Southeast Chapters Scholarships

The Alabama Chapter awards $1500 through the Minnie Wade Memorial Scholarship for women living in Alabama. Minnie Wade was a Life Member of the Ninety-Nines and was a member for over 50 years. She held all the offices in the Alabama Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, as well as the Southeast Section Governor in 1961. She enjoyed the fellowship the Ninety-Nines provided and participated in Chapter, Section, and International activities. With this scholarship, we hope all of the Alabama Ninety-Nines and the women awarded this scholarship will remember Minnie Wade and her contributions to the Ninety-Nines and the flying community. The application deadline date is December 15. Visit the Alabama 99s website for more information.

The Florida Goldcoast offers the $5000 Fran Sargent Scholarship which is open to any woman with at least a Private Pilot certificate who is a resident of Florida or currently enrolled in an aviation training program in Florida. The scholarship is named in honor of Fran Sargent because she secured the original $11,000 that funded our scholarship program in 1981. Over 40 women have benefited from the scholarships since then. Fran was a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in World War II. She towed targets so soldiers could practice shooting at enemy aircraft. Fran was an admired flight instructor and airline transport pilot. She received many honors while an aviation professor at Miami-Dade Community College. Fran was born in Little Rock, AR on Amelia Earhart’s birthday in 1919 and flew to new horizons on December 27, 2013. Visit the Florida Goldcoast website for more information.

Florida Heartlands has an annual flight training scholarship of $1,000 – $2,500 for 99s living in Florida. The application is due by the end of October.  To learn more about the current scholarship offering and download the application form, go to www.flheartland99s.com.

The Florida Suncoast Chapter awards $2500 through the Chapter Scholarship for women who are members of a Florida Ninety-Nines Chapter. The application date is September 15. Visit The Ninety-Nines Scholarship Registry page for more information.

The Florida Suncoast Chapter also offers the Jessie Woods Aviation scholarship to any girl who lives in or goes to school in Florida and who is currently in 6th through 12th grade. This scholarship is dedicated to Chapter member Jessie Woods, who has gone on to New Horizons. She herself was a wing walker who ran the Flying Aces Air Circus with her husband and was an active Chapter member who was dedicated to getting girls interested in aviation. The scholarship covers the cost of the Sun ‘n Fun Destination Aviation Summer Camp in Lakeland, Florida, or Cape Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The winner is allowed to choose and is responsible for meeting camp registration deadlines. This scholarship also includes a $500 travel stipend. The application date is October 15. Visit the Florida Suncoast Chapter website for more information.

On behalf of the Conboy family, the Nashville Ninety-Nines offers a $4,000 scholarship for female aviators in Tennessee. The Conboy Family Scholarship supports individuals with a deep passion for aviation and a dedication to becoming skilled pilots. This scholarship aims to assist women in Tennessee with their aviation goals by providing $4,000 for flight training, applicable to any rating or certificate. Eligible applicants must be female, at least 16 years old, current members of the International Ninety-Nines, and residents of Tennessee. The application deadline is March 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Visit nashville99s.org/scholarships for the application form and more details.

The Nashville Chapter of the Ninety-Nines offers the Cornelia Fort Scholarship to honor the Nashville native and the first female fight instructor in the area. Cornelia Clark Fort was an aviator famously known for witnessing the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II while flight instructing, being the second member to be accepted into the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (the precursor to WASP), and being the first female pilot to give her life during her service for our country. This scholarship assists a woman in pursuing a career in aviation by providing $1,000 towards flight training. The money can be used towards any rating or certificate. The application deadline is August. Visit nashville99s.org/scholarships  for the application form and more details.

The Nashville Chapter of the Ninety-Nines is offering the Written Test Scholarship to support female pilots taking steps forward to obtain their goals in aviation. The $175 award can be applied toward any FAA written test. The application deadline is August. Visit nashville99s.org/scholarships  for the application form and more details.

This scholarship is dedicated to the late Becki King, who was an air traffic controller at Page Field, Ft. Myers, FL. Well known for her dry wit and calm voice, Becki was a longtime supporter of Paradise Coast 99s and women in aviation. This scholarship is offered by the Paradise Coast Chapter 99s for any phase of flight training (private pilot through ATP, including instructor ratings) to a qualified applicant. Visit the Paradise Coast website for more information.

The Spaceport 99s annually awards the $2,000 Blackwell-Walker Memorial Scholarship to a deserving woman pursuing a career path in aviation who is either a permanent resident of or currently living in the region encompassed by the Southeast Section of the 99s.  (For example, a flight student with a permanent residence in NY attending school in Florida is eligible for this scholarship. Likewise, a flight student with a permanent residence in Georgia attending school in North Dakota is also eligible.)  Membership in the Ninety-Nines is NOT required, and United States citizenship is NOT required. The scholarship can be used for any flight training beyond the private/LSA pilot certificate. Application packages are accepted from March 1st through April 30th. Visit http://spaceport99s.org/scholarships website for more information.