Expert: D. Norkus - 6/9/2010

Question
How do I find money/scholarships to pursue a license to pilot private/commercial etc..

Answer
Mike

If you are looking to find a scholarship that will fund an entire certificate or rating, there are very, very few out there unless you are a university student. Flight scholarships are generally restricted to specific groups/affiliations, pilot/airport associations, geographic areas, or schools. Most are one time, small awards of $500-$2,000 and the cost of the Private pilot on average is about $9,000. Some collegiate awards are greater but you must be going to that specific school to apply.

Here are all the non-collegiate scholarships I am aware of- http://www.FlightScholarship.info

There is also a link for the University Aviation Association scholarships .pdf so you can see what is open to college students too.

I also suggest Googling [flight scholarship] + <insert your city> to find awards in your area. Enclose the words flight scholarship inside brackets for the most specific results.

Depending on your age, there may be some youth opportunities for reduced cost flight training via organizations like the Civil Air Patrol or Aviation Explorer Scouts (a division of Boy Scouts of America).

Good Luck
Dottie