Aviation Scholarships

Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship

Each year, The Ninety-Nines award several scholarships to qualified 99s members for advanced flight training or courses in specialized branches of aviation. Among other eligibility requirements, the applicant must be a member of The Ninety-Nines.

Applicants should refer to information and application forms on the The Ninety-Nines, Inc. AE Memorial Scholarships page » and contact their Chapter AE Scholarship Chair for assistance.

Southwest Section Chapter Scholarships

Many Southwest Section Chapters offer scholarships for anything from learning to fly to advanced ratings. The eligibility requirements and application periods for these scholarships vary. Please contact the scholarship provider directly for the most current information about when and how to apply.

  • Bay Cities Chapter: The Bay Cities chapter of the Ninety-Nines is proud to provide an annual scholarship to provide funding toward flight training, materials, ground school, and exams. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide monetary assistance to women working on any certificate, rating, or endorsement. Scholarship award amounts of up to $4000 will be determined by our scholarship committee based on the needs of selected applicants. Visit their website for more information.
  • Long Beach 99s: The Long Beach chapter of the Ninety-Nines is offering one $1,000. This scholarship is open to women in the South Bay area of Los Angeles working on a pilot license, pilot revalidation or further ratings. Visit their website for more info or contact.
  • Marin 99s: $500 “Wing Up” Check Ride Scholarship. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide funding for the initial (private) or next level (instrument, commercial, etc.) check ride to support the dreams of women embracing aviation either as a personal passion or as a career.
  • Monterey Bay 99s: Two annual scholarships for a student pilot and an advanced pilot who are at least 18 years old and resident of Monterey or Santa Cruz County. For additional information and an application, please visit the Monterey chapter website.
  • Mount Shasta 99s: The Mount Shasta chapter of the Ninety-Nines is offering a $1500 scholarship to local women. The scholarship can be used by the recipient to obtain the private pilot license, or toward an advanced rating to further her pursuit of an aviation career. Visit their website for more info.
  • Orange County 99s:  The Orange County Ninety Nines offer up to two aviation scholarships, each for $3,000. The scholarship can be used for Private Pilot Certificate, advanced ratings, as well as Airframe and Powerplant advancement. These are open to Ninety-Nines with memberships effective February 15th of the current year who will train within 99nm of KSNA. Applications are due May 15th of the current year. Visit www.OC99s.org for complete information and application.
  • Phoenix 99s: The Phoenix Chapter offers the June Bonesteel Memorial Flight Training Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 for flight training.
    Criteria: Female Arizona resident with minimum of Student Pilot Certificate (Primary training applicants must have soloed and passed the written exam).
    Deadline: June 15
    Application form and instructions at: www.phx99s.org/phoenix-chapter-scholarship
  • Reno Area 99s: The Reno Area Chapter 99s is offering three scholarships: one Advanced Rating in the amount of $2000, one Private Certificate in the amount of $1500, and one Recurrency Scholarship in the amount of $500. For more details, please contact Kathy Walton.
  • Reno High Sierra 99s: Reno High Sierra offers three scholarships…$3,500 for an advanced rating, $2,500 for a student pilot, and $1,000 for re-currency or a new endorsement. All are available for females within a 99nm radius of the Reno-Tahoe Airport. Applications are due Oct. 15. Information and applications are on their website at www.renohighsierra99s.org This year they are offering a special Discover Aviation scholarship for $1,000 to anyone 16 years and older who has less than 5 hours logged in an aircraft. Same residency requirement.
  • Rio Colorado 99s: The Rio Colorado Chapter 99s are offering three different scholarships in the amount of $1,000 for aspiring aviatrixes in the Lake Havasu or Bullhead City area. Visit their website for more details.
  • Sacramento Valley 99s: The Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, Inc. is sponsoring one Aviation Flying Angels Memorial Scholarship. The applicant must be a female who is actively pursuing flight training, has soloed, passed her FAA Written Examination, and lives within 99nm of Sacramento Executive Airport. For further information, visit their website.
  • San Diego 99s: The San Diego Chapter of the Ninety-Nines is offering five scholarships for aviatrixes in flight training. Visit their website for more info, or contact
    • Nancy Stratford Flight Training Scholarship $1,250
    • Marian R. DeLano Memorial Scholarship $1,500
    • Dottie Sanders Memorial Flight Scholarship $1,000
    • Student Pilot Flight Training Scholarship $1,000
    • Darlene Kelly Advanced Certificate/Rating Flight Training Scholarship $2,000
  • San Fernando Valley 99s: San Fernando Valley offers three annual scholarships available to anyone who wants to pursue careers in aviation. For additional information and an application, please visit the San Fernando Valley chapter website.
  • San Joaquin Valley 99s: The San Joaquin Valley Chapter is offering a $500 scholarship to local women. The scholarship can be used by the recipient to obtain a Private Pilot License or toward an advanced rating. Click here for more information
  • Ventura County 99s: The Ventura County Ninety-Nines are pleased to offer Student Pilot and Advanced Scholarships. Visit their website for more information.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

  • International Society of Women Airline Pilots
    Members of the International Society of Women Airline Pilots would like to invite you to apply for our Financial and Airline scholarships. The International Society of Women Airline Pilots is a group dedicated to assisting women who aspire to be airline pilots. Our scholarships are for advanced flight training. Financial scholarships are cash awards paid directly to a flight school or training institute. Financial awards are available for CFI, CFII, MEI, ME Commercial (SE Commercial required), or ATP. Financial applicants must have a Commercial certificate for airplanes, with an instrument rating or non-U.S. equivalent. Airline scholarships are donated by corporate and individual sponsors. Past awards have included B-737 type ratings, B-727 type ratings and B-727 engineer ratings. The availability of airline scholarships changes every year, so applicants are not able to apply for specific aircraft ratings. Once awarded, the aircraft type and corporate sponsor will be announced to the winner. Airline applicants must have an ATP rating, or non-U.S. equivalent, current Flight Engineer written complete, and a First Class Medical Certificate. Please feel free to e-mail the scholarship co-chair Cheryl Konter if you have more specific questions.
  • WAI – Women in Aviation International
    Women in Aviation, International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of women in all aviation career fields and interests. Many scholarships are offered each year; more than 98 scholarships totaling more than $480,000 were granted in 2016. The deadline to apply is usually in November and the scholarships awarded in March. Visit the website for more information about the scholarships.
  • AOPA – Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association
    Aviation scholarships can be of the utmost importance to a student, and AOPA strives to make finding them easy. This subject report will give an applicant the tools and information necessary to create a strong scholarship application, which may give the applicant an “edge” over others who are competing for the same scholarship. The application advice includes tips such as writing about a unique experience that will capture the reader’s attention, and having the application in well before the deadline. The subject report also offers a concise list of aviation-related scholarships. Please visit the AOPA scholarship website for their scholarship information.
  • EAA – Experimental Aviation Association
    EAA’s scholarship program encourages, recognizes and supports excellence among those studying the technologies and the skills of aviation. These annual scholarships help outstanding students who demonstrate financial need to accomplish their goals. Applicants should be well-rounded, involved in school and community activities as well as aviation. Academic records should show that you can successfully complete the educational activity for which you are applying. Please check individual scholarship descriptions for any special considerations. You must be a current EAA member or recommended by a current EAA member to apply for these scholarships. Please carefully read the description and requirements. Questions should be directed to scholarships@eaa.org.
  • NATF – National Air Transportation Foundation
    The National Air Transportation Foundation (NATF), the research and educational arm of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), offers several categories of scholarships:
  • NBAA – National Business Aviation Association
    The NBAA Charities scholarship program offers nearly $100,000 annually in cash awards as tuition reimbursement for enrolled students and nearly the same amount in monetary and training awards for working professionals in business aviation, including pilots, maintenance professionals, schedulers, dispatchers, flight attendants and flight technicians. Take advantage of these offerings to ascend in your aviation career by applying for a NBAA Charities Student scholarship or Professionals scholarship today.
  • NGPA – National Gay Pilots Association
    The NGPA Education Fund (NGPA-EF) provides scholarships to aspiring aviators with the desire to develop professional aviation skills and ratings beyond the private pilot certificate, and who have demonstrated community involvement, including support of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Since 1998 we have awarded more than seventy scholarships totaling over $230,000.

Tips for applying for scholarships: