Any student wishing to become a pilot is learning one true fact very fast. Flight training is extremely expensive .I have observed that more often than not most students find it very hard to complete their training due to heavy financial disappointments. In addition to money, time and commitment play an integral part as well.In the year 1916, someone once said,
“Flyers are an elite breed. Not every man can be an aviator, and mighty few can command aviation. In any case, cost would keep most of them grounded. There is a bigger price to pay…This game costs money.”
Today aviation is equally very costly and will keep most grounded.To get a licence in Zimbabwe, for example, you need up to $ 14000 just to get a Private Pilot License.
In Africa we do not have any banks that fund flight training activities.I know in Europe banks like HSBC and NatWest offer professional loans to cover full course fees and living expenses, with a payment holiday while training, and up to 18 months payment break after completion of the course.Since we do not have such wonderful opportunities in Africa we might just as well find other means to finance our dream to fly.Although I do not personally encourage us to rely on scholarships, the following is a list that I put together for your convinience.Some of them are partial scholarships, that means they may just help you to cover a portion of your expenses.All the same, all of them are opportunities that allow international applicants so go ahead and try them out.
Rhodes Scholarships for Non-U.S. Citizens https://www.rhodesscholar.org 1-3 years of study at Oxford University for citizens of Australia, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Canada, Commonwealth Caribbean and Jamaica, Germany, Hong Kong, India Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
AIA / AAF Minority/Disadvantaged Scholarship https://www.archfoundation.org/…/Programs.Scholarships.htm.T… are grants ranging from $500-$2,500
Albright Institute Fellowships https://www.aiar.org/fellowships.html A grant of up to $252,000 for students who will live at the Albring Institute and study a specific professional field.
Amelia Earhart Fellowships (Zonta International Foundation) https://www.zonta.org/site/PageServer… of any nationality with a superior academic record and a bachelor’s degree in science or engineering. Fellowships carry a stipend of $6,000; approximately 35 are awarded annually. Deadline: mid November.
American Association for University Women – International Fellowships https://www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_grants/international.cfm Full-time study or research to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents; graduate and postgraduate study is supported.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) – Japan Scholarship Program https://www.adb.org/JSP/default.asp Full scholarships for one to two years for citizens of ADB’s developing member countries pursuing postgraduate studies in development-related fields at participating academic institutions in the Asian and Pacific Region.
Canon Collins Educational Trust https://www.canoncollins.org.uk/ Full scholarship for nationals from Southern African countries South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Angola and Mozambique) who wish to pursue a postgraduate degree (normally a one year Master’s degree) in either the United Kingdom or southern Africa.
Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh (CNUP) summer fellowship https://cnup.neurobio.pitt.edu/training/summer/index.aspx 10-week program in which selected undergraduate students conduct independent research. Student recipients of this competitive fellowship will receive a stipend of $3,000 and also will be provided housing at no cost in a doubleoccupancy dormitory on campus.
Echoing Green Foundation Fellowships https://www.echoinggreen.org/index.cfm… Seeks to provide seed funding and support to more than 450 social entrepreneurs with bold ideas for social change in order to launch groundbreaking organizations around the world.
Fulbright https://www.iie.org/FulbrightTemplate.cfm… Educational exchanges that strengthen understanding and communication between the United States and over students from 140 countries. Students interested in applying for the Fulbright Student Program must apply through the Fulbright Program Office in their home country.
You might not get positive responses immediately but I urge you to keep on keeping on.Remember what I told you the day before yesterday-that getting to be a pilot is hard for a reason… to make you the best airman you can be.
