AOPA Foundation Flight Training Scholarships
AOPA Foundation · National
Section 1What AOPA Foundation publishes
32 named awards, including at least 90 at $12,000 for high school students; one application is matched to every award you qualify for
Amounts, dates and eligibility change between cycles. Always confirm on the provider's page before applying.
Section 2Deadline reminders
Applications close December 30, 2026.
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Section 3What this award leaves to fund
- This award$250 to $14,000, priced at the ceiling
- $14,000
- Private certificatePilotBound national estimate
- − $18,025
- Left to fund
- $4,000
All six lenders in our comparison lend this much. Stack whatever else you can win first, then price only what is left.
Compare lenders →Section 4Every named award
Every named AOPA Foundation award
AOPA runs all of these through one general application. These are the awards it lists, grouped by what they fund.
- Awards listed
- 32
- Award range
- $250 to $14,000
- Applications
- One
- No state limit
- 25
AOPA lists these as examples of past scholarships. The number and value awarded in a cycle depend on donor funding, which AOPA may finalize just before announcing awards, so each figure is what an award has offered rather than a set amount for this window. Where AOPA writes “and up”, “approximately” or “will vary”, so does this list.
Every award on this page requires a current AOPA membership and residency in the United States, the District of Columbia, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. High school students get a free membership. This applies to all 32 awards below and is not repeated on each one.
Submit by December 30, 2026. AOPA's scholarship page closes the Fall window on December 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET, while its 2026 FAQ says December 31. Transcripts, references and every other document have to be in by then, and late or incomplete applications are not accepted.
One application, matched to every award you qualify for.
You don't choose awards. AOPA's general application is matched automatically to each scholarship your answers qualify you for, so this list shows what you would be in the running for. Funds come to you on a prepaid expense card, not to your flight school, and flight training must be finished within 12 months of the award.
The largest pool, the You Can Fly high school award, needs the FAA Private Pilot knowledge test passed before you submit. So does the Lev Prichard award.
Primary certificate: sport, recreational or private
24 awardsAdvanced ratings and training
4 awardsCareers in general aviation
3 awardsFAA knowledge test
1 awardEvery figure on this page comes from AOPA's own flight training scholarships page and its 2026 scholarship FAQ, checked September 16, 2026. AOPA can change the list before a window opens, so check its page before you apply.
Section 5Who this is for
Open to current AOPA members who are residents of the U.S., D.C., Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, pursuing sport, private, instrument, commercial, or other aviation training; dedicated awards exist for high school students, women, teachers using AOPA curriculum, and corporate aviation employees. Applying requires paid membership in the host organization; the application itself is free.
Section 6How to apply
- Read the full requirements on AOPA Foundation's official page, including the membership requirement. Applying is free.
- Line up the slow pieces early: recommendation letters, transcripts, and any medical or student pilot certificate the provider asks for.
- Write the essay with numbers, not passion: name your certificate goal, your school, your hours so far, and exactly what this award covers. Build your plan so every figure in the essay is real.
Section 7Price your school
Selection boards fund plans with a school and a number in them. Every figure below is what the school itself publishes, with the source and the date it was checked.
Local flight schools
1783 flight schools across 50 states, with the hourly rates each one publishes.
Accelerated academies
105 zero-to-career academies and the fixed program prices they publish.
Degree programs
51 aviation colleges, with tuition and flight fees summed into one estimate.
Section 8Also worth a look
Section 9Quick answers
How much is the AOPA Foundation Flight Training Scholarships?
The published award is $250 – $14,000. Individual awards range from $250 to $14,000 across many named scholarships; high school students and teachers have dedicated pools of awards at $12,000 each. One application cycle covers multiple awards (32 named awards, including at least 90 at $12,000 for high school students; one application is matched to every award you qualify for).
When is the AOPA Foundation Flight Training Scholarships deadline?
The deadline on the provider's official page is December 30, 2026. Applications are open right now. Spring window April 1 to June 30, Fall window October 1 to December 30 (11:59 p.m. ET). Fall applicants hear by April 15, Spring applicants by September 15.
Who is eligible for the AOPA Foundation Flight Training Scholarships?
Open to current AOPA members who are residents of the U.S., D.C., Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, pursuing sport, private, instrument, commercial, or other aviation training; dedicated awards exist for high school students, women, teachers using AOPA curriculum, and corporate aviation employees. Applying requires paid membership in the host organization; the application itself is free.
How do I apply for the AOPA Foundation Flight Training Scholarships?
Apply for free on AOPA Foundation's official page. There is no application fee, and no legitimate aviation scholarship charges one or asks for your Social Security number. Have your essay, recommendation letters, and any required certificates ready before the window opens.