Open · closes today
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
$6,000 – $12,000
~$2.25M distributed annually through local EAA chapters
National · Youth 16-18
Open to youth ages 15-19 (16-19 for powered flight) who have completed at least one EAA Young Eagles flight; candidates are nominated by a local EAA chapter and must hold or be able to obtain a student pilot certificate to pursue a Private Pilot, Sport Pilot, or Glider certificate.
Up to $12,000 for Private Pilot, $9,000 for Sport Pilot, $6,000 for Glider Pilot
Open · closes tomorrowMembership required
Civil Air Patrol (U.S. Air Force Auxiliary)
Up to $10,000
~60+ awards per cycle via USAF and James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarship funding
National · Youth 16-18
Open to current active Civil Air Patrol cadets in good standing who have never previously received this award; priority given to cadets who have completed prerequisites including the Wright Brothers Award, Encampment, Student Pilot Certificate, FAA Medical Certificate, solo endorsement, and passing FAA Knowledge Test score.
Up to $10,000 per recipient toward private pilot flight training costs; funded by USAF and James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarship
Free deadline remindersDeadlines sneak up. We'll email you first.
Most of these open and close on annual cycles. Get a heads-up before a window you care about slips by.
Open · closes in 30 daysMembership required
Soaring Society of America (SSA)
Up to $3,000
1 award per year
National · Youth 16-18
Open to Junior SSA members ages 17 to 24 who hold a private glider rating or higher and can show cross-country soaring proficiency (FAI Silver Badge or Kolstad Century Award). Applicants under 18 need parent or guardian support.
Up to $3,000 in SSA credit toward CFI-G training and testing ($2,000 initial, plus $1,000 on earning the commercial glider rating).
Open · closes in 31 days
Epic Flight Academy
$5,000 – $20,000
12 pilot awards per annual cycle (1 at $20,000, 11 at $5,000)
National · Youth 16-18
Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are current high school juniors or seniors, at least 16 years old by December 31 of the award year, with no previous pilot certificate. Recipients must be ready to begin training within 12 months of receiving the award and must complete training within 24 months.
Individual awards range from $5,000 to $20,000 per recipient depending on the specific award
Open · closes in 61 days
Arizona Pilots Association
Amount varies
Arizona · Youth 16-18
Open to Arizona high school and college students pursuing pilot training or other aviation education. Applicants must rank in the upper half of their class and demonstrate leadership qualities, moral character, and community service involvement.
Award amount not published; varies by cycle
After the awardWhat one scholarship leaves you to fund
- Median awardAcross this directory
- $10,000
- Private certificatePilotBound national estimate
- − $18,257
- Left to fund
- $8,300
All six lenders in our comparison lend this much. Whatever an award does not cover, you fund some other way.
Opens Oct 31
LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation
Up to $17,000
National · Youth 16-18
Open to US citizens or permanent residents aged 16 to 23 as of the January 31 deadline who have not yet earned a Private Pilot Certificate. Applicants must be available for training from May through December and complete a Private Pilot written ground school before mid-May of the training year.
Covers actual flight and ground training costs; total budget is below $17,000 unless circumstances require otherwise
Opens October 31, closes January 31 each year; awards distributed by Memorial Day
Opens Feb 5, 2027
Hiller Aviation Museum
$15,000
San Francisco Bay Area, CA · Youth 16-18
Applicants must be 16 to 18 years old and reside in one of 11 San Francisco Bay Area counties. Flight training must be completed at a Part 61 or Part 141 school within the Bay Area, leading to an FAA Private Pilot Certificate.
Single award of $15,000 per recipient toward flight training costs
Opens early February, closes early April each year; awards announced in May
Opens Jan 1, 2027
Colorado Pilots Association
$2,500
2 awards per cycle
Colorado · Youth 16-18
Open to Colorado residents aged 16 to 22 who are working toward a Private Pilot Certificate. Applicants must submit an essay describing their aviation journey and goals, plus a letter of recommendation from a CFI.
Two $2,500 awards per annual cycle
Opens Jan 1, closes Feb 15 each year
Opens Oct 1
Aerospace Center for Excellence
Amount varies
Polk County, FL · Youth 16-18
Open to students aged 16 to 19 who reside in or attend a secondary school in Polk County, Florida, and hold at least a 2.75 unweighted GPA. The award supports students working toward their Private Pilot certificate.
Award amount is not published; the scholarship funds Private Pilot flight training toward the certificate.
Three windows each year (Jan 1-31, May 1-30, Oct 1-31); the next opens Oct 1, 2026.
Check dates
Commemorative Air Force
Up to $12,000
National · Youth 16-18
Open to applicants aged 16-19 who hold a valid FAA medical certificate and student pilot certificate and have passed the FAA written exam. Recipients must begin flight training within 60 days of accepting the award and complete their Private Pilot Certificate within one year.
Up to $12,000 toward earning a Private Pilot Certificate within one year
Rolling applications through local CAF units; no fixed annual open or close dates published
Check dates
General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA)
$2,000
2 awards annually
National · Youth 16-18
Open to U.S. high school seniors graduating in the current spring who have been accepted into an aviation-related degree program (including flight training, aviation management, aerospace engineering, or aviation maintenance) and have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Two winners selected each year, each receiving $2,000 USD
Annual; 2026 deadline was April 24; next cycle expected spring 2027
Check dates
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
Up to $10,000
Hawaii · Youth 16-18
Open to Hawaii residents ages 16 to 21 who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents and plan to pursue a private pilot license; applicants must be able to qualify for an FAA Student Pilot Certificate and pass a third-class medical exam.
Up to $10,000 per recipient; funded by the Ray Foundation
Annual; the 2026 cycle has closed and next cycle dates are not yet announced.
Check dates
The Museum of Flight (Seattle)
Up to $14,000
9 awards across 3 named scholarships (Alaska Airlines, Benjamin L. Ellison, Frank and Betty Houston), one application
Washington · Youth 16-18
High school students who are U.S. citizens residing in Washington state, at least 16.5 years old (as of March 1 of the award year), who have completed or are enrolled in Private Pilot Ground School. Some scholarships additionally require 40 or more hours of participation in Museum of Flight education programs such as Washington Aerospace Scholars or the Aeronautical Science Pathway.
Up to $14,000 per recipient, paid in three stages ($8,000, $4,000, $2,000) as training milestones are reached.
Opens mid-December each year; 2027 cycle opens mid-December 2026
Check dates
Minnesota Youth Aviation Foundation
Amount varies
Southern Minnesota · Youth 16-18
Open to Southern Minnesota high school students who will be at least 17 years old in the summer following the application window and hold an FAA medical certificate. The program supports earning a Private Pilot certificate. Free to apply.
Award amount is not published; the program funds training toward a Private Pilot certificate.
Annual; the 2026 window has closed and 2027 dates are pending.
