Scholarships
Get a Head Start on Your Aviation Career
The Bill Julian Scholarship Fund

EAA Chapter 234 offers several scholarships to Young Eagles from our Bill Julian Scholarship Fund. These scholarships are offered to youth from the Grand Traverse region with an interest in aviation.
  • The Ray Scholarship, an annual award of up to $11,000 to earn your private pilot certificate.
  • EAA Air Academy Basic Camp, a weeklong summer camp experience at EAA in Oshkosh, valued at $1,300.
  • $500 A&P training scholarship for students attending the FAA approved Legacy Aviation airframe and powerplant mechanic course.
Chapter 234 created this fund to honor Bill Julian, a dedicated teacher and aviator, and one of the founders of our Young Eagles program. If you wish to donate to this fund please see the link at the bottom of this page.

Ray Aviation Scholarship

Through the generous support of the Ray Foundation, EAA provides up to $11,000 to deserving young adults for their flight training expenses, totaling nearly $1,200,000 in scholarships annually.

Each year, our chapter supports one scholar, between the ages of 16 and 19, in the form of funding and mentorship to help them earn their pilot certificate.

Ray Scholar eligibility and requirements

Ray Aviation Scholarship Fund applicants are engaged, excited and motivated aspiring pilots. Chapter participation is a condition of the Ray Scholarship. In addition, it is our hope that our Ray Scholars will continue to be involved in chapter activities and help "pay it forward" by remaining involved in chapter activities such as the Young Eagles flights and workshops.

Additional consideration will be given to candidates who are former Young Eagles, EAA student members and actively participating in the EAA Flight Plan. Successful completion of the Private Pilot's written exam is a good demonstration of the work effort required to successfully complete your flight training program.

Learn more about applying →
Read the scholar handbook and see other resources→

Local candidates must meet these criteria

  • Age 16–19 for powered flight training
  • Possession of a student pilot certificate (we'll help you get this)
  • Possession of an FAA medical certificate (for those pursuing private pilot—we can also point you in the right direction on this)
  • Ability to begin their flight training within 60 days of receiving the award
Download Ray Scholarship application

EAA Air Academy Basic Camp

The EAA Basic Air Academy is hosted in Oshkosh each year and is targeted at youths aged 14 and 15.

This week-long summer camp is an exciting step into the world of aviation. Each hands-on activity is developed with a classroom and media presentation, specialized laboratory activities, and aviation-related demonstrations.

An alternative to the Basic Camp would be the EAA GirlVenture Camp. This is a week-long day-only camp held during the week of AirVenture and does not provide overnight accommodations.

GirlVenture strives to engage, inspire, and educate young women to
pursue their dreams in aviation and beyond. Each day is filled with unique programming, along with time to explore the AirVenture grounds.

This scholarship will be available in 2025.

A&P Scholarship

This scholarship is intended to support students attending the FAA approved Legacy Aviation A&P License course.

The $500 scholarship will be awarded to directly support tuition expenses.

Download A&P scholarship application

Bill Julian Scholarship Fund

The Bill Julian Scholarship Fund was established to provide aid to students of the Grand Traverse region in their pursuit of careers and general aviation interests.

Bill Julian was a founding member of our Young Eagles Club and a prime mover in our chapter's Ray Scholarship activities. He was taken from us in a tragic accident in November of 2021.

Chapter 234 will fund these scholarships on a priority basis with proceeds from our events and an annual appeal to the membership.

Scholars will be selected by the Chapter Scholarship Committee appointed by the Chapter Officers. Selection criteria may be influenced by Chapter participation, likelihood of successful completion of the course of study, and impact on the scholar.

         Click HERE to Donate to the Bill Julian Scholarship Fund

When prompted indicated your donation is for the Bill Julian Scholarship Fund (or just "Scholarship Fund")
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