after the scholarship has been awarded. Create an online account to begin your application, and learn more by reading the FAQ.

The scholarships are made possible through contributions to the AOPA Foundation from donors such as the Ray Foundation and play a vital role in supporting aspiring pilots.