Before emailing Scholarship Selection Committee with a question, please read through the FAQs to ensure your question has not already been answered.     

Can non-NGPA members receive a scholarship?  

No. You must be a member of NGPA to receive a scholarship award. To become a member of NGPA, visit our website.  Student memberships are available.  

When I log in to ngpa.org and click the "apply" button, I am looped back to the login page and/or I receive an error message.  How do I resolve this? 

Check to see if your membership is up to date.   If your membership has expired, and you haven't yet renewed, you won't be able to start the application process.   

I am a member of NGPA, but I do not identify as LGBTQIA+.  Can I still apply?    

Yes! Allies with a documentable history of advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community are welcome to apply.      

I am not a U.S. citizen (or I don’t live in the U.S.) -- may I still apply?    

Any NGPA-named scholarship is open to everyone regardless of where you live or learn to fly.     Some of our scholarships are eligible to non-U.S. citizens.  Most industry-sponsored scholarships (e.g., “United Airlines” or “Solairus” Advanced Flight Training Scholarships) require that you have authorization to work in the U.S. to receive the scholarship.  You will be considered for all scholarships for which you are eligible. 

I am new to aviation, and I want to work on my private pilot license. Where do I begin, and how do I qualify for a scholarship?    

The first place to start is by getting your student pilot certificate and your FAA medical certificate (or your nation's equivalent) All flight training scholarships require that you have your medical and at least a student pilot certificate to qualify for the scholarship. For more information, see the FAA’s website: https://www.faa.gov/pilots/become/student_cert/    

Where do I apply for scholarships?    

NGPA utilizes SmarterSelect for the application process.  You can access this through the NGPA website, under the scholarships tab.  

I am trying to help my son/daughter/relative/friend/agent apply for this scholarship program.  Can you help me fill it out on their behalf, answer a question, explain the process, let me know what makes an application package competitive, etc?  

SSC does not engage or work with mentors or agents of an applicant, as that gives supported and/or privileged scholarship applicants an unfair advantage.    

SSC standing policy is to not reply to any inquiries perceived to be from an agent or advocate of any applicant or potential applicant.  This policy ensures SSC does everything in our power to keep the field of competition as even and fair as possible.  We thank you for your understanding.    

Can SSC help me with my Opportunity Profile or other application steps?    

No.  Applicants must fill out their own Opportunity Profile and, if selected to continue, other portions of the application process.  The Scholarship Selection Committee will not offer advice to individual inquiries on “how to strengthen an application” other than advice offered through seminars and resources available to NGPA membership as a whole.   Inquiring individually will not yield further nuggets of wisdom.    

Trusted mentors may be able to provide an answer to a question you might have in how to best respond to a question on the Opportunity Profile.  Applicants may seek help from others within NGPA, trusted mentors, or elsewhere to proofread essays and other assistance.  Applicants may not ask others to complete any part of the application process for them.   If you do not have an aviation mentor, consider joining the NGPA ASCEND program.  Click on the link here for more information.     

I was a 2023 applicant – how do I access and update my 2023 application for the 2024 cycle?   

Simply the same Smarter Select credentials which you used for the 2023 application process, wrote down and stored in a safe place, to access your 2024 Opportunity Profile. 

I graduated a long time ago, and/or I have advanced degrees, and/or I have applied to many other scholarships, and I’ve never had to submit my high school transcripts before.  Does NGPA SSC really have to have my high school transcripts (or my nation’s equivalent)?   

Yes.  

Career GPA is among the strongest indicators of follow-on success in an intense training program such as flight training.   Therefore, high school/secondary school transcripts are a very important factor in determining if an application package represents a strong candidate.     

Usually the school board, city hall or county seat in which your high school was located will be able to give you pointers on where to go to get these public records.  If you get cracking on it, you can likely have them in your hands in a week or two.   

Note: SSC does not need sealed, official transcripts for the academic record.  Unofficial transcripts will do so long as the scan quality is high enough that authenticity can be reasonably verified.    

Is an FAA medical required to apply for scholarships?   

For NON-FLIGHT TRAINING scholarships (of which there are many!) no medical is required.   

As of November 2023, ALL FLIGHT TRAINING scholarships require an FAA third, second or first class medical (or your nation’s equivalent) is required.* 

*SSC is considering the merits of allowing member applicants who opt for scholarships unique to General Aviation track to present a Basic Med in lieu of an FAA “classed medical,” but members are cautioned against betting on this coming to pass if they can get at least a third class medical.    

I am looking for additional financial assistance beyond scholarships, can you help me with that?    

NGPA does not provide additional financial assistance outside of our scholarship program. We are exploring offering internships through our scholarship program.  This, of course, depends on sponsor willingness and participation.  Our scholarship application and evaluation process is poised to make these offerings when they arise, and applicants may indicate the “if” and “where” they would like to be considered for such opportunities.  

How do I know that my Opportunity Profile is submitted? 

You should receive a confirmation email from SmarterSelect as well as log in to Smarter Select to see confirmation you have successfully submitted your Opportunity Profile.  If you find you need to make corrections or add more information, you may do so up until the closing of the application window.   

Do Opportunity Profiles get a better chance of getting a better score if they are submitted early or late within the Opportunity Profile completion window?   

Not at all!  You must of course submit your OP before deadline, but what really matters is the content of your Opportunity Profile, just like “in the real world.”  Furthermore, 2024 OPs will not be “locked” on submission.  You can update your OP as frequently as you like up until the closure of the OP completion window.  All Opportunity Profiles showing “submitted” status will be considered for the next step in the application process. 

I have applied to and/or been accepted into a special school or cadet program that referred me to NGPA for scholarship opportunities.  How do I apply? 

NGPA has a single, universal opportunity profile for ALL scholarships offered under its name.  No extra work is required.  Submit your opportunity profile, and you will be considered for ALL scholarships for which you are eligible.    

In the opportunity profile, indicate your application status as appropriate with all of the special programs listed.  Provide documentation for each program into which you declare you’ve been accepted.  If you are accepted into a special program after the OP completion window, email us at [email protected] letting us know of the status change.  Attach your acceptance letter and/or class date notification as applicable.  

I hit SUBMIT on my Opportunity Profile, and I’ve subsequently been ACCEPTED into a special flight training program or have another update to make.  What do I do?  

Simply log in to SmarterSelect and make your changes.  The NGPA Opportunity Profile will not automatically lock after submisision.   

What scholarships are on offer this year?  Is there a scholarship for floatplanes?  Advanced ratings?  Multiengine ratings?  etc etc....   

The Opportunity Profile Completion window has opened early, but the real excitement will occur when we reveal all the fantastic scholarship offerings made possible by generous NGPA members and sponsors.   

You can see a list of generous donors from years past by clicking the link here.  

What are the scholarship requirements?    

Each scholarship has a different set of requirements – and every applicant will be considered for EACH AND EVERY SCHOLARSHIP for which they are eligible.  If you are selected as a semifinalist and invited to continue the application process, you will have an opportunity to prioritize your preferences. If you choose not to list preferences and you are selected for a scholarship, you will be matched with the highest value scholarship available for which you are eligible. 

When will scholarships be distributed and announced?     

As 2024 timetables coalesce, we will pass on this information to membership.  

How can I best prepare for the next scholarship window?     

There are plenty of things you can do now to make your OP completion go smoothly. 

1) Gather and scan the following documents and save them in a file on your computer for future upload  

  • Photo ID;   

  • FAA aviation/aerospace industry certificates, or your nation’s equivalent;   

  • High school academic transcripts, or your nation’s equivalent of secondary school academic records;   

  • Junior college, trade school, and/or college transcripts, as applicable;   

  • APPLICANTS COMPETING FOR FLIGHT TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS:   

  • FAA medical (or your nation’s equivalent);   

  • Logbook records – last twenty flights ;   

  • Logbook records – all checkride flights and comments from your DPE in your logbook  

     

 2) Consider compiling and polishing the following items NOW for upload and/or entry into your Opportunity Profile:

  • One-page resume;   

  • Your entire employment history with dates (accurate to month/year);   

  • Your entire community service history (accurate to month/year);   

  • Consider how you will concisely articulate:   

  • Why you deserve an NGPA scholarship;    

  • 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year aviation related goals, and plans to achieve them;   

  • Your unique financial need, and the steps you have taken to mitigate your financial need to achieve your dreams;   

  • How your record of community service reflects NGPA’s mission 

     

I've submitted my Opportunity Profile, but I'm still receiving messages that my Opportunity Profile is incomplete.  What do I do? 

SmarterSelect retains all application forms that each applicant has created.  If you did not re-use your 2023 application, and instead started over with a brand new 2024 Opportunity Profile, SmarterSelect will still notify you if either of these applications shows an “incomplete” status.    

SSC is aware returning applicants might have duplicate applications in the system, We will consider the most recently submitted application for each member.  Your old application might cause a hassle for you in the inbox, but it will not block your 2024 Opportunity Profile from being considered.  

Who do I contact with additional questions?    

Additional questions may be sent to [email protected].