Scholarship Program Information (Updated: June 2019)
Application Status: Open – Currently Accepting Applications
Each year EAA Chapter 105 awards a number of youth flight training scholarships, which are intended to assist young people in the Oregon/Southwest Washington area in their pursuit of learning to fly and advancing their aviation skills. The number of available scholarships varies from year to year. Applicants may submit their applications at any time, and the selection committee periodically considers applications as appropriate, given the available funds and program status. That said, while scholarships may be applied for at any time, the selection process may also include periodic announcements soliciting applications with a specific time window and with a defined deadline for applications, in order to be considered for a consolidated selection “drive.” In other words, applicants are encouraged to apply at any time, but should also stay aware of the scholarship program’s selection efforts and any scheduled activities throughout the year. This web page is the definitive source of program information.
The scholarships, which are administered by EAA Chapter 105 in Hillsboro, Oregon and co-funded by the Chapter, private donors and the Bogardus Trust, are highly sought-after and we consistently have more applicants than available scholarships. A set of formal eligibility criteria determine who may apply and a selection team determines to whom scholarships are awarded.
Questions after reading this page? Please refer to this site for the latest information. We know it’s a lot of information and detail to absorb. Just like flight training! After reading the information below any remaining questions you have may be sent via email to flightscholarship@eaa105.org.
Scholarship Funding Information
Funds for the scholarships administered by EAA Chapter 105 come from a variety of generous sources:
On the first Saturday of every month, the Chapter holds a pancake breakfast, which is open to the public and attended by many people, at Twin Oaks Airpark (7S3) in Hillsboro, OR. A portion of the proceeds from the breakfast “ticket” cost helps to provide scholarship opportunities.
For the past several years, EAA Chapter 105 has received a grant from the George and Lillian Bogardus Memorial Trust to use for flight training scholarships with the vision of encouraging young aviators. In combination with designated Chapter 105 funds and private donor funds, scholarship grants are awarded each year. George Bogardus, who passed away in 1997, left his estate in trust to EAA Chapter 105. One of his desires was that the chapter would support youth education in the world of aviation. Through these scholarships, EAA Chapter 105 has been able to continue George’s legacy and enable local young people to pursue their dreams of flying.
Finally, private donors make regular grants from their own giving trust programs to the Chapter, directed for the purpose of funding these flight scholarships.
Would you like to contribute to the fund? Donations to EAA 105, an IRS 501(c)(3) exempt organization, may be directed to the youth fund and are generally tax-deductible. Your donations can have a substantial impact on the young people that make up our future aviation community. Consult your tax professional for tax deductibility of donated funds.
Previous scholarship recipients have gone on to achieve private, instrument and commercial pilot licenses and have launched into a variety of careers in aviation including mechanical and aeronautical engineering, flight instruction, aviation manufacturing, and commercial pilot jobs.
NOTE: Scholarship applications may be submitted year-round. Eligibility criteria changed in 2017, and are described below.
TO APPLY: The young person who is applying for the scholarship is expected to complete their own application process, documentation, requests for recommendation letters, etc. on their own. We won’t accept applications prepared by someone else (parents included) on behalf of the young person for whom the scholarship is desired. Flight training is an individual commitment, which requires initiative, organization and drive. The young person should prepare and submit an application packet as described below. You may submit your application electronically to flightscholarship@eaa105.org.
Eligibility:
- To be eligible to apply for a powered aircraft flight training scholarship, the applicant must be between the ages of 15 and 24 years old at the time of application.
- To be eligible to apply for a non-powered (glider/sailplane) aircraft flight training scholarship, the applicant must be between the ages of 13 and 24 years at the time of application.
- Both first-time applicants and prior scholarship recipients are eligible to apply.
- This is a local-area slight scholarship program, serving youth in Oregon and southwest Washington.
- Applicants who are selected for an interview as part of the process will be required to interview in-person in Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Recipients of scholarships from this program will be expected to participate and interact with the local aviation community via EAA Chapter 105 events and activities.
A few helpful hints:
We receive scholarship applications from a wide variety of people, from all walks of life and with a broad spectrum of training desires and needs. We welcome all applicants. We are often asked what makes up the ideal candidate, and while there is no single answer to that question, we can share a few guiding thoughts that tend to come up in the review process:
- Has the applicant already completed some training, or at least have taken the opportunity to fly in an airplane? The EAA Young Eagles program and local flight schools’ discovery flights are both great ways to get the process started.
- Does the applicant have a plan for their training?
- Does the applicant demonstrate that they are serious and invested?
- Do the applicant have specific goals established and does his/her plan support reaching those goals?
- What is the applicant doing in order to support the total cost of and commitment to her/his training?
- How does the candidate represent a solid vehicle for the program to allocate its scholarship funds, where a primary goal is to invest in the future of aviation?
- How is the candidate involved in contributing to the aviation community?
We consider a wide variety of criteria beyond this list, of course. But, we find that the above points often help guide applicants in their thinking and planning, and we discuss this sort of information with candidates who are invited to the interview phase of the selection process.
- Each initial grant will consist of up to $1,500 to be applied towards aircraft rental for flight training purposes and/or flight instructor fees (for instruction applicable to the required training) at Starks Twin Oaks (the home-base airport of EAA Chapter 105) or another approved flight school of the recipient’s choice. The flight school and/or instructor must agree to directly invoice EAA 105 for the actual aircraft rental and/or instructor fees after the charges have been incurred. From time to time, some flight schools may offer special pricing or packages for scholarship recipients, to maximize their use of funds. A portion of the funds may be used, only if prior approval is obtained from the scholarship administrator, for a small amount of training-related fees such as FAA testing and similar.
- Document 1: A short personal autobiography, describing the applicant and his/her background.
- Document 2: The applicant’s contact information (name, address, phone, email, etc.) and birth date.
- Document 3: A one or two page narrative essay, describing the applicant’s interest, desire, commitment and future plans in aviation. Leverage the “helpful hints” above in writing your essay. This essay will be a primary tool in selecting candidates for the interview phase – so be sure to convince us here.
- Documents 4-6: Three letters of recommendation from adults who know the applicant and her/his character. These letters must be from non-family-members.
- Document 7: If the applicant is under 18 year old, a signed letter from the applicant’s parent(s) or legal guardian indicating they grant permission for the applicant to apply for the scholarship and participate in flight training in the event they are awarded a scholarship.
Application period (open calendar)
Applications are accepted at any time. The program typically reviews written applications in batches and schedules interviews in blocks, but may conduct such reviews on whatever schedule it seems fit. The program may conduct larger batches of interviews at certain times during the year when funds become available or when flight weather conditions in the Pacific Northwest are conducive, but will also award scholarships throughout the year as appropriate, and at the determination and discretion of the program coordinator. As such, you may apply at any time. Applications are kept on file for up to one year. If at any time you are applying a second or subsequent time, you must submit a new application with current recommendations and current information describing your situation and training plans.
Application review period and interview selection process
From the applications received, the selection team determines which applicants will be invited to participate in the next round of the process, which consists of an in-person interview. Applicants chosen to participate in the interview phase will receive an invitation, and applicants are sent an email notice with a status of their application after the initial application review process has been completed.
From time to time the program may provide limited follow-on grants for recipients who already received and used an initial prior grant, and where the program determines that the individual should be considered for a grant of additional funds. There is not an application process for follow-on grants during the same year as an initial award. Rather, the identification of such candidates, the criteria for eligibility and the decisions around such awards are made at the discretion of the scholarship program team.
Interview
Each applicant selected to participate in the interview phase will be notified of a date and time for his or her individual, in-person interview with the selection committee. Participants will be expected to discuss their submitted application materials and to help the interview panel better understand the applicant’s commitment, plans, aspirations and interests. You will also answer questions posed by the selection committee members. While the program will attempt to accommodate the schedules of applicants, please realize that the interview selection committee often meets to interview many candidates on one day, and so we appreciate you working to adjust your schedule to make your invitation date and time work.
Scholarship award notifications
Upon completion of the interview phase, the selection committee will meet to select scholarship award recipients. Notification of each participant’s final selection status will be sent to the applicant’s email address upon completion of the selection process.
If you apply and are not awarded a scholarship, we strongly encourage you to apply again in the future. We often have applicants to whom we cannot grant a scholarship in a given year, who are successful at a later date. Use the scholarship application and interview process as a learning tool, and come back and see us!
- To be eligible to apply for a powered aircraft flight training scholarship, the applicant must be between the ages of 15 and 24 years old at the time of application.
- To be eligible to apply for a non-powered (glider/sailplane) aircraft flight training, the applicant must be between the ages of 13 and 24 years at the time of application.
- Both first-time applicants and prior scholarship recipients are eligible to apply.
- Scholarship awards are non-transferable and may be used only by the award recipient.
- Scholarship funds may be used for actual flight training, including cost of aircraft rental and flight instructor fees. Any other payments will only be approved if submitted for consideration and approved by the scholarship administrator before charges are incurred. The primary intent of the scholarship is to pay for aircraft and flight instructor time, so only small amount of the grant is typically allowed for other charges, if any.
- The scholarship may be utilized toward any level of flight training (introductory/primary training as well as advanced endorsements, ratings or certificates). Note that simple hour-building is not typically covered, unless documented specifically and in detail in a training plan written by the student’s flight instructor, which is then reviewed pre-approved by the scholarship administrator. If this is your need, please be prepared to document and discuss in detail during your interview.
- Payments for covered training activities are made by EAA Chapter 105 directly to the training organization or instructor. An itemized invoice must be received from the training organization or instructor for services rendered. Scholarship funds will not be provided in advance to recipients or flight training providers. If a student or family pays out-of-pocket for covered training activities, which take place during the covered scholarship timeframe, and wishes to request reimbursement under the scholarship, arrangements must be made and approved by the scholarship coordinator before any reimbursed charges are incurred; itemized receipts or invoices showing the amount paid and specific goods/services received will be required before reimbursement can be approved.
- A scholarship letter will be provided to each recipient, describing the grant will include effective and expiration dates. It is the responsibility of the scholarship recipient to provide a copy of the scholarship letter to the flight school and instructor. The recipient is responsible for ensuring they have communicated with the flight school thoroughly regarding their intended use of the scholarship. The scholarship may be used to pay for training conducted during the valid scholarship time period, as described in the recipient’s scholarship letter. It may not be used to pay any balance due for training conducted prior to the scholarship award. Any unused funds expire at the end of the scholarship period and will no longer be available, and may not be “banked” for later use.
- Scholarship grants expire one year after the grant date. In Each recipient will be required to provide a written training plan to the scholarship administrator, indicating where the recipient intends to conduct their training, and a schedule they plan to follow. Recipients may alter their plan as needed at the discretion and with the approval of the scholarship administrator, but an initial plan is required of each recipient. The intent of this requirement is to ensure scarce scholarship funds will be most effectively used, and to limit the number and amount of unused scholarships. Note that if the written training plan is not on file from a recipient within three months of the scholarship grant, the grant will be rescinded and no longer available to the recipient.
- Chapter directors, children and/or grandchildren of a) chapter directors, b) Bogardus trustees, c) private funds donors, and d) scholarship selection team members are not eligible to receive scholarships under this program. These relationships are as determined on the date of the scholarship grant as documented in the individual scholarship award letter. This clause is not intended to preclude participation of a scholarship recipient in roles of the EAA chapter or any other related organization which benefits the aviation community, at any time after the scholarship award decision has been made and communicated. In fact, we’d love to see scholarship recipients become involved in leadership roles in the future as that is one of the goals of our program.
Note that financial need is not an eligibility requirement to apply for the scholarships granted through this program, although it may be considered alongside various other criteria considered by the committee when making selections. Other commonly considered criteria include, but are not limited to: Demonstrated commitment by the applicant to the aviation community and/or their own flight training; investments of time, funds or other investments made by the applicant in furtherance of their goals; the applicant’s goals and plan for reaching those goals; the applicant’s passion for and commitment to aviation; and other items.
For additional information about the scholarship program, please contact the EAA Chapter 105 Flight Scholarship coordinator, Greg Hughes, by emailing flightscholarship@eaa105.org. He will be glad to help answer questions about the process that are not answered here.
Flight Training Opportunities and Choices
The flight scholarship may be used at a number of aviation training facilities. The choice of where to learn and fly is made by the scholarship recipient. At times, some flight schools or instructors will offer special discounts or arrangements for recipients of these scholarships. Information about any available special training arrangements will be provided to scholarship recipients.
Other Aviation Scholarships
- http://www.eaa.org/support/scholarships.asp
- http://flighttraining.aopa.org/ftscholarship
- http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/scholarships