Scholarships for Aerospace Engineering Students (Updated June 2025)

So, you're dreaming of building a spacecraft, designing the next Mars rover, or cracking the code to hypersonic flight. Welcome to the world of aerospace engineering—a field where gravity is optional, but tuition bills are not. Luckily, there are aerospace engineering scholarships designed to help lift that financial weight!

In this article, we're exploring the best aerospace engineering scholarships along with extra tips and tricks. At Bold.org, a leading student fintech company, we're here to guarantee you exclusive, high-reward scholarships so you can graduate debt-free!

Here's what you'll find in this guide:

1. Exclusive list of aerospace engineering scholarships
2. How to apply for scholarships in aerospace technologies
3. Tips on winning scholarships and fine-tuning your application

At the end, discover additional aerospace engineering resources to supplement your scholarship search, including a coveted NASA program.

Looking for more ways to fund your higher education costs? Look no further than Bold.org, where creating a free applicant profile gives you access to thousands of exclusive scholarship opportunities!

Best Aerospace Engineering Scholarships

1. Engineering Scholarships

Since aerospace engineering is a branch of engineering, these scholarships are perfectly tailored to your academic interests and needs! They also give you some breathing room if you're an undergraduate student still looking to explore other types of engineering without sacrificing your scholarship!

2. STEM Scholarships

Representing the E in STEM, all engineering majors can apply for these high-value STEM scholarships! Whether you're fully committed to aerospace engineering or you're trying to take advantage of a liberal arts education, these scholarships will support you in your STEM degree!

Aerospace Engineering Scholarships for Minorities

1. Scholarships for Minorities

Aerospace engineering needs diverse perspectives to imagine the future of flight and space travel. Whether you identify as Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, or another underrepresented student group, these awards help level the playing field so your talent can shine!

2. Scholarships for International Students

International students bring fresh ideas, global perspectives, and academic excellence to aerospace engineering programs across the world. These scholarships are designed to make sure borders don’t get in the way of your dreams. They'll help cover tuition, research expenses, and even travel—so you can focus on building the next spacecraft instead of worrying about financial lift-off.

Aerospace Engineering Scholarships for Graduate Students

1. Scholarships for Graduate Students

If you’re pursuing a graduate degree in aerospace engineering, you already know this field takes some serious altitude—both academically and financially. Graduate scholarships are designed to fuel your research, support advanced study, and ease the burden of tuition or living expenses.

2. Scholarships for College Seniors

Senior year is go-time! Capstone projects, job applications, grad school decisions, and maybe even launching a cube satellite! Scholarships for college seniors recognize your hard work and help you finish strong. If you need support for research funding to complete your aerospace design project or are looking ahead to graduate school tuition, these scholarships have got your back!

3. Full-Tuition Scholarships

These are the holy grail of financial aid—full-tuition scholarships that take care of your entire academic bill. Having paid for four years of a bachelor's degree, you might need a large financial boost for the next step of your academic journey. For high-achieving aerospace engineering students, these competitive awards recognize outstanding academic performance, leadership, and passion for innovation.

In the process of applying to colleges? Check out these top aerospace engineering universities to earn a top-notch degree!

How to Apply for Aerospace Engineering Scholarships

Step 1: How to Find Scholarship Opportunities for Aerospace Technologies

Look for scholarships on online scholarship platforms, through local organizations, and awards funded by your school's financial aid office. Finding scholarship awards that are specific to your background and needs will give you a higher chance of success.

Online scholarship platforms will provide you with the greatest variety of scholarship awards, while local and school offices will provide more targeted opportunities with a smaller applicant pool. Remember that only fellow students who attend your university can apply for university awards.

Pro Tip: Check your university’s engineering department! Many universities offer internal awards for aerospace students such as the Aerospace Engineering Class of ’58 Scholarship at Virginia Tech.

Step 2: Identify Eligibility Requirements

Each scholarship has different entry conditions—some have a minimum GPA, others look for research experience, community service, or leadership. Pay attention to:

1. Major (specifically aerospace engineering, not just 'engineering')
2. Year of study (some are for undergrads only; others are for grad students)
3. Citizenship/residency status
4. Membership in professional organizations (like AIAA or SWE)
5. GPA or coursework requirements
6. Documents that demonstrate financial need
7. Essays, portfolios, or recommendation letters

Start a spreadsheet or checklist to keep track of requirements and deadlines. Some of the more niche scholarships may also include residential or regional restrictions, like awards that are only open to students in Southern California.

Step 3: Polish Your Supporting Documents, Resume & Experience

Think of your resume and experience as your scholarship vehicle—it needs to be well-built, fast, and unforgettable. Highlight competitions, lab experience, internships, and other notable experiences. If you're a member of any academic societies or have teaching experience related to aerospace technologies, mention that too.

Include quantifiable accomplishments. For example: “Led a team of 10 to build a high-powered rocket that placed 2nd in a national competition.”

Last but not least, find some recommenders who can speak to your personal strengths and professional achievements. A professor or school advisor who knows you well is ideal for this.

Step 4: Craft a Stellar Essay or Personal Statement

Most scholarships will ask: Why aerospace? This is your chance to launch your story. Focus on:

1. What inspired your love for flight, space, or engineering
2. Your goals as an aerospace engineer—do you want to design propulsion systems, study planetary atmospheres, or work on Mars missions?
3. Specific experiences that show your passion, like tinkering with model planes or leading a rocket launch
4. How the scholarship will help you achieve your goals

Make sure to be sincere, specific, and let your excitement shine like a solar flare! Then, go ahead and submit the application.

Struggling with your personal statement? This guide will talk you through the process, step-by-step, of writing a mind-blowing scholarship essay!

Tips for Applying to Aerospace Engineering Scholarships

1. Launch a Micro-Project That Showcases Your Passion

Instead of just saying you’re passionate about aerospace, prove it—create a small, shareable project you can reference in your application. This could be:

1. A mini blog or vlog where you break down space tech innovations
2. A GitHub page where you share a flight simulation model you built
3. A YouTube video demonstrating how you reverse-engineered a paper glider for optimal lift

These creative extras show initiative, technical curiosity, and communication skills, which are all gold to scholarship reviewers. Make sure to check if the scholarship committee accepts these other supporting documents, though.

2. Connect with Past Recipients or Industry Mentors on LinkedIn

Reach out to students who previously won the scholarship or young aerospace professionals in your dream companies. You can politely ask them for tips, insights, or what they wish they had known. Not only can this guide your application, but you might build a mentorship connection or even get a quote you can reference in your essay (with permission). It’s networking, but with a thrust vector!

Additional Resources for Aerospace Financial Aid

1. AIAA Scholarships

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is one of the nation's foremost leaders on aerospace technologies and engineering. In addition to a variety of programs, they offer many scholarships, whether you're an undergraduate or graduate student. In your application, you'll indicate your top three award preferences, and awards are renewable until graduation. Awards vary from $1,000 to $10,000.

2. Futures Scholarship

The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) provides a unique scholarship program to both individuals and teams. Their program, awarded annually, comes in various forms, including: a paid internship, training courses, financial aid, and more. With the goal of increasing the employability of their scholarship winners, this is a great scholarship opportunity if you want to get a head start on your career prospects!

3. Starport Scholarship Program

Funded by the famed NASA, this program is available to dependents of civil service employees and Starport Partner employees. Winners will receive a $4,000 one-time check to be used for any education expense such as tuition, books, or housing. You don't have to study aerospace engineering to apply but students of this major may find valuable connections in NASA through this program.

Expand your scholarship search with Bold.org's powerful scholarship search engine, which sorts through scholarship by academic year, major, and state!

Still have questions? Check out our scholarship blog, your one-stop shop for anything college, finance, and student life-related!