We are thrilled to announce that our chapter offers
TWO Ray Aviation Scholarships this year!
We will be accepting applications from February 7th till April 7th 2025
EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship 2025
This scholarship was funded by the Ray Foundation, and is administered by EAA
to scholars who have interest in aviation and eager to get a pilot license.
Program benefits
This scholarship provides funds up to
- $12,000 for Private Pilot
- $9,000 for Sport Pilot
- $6,000 for Glider Pilot
Additional bonus:
- Ray Scholars have an opportunity to receive a free noise-cancelling Lightspeed Zulu 3 headset
- All Ray Scholars up till the age of 21 receive free weekly Oshkosh AirVenture tickets
Applicant requirements:
- Age 16 to 19 (at the time of applying) if applying for a Private Pilot or Sport Pilot,
- Age 15 to 19 (at the time of applying) if applying for a Glider Pilot.
- NOTE: kids turning 16 before the end of October 2025 (or turning 15 before the end of October 2025 if applying for Glider Pilot) are welcome to apply as well.
- You must be a member of EAA Chapter 461 to apply for Ray Aviation Scholarship provided by EAA Chapter 461.
Scholar commitment:
Our Ray Scholarship coordinator will guide you through the process, but you must be committed to:
- Obtain the 3rd class Medical certificate within 30 days (if applying for a Private Pilot)
- Obtain the Student Pilot certificate
- Begin training within 60 days of award acceptance
- Complete training in 12 months
- Cover the rest of the training cost if it exceeds the scholarship amount
- Bi-weekly progress checks with Chapter 461 Ray Scholarship Coordinator
- Monthly submission to the chapter newsletter
- Volunteer at Chapter 461 for a minimum of two hours a month
Training Milestones:
- First fund installment (40%) is issued upon award approval (this is the start date)
- First solo flight is due by 3 months after the start date
Second fund installment (40%) will be issued after the Solo Report is submitted - Written Exam is due by 6 months after the start date
Final fund installment (20%) is issued after the Written Exam Report is submitted - Checkride is due by 12 months after the start date
How to apply
- Fill out the application form. Download the form here:
EAA-461-Ray-Aviation-Scholarship-Application-2025.docx - Obtain a letter of recommendation
- The letter must come from an adult who has known you for a minimum of one year. A teacher, coach, group leader, or work supervisor are possible considerations. Recommender cannot be your family member. Choose someone who will speak to your character.
- The letter of recommendation should reflect:
- Recommender’s relation to you and its length
- Your commitment to achieving a goal, leadership, or work ethic
- Recommender’s contact information
- Write an essay answering one of the given questions:
- What are you passionate about in Aviation? What path do you want to pursue?
- What are your long term goals? What steps have you made so far to achieve them?
- Tell us about something that you struggled with. What have you learned from your struggle and how did you overcome it?
- Why do you think you should be selected for the Ray Aviation Scholarship?
- Email the following to [email protected]
- completed application form
- essay
- letter of recommendation (either include with the application or ask the recommender to email it to us)
The deadline to submit your application is
Monday April 7th 2025, 11:59 pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I need to obtain a Medical certificate and Student Pilot certificate?
We don’t require you to have neither a Student Pilot certificate or a Medical certificate at the time of applying. You will submit an application for a Student Pilot certificate with your instructor. Medical certificate is required only for Private Pilot training. Our Ray Scholarship coordinator will guide you through the process. The cost of medical (~$150) cannot be covered by this scholarship. We expect you to obtain the certificates within 30 days after being selected as a candidate for the scholarship. The chapter reserves the right to give the scholarship to another candidate if the selected candidate fails to obtain these certificates within 30 days.
What Ray Scholarship funds may be used for?
Any costs directly associated with flight training, including:
- Aircraft rental
- Instructor fees
- Fuel
- Flight school or flying club dues
- Non-owner insurance
- Written exam and checkride fees
- NOTE: medical is not covered by this scholarship.
Which flight school can the scholar choose?
The scholar is free to pick any school at any airport. Our chapter can provide advice and guidance on finding the school that would be the best fit. You can check the incomplete list of nearby schools here.
What is the approximate cost of flight training for a private pilot license?
Here is the very approximate breakdown of the flight training cost:
- Medical certificate: $125
- Airplane rent: $160 per hour
- Instructor: $60-70 per hour
- Ground school: $300
- FAA private pilot written test: $175 (EAA will reimburse this cost if you took their Sporty’s Learn To Fly ground school)
- FAA checkride: $650
- Supplies:
- headset: start from $200. Noise cancelling $800
- logbook, fuel drainer, e6B, flight bag, charts, checklists, flashlight (~$100 for all)
- Books:
- FAR/AIM $20
- FAA Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge $20
- Airplane Flying Handbook $20
- iPad (recommended but not required)
- Foreflight: starts from $120/year
The total cost of flight training depends on how many hours it will take you to get ready for the final checkride. This depends on how many times a week you fly and how much time you put into studying and preparing for the lessons. Here is a free introductory course explaining what it takes to become a pilot and how to save money: Guide to becoming a Pilot
Total estimated costs range from $12,000 to $18,000. It could be more, could be less, it all depends on you!
You can also check the presentation on our Learn to FLY page.
Any other questions? Don’t hesitate to send us an email: [email protected]