Scholarships
OBAP is dedicated to supporting minority interests and professional diversity within aerospace through scholarships. Expanding scholarship funding is essential to prepare our future professionals and to meet industry demand. As aerospace careers evolve, OBAP facilitates scholarship opportunities that support traditional degree programs, flight training, and technical certifications. Since the program's inception, OBAP has awarded over $8 million in scholarships to nearly 600 recipients from diverse backgrounds nationwide.
Thanks to our dedicated sponsors, aerospace partnerships, and industry leaders, OBAP scholarships provide the necessary boost for many aspiring pilots, aviation maintenance technicians, engineers, and more. Scholarships also connect our members with professional networking and mentorship opportunities across OBAP’s roadmap and airline career pathway programs.
An active OBAP membership is required to apply.
Fall Scholarship Application is Now Open
Frequently Asked Questions
All OBAP scholarships require an active OBAP membership prior to applying. Please refer to the individual scholarship descriptions for all eligibility requirements.
Applicants must meet the following minimum scholarship requirements to apply:
- Must be an active OBAP member for at least 3 full calendar months prior to applying for any scholarship program.
- Must be 17 years of age or older at the time of submitting application.
- Must have at least 10 hours of verified OBAP volunteer engagement and provide point of contact, volunteer event dates, total number of hours, and details of volunteer activities.
- Must have at least 20 hours of external volunteer engagement (other organizations outside of OBAP) and provide point of contact, volunteer event dates, total number of hours, and details of volunteer activities.
- Applicants who are currently enrolled in high school, an accredited FAA Part 61/141 flight training program, or FAA Part 141 college/university degree program may be exempt from internal/external volunteer requirements provided they have participated in or are actively participating in at least one of the following OBAP programs within the last 5 years: ACE Academy, Ascension Program, Explore Aerospace, or Solo Flight Academy.
- Must reside within the United States and be enrolled at an accredited FAA Part 61 or Part 141 flight training institution/organization within the United States.
Must provide 2 letters of recommendation with primary recommendation from an active OBAP member and secondary recommendation from a professional acquaintance (i.e. Certified Flight Instructor, Chief Pilot, Professional Mentor, Manager, etc.)
- To apply for an OBAP scholarship, visit our AwardSpring platform and register using the email associated with your OBAP membership account. You must use your email from your OBAP membership to register. If your email does not match our records, ensure it is updated in your membership account before attempting to register on AwardSpring. You can retrieve your OBAP membership account details and/or update your email in your account here: https://obap.app.
neoncrm.com/login . Once on AwardSpring, click the "Set Your Password" button for a registration link to be sent to your email address. Then, follow the instructions in the email to set your password and agree to the AwardSpring "Terms & Conditions". As this is a new scholarship season, all applicants will have to register as a "First Time" user before accessing the application. - Ensure you meet the minimum eligibility requirements before attempting to register on AwardSpring. If you do not meet the minimum membership requirement, you will not be able to register and apply for scholarships on AwardSpring. In order to register and apply for scholarships, applicants must have an active membership with at least 3 months of consecutive status prior to any application cycle. For example, an applicant attempting to apply for Spring scholarships on April 1st must have been an active, dues-paying member no later than January 1st. All OBAP membership status is verified through our NeonCRM and AwardSpring databases prior to registering on AwardSpring.
- Once registered, begin by viewing the available scholarships and required eligibility using the "Scholarships" tab. You will complete 1 general application for all scholarships, and based on your application details, AwardSpring will automatically match you with eligible scholarships. You will notice the matching status to each scholarship as well.
- To do this, begin your application by clicking on the "Application" tab, which will take you to the general application. Read the instructions and complete each section of the application. As you make changes to your application, it will automatically save your information in real-time and update the status of each section once it's completed. All sections must be completed before you can submit your application, and the dashboard will advise you of any necessary information. By clicking on the "Dashboard" tab, you will find application notifications, follow-up tasks, and pertinent deadlines.
- After submitting your general application, AwardSpring may match you with additional scholarships; however, you will need to verify your eligibility and complete any additional steps before the system adds those scholarships to your general application. If you do not meet the additional requirements for those scholarships, do not answer the questions or apply for the scholarship.
- AwardSpring will automatically remind you if your application is not complete and/or hasn't been submitted since your last login prior to the application deadline. After the deadline, applications will no longer be accepted within the portal, and there are no exceptions. After the application closes, our team will evaluate all eligible applicants and communicate the next steps in our selection process, which takes 30 calendar days after the application closes. You can check the status of your application and award status on the "Scholarships" tab and via email communications from our AwardSpring platform.
- Should you need further assistance, please read the Applicant Guide first, which will give you details on how to access the AwardSpring platform. If you have password issues, use the "Forgot Password" link on the homepage. For technical issues with AwardSpring or OBAP membership inquiries, please reach out to our team at scholarships@obap.org. When contacting our team, please provide specific details of your AwardSpring or OBAP inquiry so that we may respond accordingly.
- To apply for an OBAP scholarship, visit our AwardSpring platform and register using the email associated with your OBAP membership account. You must use your email from your OBAP membership to register. If your email does not match our records, ensure it is updated in your membership account before attempting to register on AwardSpring. You can retrieve your OBAP membership account details and/or update your email in your account here: https://obap.app.
All OBAP scholarships are open for active members to apply that meet the necessary eligibility requirements. OBAP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, or military status.
- Spring Cycle - April 1st - 30th, 2026
- Fall Cycle - September 1st - 30th, 2026
Many full-time accelerated and airline pathway programs can range from $90,000 - $120,000 depending on the type of training requirements (i.e. Part 61 or Part 141) they provide. College/University programs can vary per degree and associated flight training certifications (i.e. Aerospace/Aviation Engineering, Science, and Management). Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT/A&P) programs can vary between 10,000 - $60,000 depending on various program ratings and associated degrees.
You can apply for as many scholarship opportunities available throughout the calendar year if you meet the eligibility requirements. Some scholarship programs have a maximum amount you can apply to your training so, check with your institution or organization before applying. Also, have a plan of action for funding your training through other sources such as: loans, grants, and personal savings. We suggest researching our partner aerospace organizations for additional scholarship opportunities (i.e. SOS, LPA, NGPA, WAI, FAST, PAPA, EAA, AOPA, etc.).
View available scholarships on our AwardSpring site.
The selection process involves an initial application review to verify all eligibility requirements. If selected to move forward, applicants are invited to a “STAR” method panel interview with scholarship evaluators. After all eligible interviews are complete, recipients are selected based on their performance in the application and interview process using our internal scoring rubric. Recipients will be selected and notified within our 30-day evaluation period after initial applications close.
Scholarship recipients can apply for additional scholarship opportunities if they meet the eligibility requirements. Former recipients will be required to apply and adhere to the selection process with all other applicants to remain fair and competitive.
Currently, we do not offer and provide scholarships or sponsorships to applicants studying abroad. Applicants must be actively training within the United States at an FAA-mandated Part 61 or Part 141 institution or organization to apply. Most international students training within the United States utilize an applicable visa program to complete their training.
OBAP scholarships programs vary throughout the calendar year which depends on donor/sponsor eligibility requirements. If you’re looking for fee waiver programs and requirements for ACE Academy, please refer to our fee waiver requirements.
Letters of recommendation should be submitted by professional acquaintances who are familiar with your educational and/or training background. Additionally, recommenders should be able to provide character references that provide our evaluators with examples of furthering your goals and our mission (i.e. leadership, mentorship, etc.).
Letters of recommendation are only requested and submittable within the application portal. We do not accept letters of recommendation via email and/or text. At least 1 recommendation must be from an active OBAP member, and their membership must be in good standing.
Your scholarship application is very similar to applying for a job and is your “resume” that our evaluators will see. Our internal scoring rubric is used to evaluate applicants and determine if they will be selected for our scholarships.
Our scoring rubric consists of a points system that evaluates various aspects but, not limited to: a complete and submitted application, authentic essay responses, professional letters of recommendation, volunteer/leadership experience (unless exempt from selected OBAP Programs), training performance, and applicant potential.
- Recipients may use OBAP scholarship awards for expenses related to:
- Ground, flight, and technical training associated with required FAA certifications and/or ratings
- FAA-mandated oral, practical, and written examination fees
- Academic, flight training, or technical test preparation materials
- To maintain the integrity of our relationship with training institutions and organizations, OBAP will facilitate award distribution directly to the associated finance department. We do not remit scholarship funds to scholarship recipients individually. Scholarship funds may be used during active educational, flight, and technical training timelines associated with your respective institution or organization.
Absolutely! We are always seeking additional donors and partnerships to further our mission and assist our members with financial support. Please reach out to our Director of Development, Haifa Baptiste and Director, Scholarship Programs, Marcel Kimbrel for more information and/or to schedule an introductory session.
OBAP provides many networking and mentorship programs for our members so, make sure you’re an active member and subscribe to our email distribution communications and social media channels. When you meet the eligibility requirements, we encourage you to apply. We also suggest getting involved with our volunteer opportunities and roadmap programs to further your career.
Have more questions? We’re happy to provide you with the information or resources you require regarding scholarships. Contact our team anytime at scholarships@obap.org.
Celebrating our Sponsors
Contact the Scholarship Team
Organization of
Black Aerospace Professionals
is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
8450 Terminal Dr.
Olive Branch Ms 38654