Scholarship directory · Reviewed Sep 1, 2026

The 10 largest aviation scholarships, ranked.

The biggest verified flight training scholarship is CABAA Aviation Scholarships at $22,200. The ten awards below total $181,700, ranked by each program's top published amount, every figure checked against the provider's official page on the date shown in the directory.

Written by Samip Shah, CFI, CFII, AGI · founder of PilotBound

The 10largest verified aviation flight-training scholarships, ranked by top published award, with each program's deadline or annual cycle and whether it is open today.
Rank	Scholarship	Award	Deadline or cycle	Status
1	CABAA Aviation ScholarshipsChicago Area Business Aviation Association (CABAA)Check datesAnnual; applications typically open in early spring with a deadline around May 31 each yearOpen to students and aviation professionals committed to business aviation, with preference given to Chicagoland area residents; advanced pilot training awards require at minimum a Commercial Multi-Engine Instrument Rating and 250 or more flight hours. Recipients must hold (free) CABAA membership.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$22,200	Annual; applications typically open in early spring with a deadline around May 31 each year	Check dates
2	Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarships (Ninety-Nines)The Ninety-NinesOpen · closes in 121 daysJan 1, 2027Applicants must be women who have been continuous paid members of The Ninety-Nines for at least one full year as of January 1, must have a specific and realistic goal for advancement in aviation or aerospace, and must demonstrate financial need for most scholarship types. The membership length requirement is waived for the Vicki Cruse and Kitty Houghton sub-scholarships.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$20,000	Jan 1, 2027	Open · closes in 121 days
3	Epic Flight Academy Annual Aviation ScholarshipsEpic Flight AcademyOpen · closes in 29 daysOct 1, 2026Open 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.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$20,000	Oct 1, 2026	Open · closes in 29 days
4	PNBAA Member Scholarship and GrantPacific Northwest Business Aviation AssociationCheck datesAwards made throughout the year; Career Catalyst component deadline typically October 31Open to PNBAA members (free student membership available) pursuing careers in business aviation, including pilots seeking advanced ratings such as instrument, commercial, CFI, or ATP, as well as those pursuing aviation maintenance or other aviation vocational training in the Pacific Northwest region.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$20,000	Awards made throughout the year; Career Catalyst component deadline typically October 31	Check dates
5	Whirly-Girls International ScholarshipsWhirly-Girls InternationalCheck datesMain season opens in August each year (a separate mid-year cycle is open through July 31, 2026). Exact main-season open and close dates are published when the August listing posts; confirm then.Open to women who are current Whirly-Girl or Associate members, pursuing or advancing helicopter ratings from initial certificate through ATP, plus type ratings and safety courses. Membership required; each award has its own requirements.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$20,000	Main season opens in August each year (a separate mid-year cycle is open through July 31, 2026). Exact main-season open and close dates are published when the August listing posts; confirm then.	Check dates
6	Ashton Johnson Memorial CloudDancer ScholarshipCloudDancer Scholarship FoundationOpens May 1, 2027Jul 31, 2027Must be a current active-duty U.S. service member (including Reserves and National Guard) or honorably discharged veteran, enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited aviation program, with at least a 2.5 GPA and a passing score of 80% or higher on the FAA Private Pilot written exam within the prior 12 months. Valid FAA first- or second-class medical required at application and selection.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$17,500	Jul 31, 2027	Opens May 1, 2027
7	LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation Flight Training ScholarshipLeRoy W. Homer Jr. FoundationOpens Oct 31Jan 31, 2027Open 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.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$17,000	Jan 31, 2027	Opens Oct 31
8	Costas Sivyllis ALPA Education ScholarshipAir Line Pilots Association (ALPA)Check datesAnnual; typically opens January 15 and closes April 30 each year; selections announced by August 15; 2026 cycle is closed and next cycle dates not yet announcedOpen to undergraduate and graduate students actively enrolled in flight training at one of 14 designated ALPA partner universities (including Embry-Riddle, Purdue, University of North Dakota, Western Michigan, and others), with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and active participation in ALPA education programs on their campus.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$15,000	Annual; typically opens January 15 and closes April 30 each year; selections announced by August 15; 2026 cycle is closed and next cycle dates not yet announced	Check dates
9	Hiller Aviation Museum Flight Training ScholarshipHiller Aviation MuseumOpens Feb 5, 2027Apr 9, 2027Applicants 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.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$15,000	Apr 9, 2027	Opens Feb 5, 2027
10	NGPA ScholarshipsNational Gay Pilots Association (NGPA)Check datesOpens around Jun 1, closes around Jul 31 each year; the 2026 cycle has closed and 2027 dates are not yet published.Open to active NGPA members age 18 or older; a single application is considered for every award the applicant is eligible for, spanning initial flight training through advanced ratings, CFI/CFII, plus maintenance and aviation management tracks. Flight training awards require a current FAA medical certificate (third class or higher). LGBTQ+ pilots are the primary audience; allies with documented advocacy histories may also apply.Amount, deadline & eligibility	$15,000	Opens around Jun 1, closes around Jul 31 each year; the 2026 cycle has closed and 2027 dates are not yet published.	Check dates

Ranked by each program's top published award on the provider's official page. Umbrella organizations that fund many awards through one application are counted by their largest single award, so their real reach is bigger than one row shows. Amounts change between cycles; always confirm on the provider's site. How we keep this list honest →

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Read this before applying

Big awards are the headline. Stacking is the strategy.

Every award on this page draws a deep national applicant pool, precisely because lists like this one exist. Apply to them, the essay you write for one is 90 percent of the essay for the next, but pair every big application with two or three smaller local awards from the full directory of 68 verified scholarships. Chapter and state awards draw dozens of applicants, not thousands, and the wins stack.

Timing beats size, too. Most of these run annual cycles, and the money goes to people who applied while the window was open, so check what is open right now and work backward from the deadlines. For the numbers behind the whole pool, the median award, and the honest odds math, see what the average aviation scholarship is worth.

Even the awards at the top of this page rarely cover a certificate outright. Count the wins first, then finance only the gap that is left.

Price the school you'll name in the essay

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

1403 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.

What applicants ask.

What is the biggest aviation scholarship?

The largest single published award on our verified list is CABAA Aviation Scholarships at $22,200, from Chicago Area Business Aviation Association (CABAA). Umbrella organizations can effectively award more across multiple scholarships won through one application cycle.

Are the biggest scholarships harder to win?

Generally yes. National flagship awards draw the deepest applicant pools, so the winning strategy is to apply to a large award and several smaller ones in the same season with the same essay ingredients. Two or three small wins routinely beat one long-shot application.

Do these amounts have to be paid back?

No. Scholarships are awards, not loans. Every dollar here replaces a dollar you would otherwise finance and repay with interest, which is why the honest order of operations is scholarships first, then financing only the remainder.