WAI Receives $250,000 Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Grant To Fund Additional WAI Scholarships

Women in Aviation International (WAI) is thrilled to offer 47 new scholarships in a variety of aviation career pursuits thanks to a generous $250,000 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Details of the scholarships will be posted at WAI.org on March 1, 2021.

Scholarships include funding to further members’ interests in air traffic control, aviation maintenance, flight training, helicopter ratings, and space. New to this round of scholarships are four scholarships, each worth $3,000 for WAI Chapter members outside of the United States, to be applied towards completion of an additional flight certificate.

“WAI is very grateful for the support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to support these additional scholarships for our members and honor the legacy of Barron Hilton’s love of aviation,” Allison McKay, WAI CEO says. “We know that scholarships change lives, and our members truly appreciate this financial support to pursue their aviation dreams.” 

With the additional 2021 Spring Scholarships, total WAI scholarships awarded in 2021 are valued at over $731,800, and more than $14 million since 1995.

Winners of the 2021 Spring Scholarships will be notified by July 1, 2021 with funds disbursed by August 1, 2021. In order to qualify for a scholarship, the applicant must be an active WAI member through March 2022. Applications for the 2021 Spring Scholarships are due May 18, 2021. Details of each scholarship, application requirements and FAQs, plus tips for submitting a winning application can be found on March 1, 2021 at wai.org/scholarships.

About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: International hotelier Conrad N. Hilton established the grantmaking foundation that bears his name in 1944 to help people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage worldwide. Today, the work continues, concentrating on efforts to improve early childhood development outcomes, support older youth as they transition from foster care, ensure opportunity youth can access career pathways, prevent homelessness, identify solutions to safe-water access, help integrate refugees into society and lift the work of Catholic sisters. Additionally, following selection by an independent, international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $2.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to an organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. The Foundation is one of the world’s largest, with assets recently growing to approximately $7.5 billion. It has awarded grants to date totaling more than $2 billion, $207 million worldwide in 2020. Please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org for more information.