Twenty-three schools will receive $10 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help attract and train students for careers as pilots and aviation maintenance technicians.
Twelve of the schools will receive $5 million from the FAA’s Aircraft Pilots Aviation Workforce Development Grants program. The schools can use the funding to create and deliver curriculums designed to prepare students to become pilots, aerospace engineers or drone operators.
Grant recipients include:
- AOPA Foundation Institute, Frederick, Md.: $498,100
- Black Pilots of America, Seattle, Wash.: $500,000
- Broward College, Pembroke Pines, Fla.: $500,000
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.: $345,711
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona, Fla.: $484,803
- Kentucky Office of Employment & Training, Frankfort, Ky.: $500,000
- Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, Inc, Mount Royal, N.J.: $171,231.80
- School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Penn.: $197,180
- Sling Flying Club, LLC, Torrance, Calif.: $499,865
- Tuskegee Museum, Detroit, Mich.: $500,000
- University of Virgin Islands, Charlotte Amalie West, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands: $499,301
- William Jessup University, Rocklin, Calif.: $303,808.20
The other $5 million will go to 11 schools as part of the FAA’s Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development program. These grants will help build back the pipeline of maintenance professionals; approximately 20,000 fewer people are working in the aircraft maintenance sector than before the pandemic.
Grant recipients include:
- Aviation Technical Services Inc., Everett, Wash.: $459,206.29
- Cape Cod Community College, Plymouth, Mass.: $463,304
- Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Cincinnati, Ohio: $423,594
- F & E Aviation Maintenance, Miami Springs, Fla.: $500,000
- Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield, Ill.: $500,000
- Nashua Community College, Nashua, N.H.: $456,051
- Pearl River Community College, Poplarville, Miss.: $500,000
- San Luis Obispo County Community College District, San Luis Obispo, Calif.: $484,299
- Tarrant County College District, Fort Worth, Texas: $282,345.71
- Technical Education Services Inc, Norfolk, Va.: $431,200
- The Fulton Leadership Academy, East Point, Ga.: $500,000
Recipients can use the funding to establish new educational programs; provide scholarships or apprenticeships; conduct outreach about careers in the aviation maintenance industry; and support educational opportunities related to aviation maintenance in economically disadvantaged areas.