Pioneers of Flight Scholarship
Offered by National Air Transportation Foundation
About this scholarship
The National Air Transportation Foundation’s Pioneers of Flight Scholarship awards two $1,000 scholarships each year to encourage careers in general aviation. Applicants must be full-time sophomores or juniors in aviation degree programs at accredited four-year colleges or universities. They need a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and must demonstrate genuine interest in a general-aviation career. The direct NATF application requires a complete grade transcript, a recommendation letter, an essay on general aviation, and a separate paper describing the applicant’s general-aviation career goals. The live Wufoo form accepts the current online submission, so students do not mail a second application to the foundation. Awards support one year of full-time undergraduate study, and checks are payable jointly to the recipient and college or university. Recipients are normally notified by the end of April and must keep NATF informed about relevant enrollment or address changes. The sponsor sets the deadline as the last Friday in December; in the 2026 calendar that is December 25. Applicants should assemble the transcript, recommendation, essay, and career-goals paper early enough to submit the complete package by that date.
Eligibility
- Be a college sophomore or junior
- Attend full time in an aviation degree program at an accredited four-year college or university
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Demonstrate interest in pursuing a career in general aviation
- Submit a transcript and letter of recommendation
- Submit an essay on general aviation and a paper describing general-aviation career goals
- Complete the direct application by December 25, 2026