Home / Vertical Aviation Career Pathways / VAI Scholarships VAI Scholarships The 2025 scholarship season is now open! VAI is now accepting applications for its 2025 scholarship program. With multiple scholarships to award, we are here to help you get the education you need for your career. Applications are due by November 8, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact us at scholarships@verticalavi.org. Submit Application Bill Sanderson Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) This scholarship awards full tuition to attend a maintenance course from airframe and powerplant manufacturers. Scholarship Benefits The scholarship awards recipients full tuition plus a monetary stipend to the following aviation maintenance programs: Airbus Bell Leonardo Pratt & Whitney Rolls-Royce Safran Turbomeca A complimentary full registration to VERTICON (formerly HAI HELI-EXPO) for the recipient and a guest (hotel and travel expenses are the responsibility of the scholarship winner and guest). Scholarship Prerequisites Applicants must be a member of VAI. Join Now. About to graduate from an FAA-approved Part 147 aviation maintenance technician school or international equivalent. Or be a recent recipient (within the last two years) of an airframe and powerplant (A&P) certificate Required documents Resume or Curriculum Vitae Proof of Enrollment – Provide a letter from your FAA-Approved Part 147 School or International Equivalent’s aviation school acknowledging your enrollment. Letter must include: Representative’s name Title and Organization Mailing Address, Telephone, and Email Verification of school’s status as an FAA-certified Part 147 facility or international-equivalent AMT training program 2 Letters of Recommendation One from your AMT school Program Director, Administrator, or Instructor with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation One from your employer, instructor, or other individual who can attest to your aviation background, training, and experience with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation Commercial Helicopter Pilot Rating Scholarship This scholarship is for applicants who want to attain their commercial helicopter ratings. Applicants must already have their private pilot’s license and be enrolled in a commercial helicopter rating program at an FAA-approved Part 141 school or international equivalent. Scholarship Benefits The scholarship awards US$5,000 toward the cost of obtaining a commercial helicopter rating. In addition, the scholarship recipient receives: A complimentary full registration to VERTICON (formerly HAI HELI-EXPO) in Dallas, Texas, for the scholarship recipient and a guest (hotel and travel expenses are the responsibility of the scholarship winner and guest). Scholarship Prerequisites Applicants must be a member of VAI. Join now. Applicants must have a private helicopter license. Applicants must be enrolled in a commercial helicopter pilot rating program at an FAA-approved Part 141 school or international equivalent. Applicants must also hold at least a second-class or international-equivalent medical certificate. Scholarship winners have one year from the date of their award to complete their training and receive their commercial helicopter rating. Scholarship awards that haven’t been claimed in that time will be considered void. Payment of the scholarship award is conditional on receipt of supporting documentation from the student’s school stating that the student has successfully completed the required coursework and has received an FAA or international-equivalent rating. If the school hasn’t been compensated by the student, VAI will make a payment to the institution on behalf of the student. Scholarship payments are for tuition and training only. Applicants who expect to receive their commercial ratings before Jan. 1, 2025, are not eligible to apply for this award. Required Documents: Resume or Curriculum Vitae Airman Certificates – Provide legible copies, front and back, of all FAA or international-equivalent certificates Copy of the last page of your pilot logbook Copy of your medical certificate, including class and date Proof of Enrollment – Provide a letter from your FAA-Approved Part 141 School or International Equivalent’s aviation school acknowledging your enrollment. Letter must include: Representative’s Name Title and Organization Mailing Address, Telephone, and Email FAA Part 141 Certificate Number If international, please provide your country’s FAA-equivalent information. 2 Letters of Recommendation One from your flight school’s Program Director, Administrator, or Instructor with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation. One from your employer, instructor, or other individual who can attest to your aviation background, training, and experience with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation. Maintenance Technician Certificate Scholarship This scholarship is for applicants pursuing training to become aviation maintenance technicians. Scholarship Benefits The scholarship awards US$2,500 toward the cost of obtaining your aviation maintenance certificate. In addition, the scholarship recipient receives: A complimentary full registration to VERTICON (formerly HAI HELI-EXPO) for the recipient and a guest (hotel and travel expenses are the responsibility of the scholarship winner and guest). Scholarship Prerequisites Applicants must be a member of HAI. Join now. Applicants must be enrolled in a maintenance technician certificate program at an FAA-approved Part 147 school or international equivalent. Scholarship winners have one year from the date of their award to complete their training and receive their maintenance technician certificate. Scholarship awards that haven’t been claimed in that time will be considered void. Payment of the scholarship award is conditional on receipt of supporting documentation from the student’s school stating that the student has successfully completed the required coursework and has received an FAA or international-equivalent certificate. If the school hasn’t been compensated by the student, VAI will make payment to the institution on behalf of the student. Scholarship payments are for tuition and training only. Applicants who expect to receive their maintenance technician certificates before Jan. 1, 2025, are not eligible to apply for this award. Required documents Resume or Curriculum Vitae Technician Certificates (if applicable) – Provide legible copies, front and back, of all FAA or international-equivalent certificates. Proof of Enrollment – Provide a letter from your FAA-Approved Part 147 School or International Equivalent’s aviation school acknowledging your enrollment. Letter must include: Representative’s name Title and Organization Mailing Address, Telephone, and Email Verification of school’s status as an FAA-certified Part 147 facility or international-equivalent AMT training program 2 Letters of Recommendation One from your AMT school Program Director, Administrator, or Instructor with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation One from your employer, instructor, or other individual who can attest to your aviation background, training, and experience with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation Michelle North Scholarship for Safety This scholarship provides full tuition to attend the Safety Management course offered as part of the VAI Professional Education Program, which is held annually at VAI VERTICON. . Scholarship Benefits The scholarship awards full tuition to attend a VERTICON Elevations Safety Management Course at VERTICON. In addition, the scholarship recipient receives: A complimentary full registration to VERTICON (formerly HAI HELI-EXPO) for the recipient and a guest (hotel and travel expenses are the responsibility of the scholarship winner and guest). Scholarship Prerequisites Applicants must be a member of HAI. Join now. Commercial helicopter pilot rating Demonstrate an outstanding aptitude for safe flying and aviation best practices Required documents Resume or Curriculum Vitae 2 Letters of Recommendation from an employer, instructor, or other who can attest to applicant’s aviation background, training, and experience with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation WINCO Commercial Helicopter Pilot Rating Scholarship Presented by WINCO Powerline Services The WINCO Commercial Helicopter Pilot Rating Scholarship is awarded each year to a pilot who has a private helicopter license and is in the process of attaining a commercial helicopter rating. Scholarship Benefits The scholarship awards US$5,000 toward the cost of obtaining a commercial helicopter rating. In addition, the scholarship recipient receives: A complimentary full registration to VERTICON (formerly HAI HELI-EXPO) in Dallas, Texas, for the scholarship recipient and a guest (hotel and travel expenses are the responsibility of the scholarship winner and guest). Scholarship Prerequisites Applicants must be a member of VAI. Join now. Applicants must have a private helicopter license. Applicants must be enrolled in a commercial helicopter pilot rating program at an FAA-approved Part 141 school or international equivalent. Applicants must also hold at least a second-class or international-equivalent medical certificate. Scholarship winners have one year from the date of their award to complete their training and receive their commercial helicopter rating. Scholarship awards that haven’t been claimed in that time will be considered void. Payment of the scholarship award is conditional on receipt of supporting documentation from the student’s school stating that the student has successfully completed the required coursework and has received an FAA or international-equivalent rating. If the school hasn’t been compensated by the student, VAI will make a payment to the institution on behalf of the student. Scholarship payments are for tuition and training only. Applicants who expect to receive their commercial ratings before Jan. 1, 2025, are not eligible to apply for this award. Required documents RESUME or Curriculum Vitae Airman Certificates – Provide legible copies, front and back, of all FAA or international-equivalent certificates Copy of the last page of your pilot logbook Copy of your medical certificate, including class and date Proof of Enrollment – Provide a letter from your FAA-Approved Part 141 School or International Equivalent’s aviation school acknowledging your enrollment. Letter must include: Representative’s Name Title and Organization Mailing Address, Telephone, and Email FAA Part 141 Certificate Number If international, please provide your country’s FAA-equivalent information. 2 Letters of Recommendation One from your flight school’s Program Director, Administrator, or Instructor with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation. One from your employer, instructor, or other individual who can attest to your aviation background, training, and experience with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation. WINCO Maintenance Technician Certificate Scholarship Presented by WINCO Powerline Services The WINCO Maintenance Technician Certificate Scholarship is awarded to students in training to become an aviation maintenance technician. Scholarship Benefits The scholarship awards US$5,000 toward the cost of obtaining your aviation maintenance certificate. In addition, the scholarship recipient receives: A complimentary full registration to VERTICON (formerly HAI HELI-EXPO) for the recipient and a guest (hotel and travel expenses are the responsibility of the scholarship winner and guest). Scholarship Prerequisites Applicants must be a member of HAI. Join now. Applicants must be enrolled in a maintenance technician certificate program at an FAA-approved Part 147 school or international equivalent. Scholarship winners have one year from the date of their award to complete their training and receive their maintenance technician certificate. Scholarship awards that haven’t been claimed in that time will be considered void. Payment of the scholarship award is conditional on receipt of supporting documentation from the student’s school stating that the student has successfully completed the required coursework and has received an FAA or international-equivalent certificate. If the school hasn’t been compensated by the student, VAI will make payment to the institution on behalf of the student. Scholarship payments are for tuition and training only. Applicants who expect to receive their maintenance technician certificates before Jan. 1, 2025, are not eligible to apply for this award. Required documents Resume or Curriculum Vitae Technician Certificates (if applicable) – Provide legible copies, front and back, of all FAA or international-equivalent certificates. Proof of Enrollment – Provide a letter from your FAA-Approved Part 147 School or International Equivalent’s aviation school acknowledging your enrollment. Letter must include: Representative’s name Title and Organization Mailing Address, Telephone, and Email Verification of school’s status as an FAA-certified Part 147 facility or international-equivalent AMT training program 2 Letters of Recommendation One from your AMT school Program Director, Administrator, or Instructor with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation One from your employer, instructor, or other individual who can attest to your aviation background, training, and experience with: Recommender’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone, and email Length of time recommender has known applicant Recommender’s comments on applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivation Bell 505 B2 Integrated Avionics Maintenance Technician Scholarship Presented by Bell The Bell 505 B2 Integrated Avionics Maintenance Technician Scholarship is awarded to an individual who has held an A&P license for any length of time or to an individual who has finished avionics technician training within the past two years. Scholarship Benefits Full tuition to attend Bell’s 505 B2 Integrated Avionics Maintenance Course. A stipend of US$1,600 toward the cost of travel and lodging. A complimentary full registration to VERTICON (formerly HAI HELI-EXPO) for the recipient and a guest (hotel and travel expenses are the responsibility of the scholarship winner and guest). Scholarship Prerequisites Applicants must be a member of VAI. Join now. Applicants must already have an A&P license or be an established aviation avionics technician. Required Documents Resume or curriculum vitae. Technician certificates (please provide legible copies, front and back, of all FAA or international-equivalent certificates). Two letters of recommendation from your employer, instructor, and/or other individual who can attest to your aviation technician background, training, and experience. The letters should include: The submitter’s name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. The length of time the submitter has known the applicant. The submitter’s comments about the applicant’s attitude, integrity, and motivational drive. “If I hadn’t won the scholarship, it would’ve been very hard for me to move to a different state and begin flight training somewhere new.” Sarah Grace Blanton 2020 Commercial Helicopter Pilot Rating Scholarship recipient “The scholarship means a lot to me because the aviation industry is not cheap. I am now a part of a group that will help me along my career for the rest of my life.” Blake Olson 2022 Maintenance Technician Scholarship recipient “The HAI scholarship is giving me an opportunity to focus on my flight training and achieve my target. Winning the scholarship boosts my confidence and inspires me to wake up every day and work on my goal of obtaining a CHPL.” Komal Rahane 2022 HAI Commercial Helicopter Pilot Rating Scholarship recipient “I’m very honored to win the WAI scholarship because I know there are few women in aviation. Realizing there’s this kind of support for female mechanics and female pilots is just amazing.” Diana Stearns 2020 HAI Foundation–sponsored Women in Aviation International (WAI) Maintenance Technician Certificate Scholarship recipient “Get to Know the Future Faces of the Profession“ Meet some of our previous scholarship winners and future faces of the profession through HAI’s Future Faces feature. New VAI Student Membership Option Available! Learn More