Women in Aviation, International (WAI) is offering dozens of sponsored scholarships.
“Let’s debunk two big misunderstandings about our scholarships,” said WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian. “Contrary to what people may think, you do not have to be a student to qualify; the second is you don’t have to be a woman. Over the years, we’ve awarded scholarships to men and women of all age groups and a wide range of professions.” To qualify for a WAI scholarship, however, you must be a WAI member.
For 2010, WAI offers scholarships for everything from aircraft dispatcher training to an A320 type-rating. Individual scholarships are awarded for private pilot training, instrument ratings, and even a floatplane rating. Bombardier offers a Lear 31 type-rating while Simuflite offers initial training toward a Citation type-rating.
For those pursuing a career or already working in aviation maintenance, Pratt & Whitney offers six maintenance scholarships to attend any one of the maintenance courses offered by Pratt & Whitney or Pratt & Whitney Canada, such as System Familiarization, Line and Base Maintenance, and Borescope Inspection Procedures on JT8D, JT9D, PW2000, PW4000, PT6, or PW100 engines.
Academic scholarships also are awarded. Dassault Falcon Jet offers a scholarship for an undergraduate student pursuing an aviation-related course of study. Both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines offer academic scholarships for students pursuing a career in engineering, whether aerospace/aeronautical, mechanical, or electrical.
For a complete list of scholarships and the qualifications for each, guidelines, advice and applications, go to WAI.org and click on “Scholarships.” The deadline for 2010 applications is Nov. 20, 2009, and most scholarships are awarded at WAI’s Annual Conference.
Women in Aviation returns to Florida for its 21st Annual International Women in Aviation Conference scheduled for Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando, from Feb. 25-27, 2010.
