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Aviation Scholarships



There's no denying that an aviation education comes with some extra costs. The good news is that it doesn't all have to come out of your own pocket. In addition to general scholarship info that's available through our Financial Aid Office, we're delighted to present this information on scholarships that specifically target the needs of aviation students.

  • Scholarships from LETU
  • Scholarships from Other Organizations

LeTourneau University is pleased to offer these endowed scholarships open to students enrolled in our traditional, on campus aviation programs. In order to qualify, a student must have completed at least one semester of coursework while enrolled as a full-time degree-seeking student. Please see specific scholarship criteria associated with each scholarship.

Students may apply for these scholarships during the application window which typically opens from January to March of each academic year. Information for each year’s application process is disseminated to all aviation students enrolled at LeTourneau University. Please follow all guidelines and deadlines communicated by the College of Aviation in each year’s application process.

The Paul and Frances Crow Endowed Flight Training Fund

Scholarship Amount: $7,000
Available Scholarships: 6, typically

The Paul and Frances Crow Endowed Flight Training Fund was established in 2015 by Patricia Crow in memory and honor of her parents, Paul and Frances Crow. The fund was created to provide aviation students studying to become professional pilots with the opportunity to experience the same love of aviation that was enjoyed by the entire Crow family.

Paul Crow had a very long and distinguished career in aviation. Starting in the U.S. Navy, Paul flew many successful missions during World War II. After retiring from the Navy, Paul started his second career flying for Federal Express. He was one of a group of the company’s very first pilots, known affectionately as the “Dirty Thirty.” His work ethic was of the highest caliber, and he was known for his professionalism and his “can do” attitude. His wife Frances was faithfully by his side and raising their daughter, Patricia, while he was gone throughout his career flying to wherever he was needed.

Criteria:

  • Must be in a professional flight degree program
  • Must be a Sophomore, Junior or Senior in the coming fall semester
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Must demonstrate the intelligence and aptitude to be an aviation professional
  • Have demonstrated need – by applying, students agree that this information will be provided to the committee by LETU Financial Aid Office
  • Must successfully demonstrate a passion and desire to begin and continue a career in commercial aviation
  • Must be endorsed by the committee through personal interviews and/or written statements
  • Selected recipients may re-apply for this scholarship annually through senior year

The Paul and Frances Crow Tuition Scholarship Program

Scholarship Amount: $5,000
Available Scholarships: 8, typically

The Paul and Frances Crow Tuition Scholarship Program was established in 2015 by Patricia Crow in memory and honor of her parents, Paul and Frances Crow. The fund was created to provide aviation students studying to become aviation professionals with the opportunity to experience the same love of aviation that was enjoyed by the entire Crow family.

Paul Crow had a very long and distinguished career in aviation. Starting in the U.S. Navy, Paul flew many successful missions during World War II. After retiring from the Navy, Paul started his second career flying for Federal Express. He was one of a group of the company’s very first pilots, known affectionately as the “Dirty Thirty.” His work ethic was of the highest caliber, and he was known for his professionalism and his “can do” attitude. His wife Frances was faithfully by his side and raising their daughter, Patricia, while he was gone throughout his career flying to wherever he was needed.

Criteria:

  • Must be in a professional degree program leading to an FAA certificate (AMT, UAS, Dispatcher, Pilot, etc.)
  • Must be a Sophomore, Junior or Senior in the coming fall semester
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Must demonstrate the intelligence and aptitude to be an aviation professional
  • Have demonstrated need – by applying, students agree that this information will be provided to the committee by LETU Financial Aid Office
  • Must successfully demonstrate a passion and desire to begin and continue a career in commercial aviation
  • Must be endorsed by the committee through personal interviews and/or written statements
  • Selected recipients may re-apply for this scholarship annually through senior year

Joe and Paula Nowiczewski Endowed Fund for Missionary Aviation

Scholarship Amount: $5,000
Available Scholarships: 2, typically

The Joe and Paula Nowiczewski Endowed Fund for Missionary Aviation was established in 2014 by Joe and Paula Nowiczewski of The Woodlands, Texas.

As a high school student, Joe Nowiczewski read the book, Jungle Pilot. In those pages, he read the details of the life of Nate Saint and as a result, an interest in missionary aviation was born. A few years later Joe entered LeTourneau College with this educational goal. His education took a different turn, and in 1970 he graduated from LeTourneau with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. His respect for those who enter missionary aviation has continued.

Both Joe and Paula Nowiczewski found professions they loved; Joe in the oil industry and Paula in education. Attaining their education was not financially easy since both had widowed parents, but through loans, grants and various jobs, education happened.

Joe knows education happens at LeTourneau, but for those who love aviation and love serving others, they often find the debt of education prohibits their efforts to get out into the mission field. This endowment fund is offered to assist junior and/or senior mission aviation students in completing their LeTourneau education. Because of God’s grace, Joe and Paula can open this door to LeTourneau students.

Criteria:

  • Must be in a Mission Aviation degree program, either flight or maintenance
  • Must be a Junior or Senior in the coming fall semester
  • Have demonstrated need – by applying, students agree that this information will be provided to the committee by LETU Financial Aid Office
  • Must evidence a focused goal of serving as a missionary pilot or maintenance technician
  • Selected recipients may re-apply for this scholarship annually through senior year
  • NOTE: This scholarship may only be applied for flight fees for flight training conducted at LeTourneau University and is not usable for tuition

The McDonough Working Flight Student Scholarship

Scholarship Amount: $2,000
Available Scholarships: 1

Terry McDonough attended LeTourneau College for his Junior year beginning in January of 1982, enrolled in the Aviation Technology (ATBS) program. The year that Terry spent at LeTourneau was his most memorable and impactful year of college. For Terry, the spiritual emphasis was inspirational, the education was exceptional, the flight training was extremely professional, and the relationships formed were meaningful.

Terry was required to work nearly full-time in order to pay for tuition and flight training fees. Since his employer at the time also operated a store in Longview, Terry was able to transfer his job from Arizona so that he could attend LeTourneau. During the winter break of 1982/1983, Terry was notified that his hours at work were going to be reduced due to a nationwide economic recession. Unable to find other employment to provide the necessary income, he reluctantly concluded that he needed to discontinue his education at LeTourneau. Ultimately it became clear that God’s plan for Terry was to graduate from another college other than LeTourneau. Nevertheless, the time spent at LeTourneau left a lasting impression on him. Terry will always be thankful for the opportunity he had to receive his Private, Instrument, and Commercial flight instruction in LeTourneau’s well-structured and disciplined program. The flight training served as a solid foundation for how professional pilots should conduct themselves during their flying careers.

When Terry first arrived at LeTourneau, he had only taken three flights in his life. He planned to graduate from LeTourneau equipped to work on aircraft in the mission field but later shifted gears to pursue flight training after riding along on several training flights with aviation dorm-mates. On one particular occasion while flying a trip with fellow flight students to Dallas-Fort Worth airport (KDFW), from inside the passenger terminal, Terry saw the flight deck of a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 at eye level parked at a gate and began to feel a calling to pursue a career in commercial aviation. Terry eventually became a captain at a major airline at the age of 27, an aircraft performance engineer, and the founder of AeroData, a successful aircraft performance data software as a service (SaaS) company supporting airlines worldwide.

For Terry, having to work enough hours to pay for tuition and flight training was very challenging and prevented him from fully experiencing everything that LeTourneau had to offer. Out of the financial blessings Terry received from the Lord throughout his career, he established this scholarship desiring to provide a measure of relief to working flight students allowing them to potentially work less hours and/or accumulate less educational debt.

Criteria:

  • Must be in a Bachelor's of flight degree program
  • Must be a Sophomore, Junior or Senior in the coming fall semester
  • Have demonstrated need – by applying, students agree that this information will be provided to the committee by LETU Financial Aid Office
  • Must have a minimum GPA of 2.8
  • Must be employed year-round working at least 12 hours on average per week
  • Selected recipients may re-apply for this scholarship annually through senior year
  • NOTE: This scholarship may only be applied for flight fees for flight training conducted at LeTourneau University and is not usable for tuition.

Aviation Alumni Association Scholarship

Scholarship Amount: $1,000
Available Scholarships: 1

The Aviation Alumni Association Scholarship was established in 1995. The purpose of the scholarship is to further the educational philosophy of LeTourneau University and to provide selected LeTourneau aviation students with needed financial assistance in order to complete their degree programs. Although the aviation alumni support excellence and achievement, this endowment is intended to give support to those in need whether they excel or simply meet the standards set by the University.

Criteria:

  • Must be in an Aviation degree program
  • Must be a Sophomore, Junior or Senior in the coming fall semester
  • Must have a GPA of at least 2.25
  • Have demonstrated need – by applying, students agree that this information will be provided to the committee by LETU Financial Aid Office
  • Must submit a letter of reference from a LETU faculty member.
  • Must be endorsed by the committee through personal interviews and/or written statements
  • If selected, the recipient must write a letter of appreciation to the aviation alumni

Moore Scholarship

Scholarship Amount: $1,250
Available Scholarships: 1

Criteria:

  • Must be in a Mission Aviation degree or in an aviation major with a demonstrated intent to serve in missions
  • Must be a Junior or Senior in the coming fall semester
  • Have demonstrated need – by applying, students agree that this information will be provided to the committee by LETU Financial Aid Office
  • Must have a GPA of at least 3.0
  • Must evidence a focused goal of serving in missions
  • Selected recipients may re-apply for this scholarship annually through senior year

Patrick Michael Couch High Flight Foundation Scholarship

Scholarship Amount: $500
Available Scholarships: 1

Patrick Michael Couch was a friendly, outgoing young man who had his life changed in an instant on May 3, 1993. While on his way to Macon State College, he was involved in a motorcycle accident when a truck turned in front of him. That accident left him in a coma with a closed head injury, a broken ankle and broken wrist. His testimony of that experience was that God had taken him to the pit of hell to show him the reality of a life apart from God. Patrick believed that if God had not allowed him to come back, he would have spent eternity in hell. He woke from the coma after 10 days with the words, “I have to repent.” That is what he did. Patrick realized that eternal life is a free gift from Jesus Christ, and by acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, he was able to receive that free gift of eternal life.

Years later Michael was a 27-year-old student at Middle Tennessee State University and a flight instructor at the airport who subsequently died from injuries sustained in an airplane crash on July 4, 2000. Relying upon training and flying skills, Michael averted a major tragedy in a residential neighborhood by landing his airplane without injuring those on the ground and sparing the life of the student.

God blessed Patrick with incredible talent and a miraculous recovery from a near fatal injury seven years prior. He also blessed Patrick by providing the substantial financial resources to not only attain all of his flying credentials through flight instructor, but Michael also had a technical degree in aircraft structure, aircraft maintenance, flight, and was one semester away from graduation with a degree in Aerospace Maintenance Management.

Recognizing the considerable non-academic expenses that aviation students incur, the goal of the Patrick Michael Couch High Flight Foundation is to share Patrick’s story and extend the blessings he received. The foundation will provide annual scholarships to students who share Patrick’s enthusiasm and passion for flying. We pray recipients who read Patrick’s testimony as a result of their award will find their own spiritual relationship strengthened.

Criteria:

  • Must be in a Mission Aviation degree program, either flight or maintenance
  • Have demonstrated need – by applying, students agree that this information will be provided to the committee by LETU Financial Aid Office
  • Must be making satisfactory progress toward degree completion
  • Selected recipients may re-apply for this scholarship annually through senior year

Here are a few national associations that offer scholarships just for aviation students

*Please note that on many of the pages you'll need to enter "scholarship" into the page's Search bar.

 

  • Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance
    AWAM.org
  • Aviation Distributors and Manufacturers Association
    www.ADMA.org
  • University Aviation Association
    UAA.Aero