By Chris Nugent
September is shaping up to be a busy month for the Scholarship Committee as we start our program information sessions at schools and colleges across Arizona. We’re fortunate to be able to do many of these sessions in person this year and it’s always great to be able to talk to the students directly. With the October 31st deadline approaching quickly, I’m sure that the applicants will be busy as well! Just a reminder that the application and related program information is available on our website at Scholarship Program (azpilots.org).
As I’ve mentioned in past Scholarship Program updates, the growth in the aviation industry has driven an increase in applications. I did a look back and the number of applications has grown from 25 in 2018 to 41 in 2021 and I’m sure that we will see that number grow again this year. While most scholarship applicants are focused on becoming professional pilots, it’s encouraging to also see students interested in pursuing careers as A&P’s, air traffic controllers and airport managers. I know we hear a lot about the shortage of pilots in the press, but we need these other aviation professionals to make the system work as well.
The Scholarship Program is an important part of APA’s mission and we’ve been fortunate to see strong membership support over the last several years. This has allowed us to grow both the number of scholarships from 6 to 8 and the awards from $2,500 to $3,000. While this may seem like a modest amount, the APA scholarship has proven to be a key enabler for our recipients in achieving their aviation career goals.
Thank you again for your support of the Scholarship Program. Your donations, both big and small, help us to fulfill our mission of building the next generation of Arizona aviation professionals.
Stay healthy and fly safe.