Soaring Society of America Scholarships
A broad portfolio of glider discovery, flight-training, instructor, rating-completion, and college scholarships.
- Award
- $750 to $10,000, depending on the program
- Deadline
- September 30 for the Kolstad and Junior CFI-G programs; other deadlines vary
- Best for
- Youth and adult glider students, soaring pilots, future instructors, and college students
- Geographic eligibility
- Primarily United States soaring organizations
- Number of awards
- Multiple youth, pilot, instructor, and academic awards
- Total program funding
- Varies by annual portfolio
- Membership
- SSA membership is required for many awards but not every introductory program
- Application cycle
- Annual, with several deadlines
FlightSchoolList summarizes the program for planning. The sponsor's current rules and application always control.
View official applicationAbout this opportunity
The Soaring Society of America offers one of the most comprehensive glider scholarship portfolios in the country. Its programs create a progression from a first soaring lesson through private ratings, advanced experience, instructor certification, and college education.
Who can apply
Each award has its own age, SSA membership, solo, written-test, rating, academic, sponsoring-club, or instructor-path requirements. The portfolio includes opportunities for nonpilots, student pilots, rated glider pilots, and future CFI-Gs.
What the award may cover
Awards support introductory soaring, pre-solo and post-solo instruction, rating completion, CFI-G training, and academic study. Published amounts range from $750 discovery awards to a college scholarship worth up to $10,000.
How to apply
Review the unified scholarship directory, select each eligible program, and submit the requested application, club sponsorship, training records, recommendations, essays, and academic information by the applicable deadline.
- Verify the current deadline and every eligibility requirement.
- Confirm how funds are paid and when they must be used.
- Prepare transcripts, certificates, logbook totals, references, and essays early.
- Save the confirmation and a complete copy of your submission.
Selection and application notes
SSA committees evaluate eligibility, need, training progress, soaring commitment, instructor potential, academics, and the criteria established by each donor fund.
Planning tip: Age and experience cutoffs differ sharply across awards, so compare the entire portfolio instead of applying only to the first scholarship listed.