Women in Aviation International Scholarships
Scholarship Sponsored by Women in Aviation International
Application Overview
The scholarship application process is managed exclusively through the WAI online portal; hard copies sent by mail or email are not accepted. Applicants must confirm membership status with WAI according to the specified deadlines before their application will be considered. Read each scholarship description carefully because individual awards may impose additional or different requirements. Follow the portal instructions closely to ensure your submission is complete and accepted.
Eligibility: Applicants must be current WAI members with an expiration date no earlier than March 30, 2027, or join WAI as a new member by August 30, 2026 to be eligible.
- All applications submitted only via the WAI online portal.
- Membership requirement: expire on/after March 30, 2027 or join by August 30, 2026.
- Each award may have unique eligibility or documentation requirements—review descriptions.
- Incomplete or improperly submitted applications may be rejected.
Required Documents
There is a core set of documents required for all scholarship applications unless otherwise stated by a specific award. Required items include two letters of recommendation, a 500-word essay, and a resume of no more than two pages. Applicants seeking flight training scholarships must also provide pilot and medical certificates plus the last three pages of their pilot logbook. All uploaded files must meet the portal's size limits and any award-specific requests.
- Two recommendation letters (one page max each; not from family members).
- 500-word essay addressing prompts described in the essay section.
- Resume limited to two pages; no photo included.
- Flight-training applicants must attach pilot/medical certificates and recent logbook pages.
- All files must meet portal size limits and format requirements.
Essay Requirements
The application requires a single 500-word essay that explains your motivation for joining the aviation or aerospace industry and what sustains your involvement. The essay should describe your contributions to the community and explain how receiving the scholarship would affect your goals and career trajectory. Include your name and contact information at the top of the essay and any additional information requested for the specific scholarship. Clear, concise writing that directly addresses the prompts will strengthen your application.
Essay Content: Include name/contact, inspiration for entering the field, community involvement, and how the scholarship will help you reach your goals.
- Limit to 500 words, focused on specified prompts.
- Begin with your name and contact information.
- Address inspiration, motivation, community contributions, and impact of the scholarship.
- Provide any award-specific details if requested.
Resume Requirements
Resumes should summarize your education, work history, honors, and relevant aviation activities in a maximum of two pages. Do not include a photo on your resume. Include volunteer history, certificates already obtained, and dates; flight applicants should list completed flight hours and relevant certifications. Keep formatting professional and focused on information that supports your scholarship application.
Resume Content: Work or academic history, awards/honors, aviation-related involvement, volunteer experience, and certificates/dates (include flight hours for flight applicants).
- Two-page maximum; no photograph.
- Document work history, academic studies, and awards or honors.
- List aviation-related activities and volunteer service clearly.
- For flight scholarships, include certificates, dates, and total flight hours.
Submission Instructions
Submit all materials directly through the WAI scholarship portal; do not mail or email hard copies. Follow file-size and format constraints enforced by the portal to avoid upload errors. Letters of recommendation must adhere to the one-page limit and cannot be authored by family members. Confirm each document meets the specific award's requests before finalizing your submission to ensure eligibility and completeness.
Submission Method: Only portal submissions accepted; check file-size limits and award-specific instructions prior to upload.
- Portal-only submissions — no mailed or emailed applications.
- Recommendation letters: maximum one page each; not from family members.
- Verify all files meet the portal's size and format requirements before submitting.
- Review each scholarship’s description for any additional document requests.