Scholarships

Ken Johnson (1958-2013) was a husband, father, son, brother, air traffic controller, adjunct professor, car and motorcycle enthusiast, and a proud CABAA member. Ken started his aviation career at Chicago Center as an air traffic controller. He loved aviation and protecting lives with his expert training. Throughout his career, Ken gave back to the aviation community by teaching ATC at Lewis University and mentoring youth through CABAA. His love of aviation was passed down to his daughter, an A&P mechanic who also gives back by promoting aviation maintenance as a viable career for young women. Ken’s legacy is not only his five children, but his many students who are now professional air traffic controllers, guarding the skies. On behalf of the Johnson family, we encourage you to apply for his memorial scholarship and, in his honor, always remember to give back to your aviation community. Good luck! May the skies be calm and the birds in line.

One $8,000 scholarship will be awarded to a high school senior graduating in spring of 2025 and entering college in fall of 2025 seeking a degree in aviation. Scholarship funds will be made out to both the student and their university, to be used to pay tuition or fees for aviation specific programs.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Major in an aviation-related field and have accepted or will accept enrollment at a four-year university or a two-year college

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale

Include an unofficial high school transcript copy

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - What is your outlook on an aviation career?

 - How would this scholarship help you get your start in a career in business aviation?

 - How will this scholarship help you achieve your goals?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one recommendation letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

One $8,000 scholarship will be awarded to a student seeking a degree in aviation maintenance. This scholarship is open to both high school seniors graduating in 2025 and current college-level students. Scholarship funds will be made out to both the student and their university, to be used to pay tuition or fees for aviation specific programs.

Preference is given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Major in an aviation-related field like aerospace engineering, aircraft maintenance, avionics/aircraft electronics, etc.

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Have at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale

Include an unofficial high school transcript copy

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - What is your outlook on an aviation career?

 - How would this scholarship help you get your start in a career in business aviation?

 - How will this scholarship help you achieve your goals?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one recommendation letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

Multiple $8,000 scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors graduating in 2025 or current college-level students seeking a degree in aviation. Scholarship funds will be made out to both the student and their university, to be used to pay tuition or fees for aviation specific programs.

Preference is given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Requirements

~ Major in an aviation-related field like aerospace engineering, air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, aviation administration/management, aviation flight, etc.

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale

Include an unofficial high school or college transcript copy

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - What is your outlook on an aviation career?

 - How would this scholarship help you get your start in a career in business aviation?

 - How will this scholarship help you achieve your goals?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one recommendation letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

One $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to aid a person wishing to begin or continue a professional career path not tied to a university. Applicants should be actively pursuing employment or currently employed in business aviation. This award will be issued to the winner as well as the institution where the training is being conducted. This scholarship is intended for any future aviation professionals including, but not limited to pilots, flight attendants, maintenance technicians, dispatchers, etc.

Preference is given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - Why have you chosen business aviation as a career path?

 - How will you use the award to advance your career?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one recommendation letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

One $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to aid a person opting for a professional career path not tied to a university or a current professional looking to diversify their skills. Funds can be used for professional development or continuing education such as: training courses, certifications, conferences, etc. (as approved by CABAA for fund disbursement). This award is intended for advanced development and is not geared toward primary flight training, as other CABAA awards specifically address those needs. Applicants should be actively pursuing employment or currently employed in business aviation.

Preference is given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - Why have you chosen business aviation as a career path?

 - How will you use the award to advance your career?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one recommendation letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

A training scholarship will be awarded to an applicant who wishes to begin or enhance their career as a flight attendant. This award may be used toward the Aircare FACTS Initial Training (3 day) or Aircare FACTS Recurrent Training (2 day) and can be used at any available FACTS Training location.

Preference is given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - Why have you chosen business aviation as a career path?

 - How will you use this award to advance your career?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one recommendation letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

CABAA, together with independent vendor Northrop Aviation, will award an applicant who wishes to receive their FAA Certification to Aircraft Dispatching. This 6-week course is taught at Aurora Airport and will prepare the recipient to take the practical exam for their FAA Dispatcher Certificate.

Preference given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - Why have you chosen business aviation as a career path?

 - How will you use this training award to advance your career?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

CABAA, together with independent vendor Gogo/Satcom Direct, will award an applicant who wishes to receive their Gogo/Satcom Direct aeroIT Aviation Information Technology Certification. This certification focuses on Satellite Networking, Network Theory, Troubleshooting Aircraft Networks and Network Management. This technical training award is designed to help future aviation professionals develop a better understanding of networking and internet connections in aircraft.

This training course is approved for eight FAA Inspection Authorization (IA) credits. It includes:

• Four and a half days of classroom training, reviews, & exam preparation in Melbourne, FL.
• aeroIT® coursework book
• SD Learning Management System (LMS) access
• Test voucher for the proctored examination
• The option for testing

Preference given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ 2 years aviation training with basic knowledge of networking (how to set up a router, etc.)

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - Why have you chosen business aviation as a career path?

 - How will you use this training award to advance your career?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

CABAA, together with FlightSafety, will award an applicant with a FlightSafety Principles of Troubleshooting course. This course addresses the unique needs of individuals serving or planning to serve as corporate aircraft maintenance technicians. The course is designed to provide individuals with practical information, which will enable them to function as integral members of the corporate maintenance team. Coursework includes analysis of maintenance faults, aircraft systems logic, corrective action selection, as well as time and expense analysis.

CABAA will provide partial reimbursement to assist with travel expenses. This will not cover all associated travel costs, and recipients will be responsible for remaining expenses.

Preference is given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - Have you graduated from a college or university offering an aviation program?

 - Are you currently employed within business aviation or do you have a desire to begin a career in business aviation?

 - What does the phrase “Business Aviation” mean to you?

 - How have you prepared yourself for a career in business aviation thus far, and how will you use this training award to advance your career?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

~ Able to participate in a face-to-face interview with the selection committee in June/July 2025

CABAA, together with independent vendors FlightSafety and CAE, will award two applicants with advanced training toward a career in business aviation. One recipient will receive the FlightSafety Maintenance Initial course (Citation or similar). One recipient will receive the CAE Maintenance Initial Course (Citation or similar). This course is designed to meet the training requirements of aviation maintenance professionals maintaining each respective aircraft.

CABAA will provide partial reimbursement to assist with travel expenses. This will not cover all associated travel costs, and recipients will be responsible for remaining expenses. Preference given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Must hold or will hold a current A&P license

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - Have you graduated from a college or university offering an aviation program?

 - Are you currently employed within business aviation or do you have a desire to begin a career in business aviation?

 - What does the phrase “Business Aviation” mean to you?

 - How have you prepared yourself for a career in business aviation thus far, and how will you use this training award to advance your career?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (Other than relatives or students)

 - At least one letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

~ Able to participate in a face-to-face interview with the selection committee in June/July 2025

CABAA, together with independent vendors FlightSafety and CAE, will award two applicants with advanced training toward a career in business aviation. This year, both awards will be a Citation series SIC course. The retail value of each award is approximately $22,200 per scholarship. This award cannot be upgraded to a PIC type rating.

CABAA will provide partial reimbursement to assist with travel expenses. This will not cover all associated travel costs, and recipients will be responsible for remaining expenses.

Preference given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Hold or will hold a current Commercial Multi-Engine Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating and 250+ hours total time

~ No history of aircraft accidents

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - Have you graduated from a college or university offering an aviation program?

 - Are you currently employed within business aviation or do you have a desire to begin a career in business aviation?

 - What does the phrase “Business Aviation” mean to you?

 - How have you prepared yourself for a career in business aviation thus far, and how will you use this training award to advance your career?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred.

~ Able to participate in a face-to-face interview with the selection committee in June/July 2025

CABAA, together with independent vendor CAE, will award an applicant who wishes to complete their ATP-CTP training. This award is designed to help students who have reached their ATP minimums receive the training required to receive their ATP Certificate. 

CABAA will provide partial reimbursement to assist with travel expenses. This will not cover all associated travel costs, and recipients will be responsible for remaining expenses.

Preference given to Chicagoland area residents/students.

Eligibility Requirements

~ Hold or will hold a current Commercial Multi-Engine Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating

~ Must be at or close to ATP or R-ATP minimums

~ No history of aircraft accidents

~ Demonstrate commitment to aviation and a desire to work in the business aviation field

~ Submit a typed essay, double-spaced, maximum of 1,000 words answering:

 - Have you graduated from a college or university offering an aviation program?

 - Are you currently employed within business aviation or do you have a desire to begin a career in business aviation?

 - What does the phrase “Business Aviation” mean to you?

 - How have you prepared yourself for a career in business aviation thus far, and how will you use this training award to advance your career?

~ Include at least three letters of recommendation (other than relatives or students)

 - At least one letter from an individual currently involved in business aviation outside of your professors is preferred

~ Able to participate in a face-to-face interview with the selection committee in June/July 2025