Start an aerospace scholarship search by identifying the study you want funded. Aerospace engineering, aeronautical research, and pilot training are related interests, but they are not the same educational pathway.
This selected guide focuses on AIAA’s degree-related awards, with its experience grant separately labeled. It does not imply that all aerospace funding comes from one provider or that an engineering award can pay for any flight lesson.
Compare selected AIAA opportunities
Checked October 14, 2026. Full award criteria apply.
| Opportunity | Degree or purpose | Published amount/status | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIAA Vicki and George Muellner Scholarship | Eligible aeronautical-engineering undergraduate study | $5,000; 2027 application cycle opens October 15, 2026 | Read individual criteria when the cycle opens |
| AIAA Lockheed Martin Marillyn Hewson Scholarship | Eligible undergraduate engineering study | $10,000; same 2027 cycle | Verify field, academic and membership requirements |
| AIAA Orville and Wilbur Wright Graduate Award | Eligible aeronautics graduate research | $5,000; graduate route | Use graduate criteria, not the undergraduate rules |
| AIAA Rising Stars Initiative | Eligible students undertaking specified aerospace projects/experiences | Individual project grant up to $5,000; not a general tuition scholarship | Match an actual eligible experience to current application rules |
The 2027 scholarship/graduate-award cycle opens October 15, 2026, one day after this check, with awards announced in spring 2027. Do not describe the application as open on October 14. AIAA current cycle.
Check the actual field and stage
An award’s aerospace connection does not remove its degree restrictions. Read the individual field, enrollment, academic, membership, and nomination rules before choosing a program. Do not assume the same conditions apply to every award on one page.
Write your degree title, current year, expected graduation, institution, and research area in a shortlist record. If your program combines mechanical and aerospace study, ask how the sponsor classifies it instead of selecting the category you prefer.
Graduate applicants should identify the research problem and advisor context. Undergraduates should explain preparation and contribution at their actual stage, without implying doctoral-level responsibility.
Separate tuition from an educational experience
AIAA’s Rising Stars page describes support for hands-on projects, events, and other defined experiences. Its current opportunity information includes particular country restrictions, while a past-year note describes broader expansion. Use the current award’s criteria rather than assuming a historical expansion applies to every new round. Rising Stars requirements.
For a project grant, build a budget tied to the activity. For a tuition scholarship, record the academic period and payment terms. Do not count the same cost twice or assume a project award can be redirected to rent or tuition.
A hypothetical student team member should identify the part they designed or tested and which costs relate to it. Do not claim sole authorship of an entire vehicle or an unverified competition result.
Make a technical application understandable
Explain the problem, constraints, method, your contribution, and what evidence supports the result. Use technical detail to clarify, not to hide an uncertain claim.
For example, a structures applicant might explain a tradeoff between weight and another requirement. A controls applicant might describe the limits of a simulation. Label proposed work as proposed and distinguish simulations from physical testing.
Protect restricted, proprietary, or unpublished material. Ask your advisor or employer what can be shared before attaching files. A scholarship application is not permission to disclose a confidential design.
Compare the real award terms
Record the amount offered, eligible costs, payment recipient, supported term, renewal if any, and effect of changing programs. Maximum values are not guarantees.
Ask your institution about separate aerospace departmental funding and whether a campus nomination is required. Keep pending applications separate from confirmed money in your budget.
Next step
Confirm whether you need degree, research, or flight-training support. For an AIAA route, read the new individual rules once applications open and choose the award that fits your actual academic stage.
