Award overview
The Randolph Hill Kanard Kelly Flight Training Scholarship is listed by the Experimental Aircraft Association for students connected to three Tennessee counties. It supports training toward a Sport Pilot certificate, Private Pilot certificate, or glider certificate. EAA does not publish a dollar amount for this named scholarship in its current listing, so applicants should ask EAA about the individual award value and funding terms rather than rely on a general estimate.
This is one of the scholarships offered through EAA's shared flight training application. The 2026 to 2027 application cycle is open, and EAA lists December 16, 2026 as the deadline for all applications. A single application is used for all listed flight training scholarships. EAA considers each applicant against the conditions for the individual awards and matches them to those they may qualify for.
Geographic and training requirements
The award is intended for a student aged 16 to 21 who resides in or attends school in Bedford, Coffee, or Rutherford County, Tennessee. The student must be pursuing one of the certificate paths listed by EAA: Sport Pilot, Private Pilot in single-engine land airplanes, or Private Pilot in gliders. The published listing does not specify that the applicant must already have begun training.
EAA gives first preference to students who are current members of Aviation Explorers or active members of Civil Air Patrol, Alpha Eta Rho, or an EAA chapter. It also gives preference to applicants who have an aviation or another STEM career goal. Those are preferences, not substitutes for the geographic and age criteria. Applicants who do not belong to one of those organizations should still compare their application with the stated base eligibility and ask EAA how preferences are applied.
EAA's general eligibility rules also apply. Applicants must be a citizen or resident of the United States or Canada, or have eligibility to work or study in one of those countries, such as through an appropriate visa. EAA membership is not required for the general program, although members and active EAA chapter members receive preference during selection.
What the award can support
The individual listing identifies three possible goals: a Sport Pilot certificate, a Private Pilot certificate in an airplane, or a glider certificate. EAA describes its flight training scholarships as usable at flight schools in the United States and Canada that are not university programs. The scholarship page does not publish a separate amount or list every eligible invoice item for this award.
Before making a training commitment, ask EAA whether the proposed school, aircraft category, and training schedule meet the current award terms. Confirm whether the award can be used for the complete certificate path or only particular expenses, how payments are made, and what happens if training is delayed. The fact that an award supports a certificate does not mean it will pay the entire cost of that certificate.
EAA's general flight training scholarship materials describe staged disbursement. The first installment is 40 percent of the award, another 40 percent is provided after designated milestones, and the remaining 20 percent follows completion of the certificate or rating. The current award letter should provide the actual amount, benchmarks, reporting requirements, and fund-use deadline for the selected recipient.
Applying through EAA
Use EAA's online flight training scholarship application. The shared form asks about eligibility for multiple awards, so identify the county connection, age, requested certificate, and any preference qualifications clearly. EAA says volunteer service and participation in aviation or non-aviation organizations can help the selection committee understand an applicant's involvement. These details are useful context, but they do not override the published criteria.
The general EAA application requests one character reference who is not a relative. After the applicant submits the reference's information, EAA sends a link for that person to complete the recommendation. The application is incomplete until the recommendation is submitted. Ask the reference well before December 16, 2026, and check the portal to confirm that the document arrived.
EAA says late or incomplete applications are not accepted. If you are also eligible for other EAA scholarships, the one general application can match you to those awards as well. Review each additional scholarship's criteria separately. Do not assume the preferences or eligible training goals for this award apply to every other EAA program.
Questions to confirm
Confirm that you live in or attend school in one of the named counties and that your planned certificate matches the current listing. If relying on an Aviation Explorers, Civil Air Patrol, Alpha Eta Rho, or chapter preference, collect accurate details about that participation. Ask EAA which proof, if any, should be attached to the application.
Before accepting an award, get the individual amount, permitted expenses, payment milestones, reporting schedule, and completion deadline in writing. EAA's 2026 to 2027 application page is the source for the open cycle and deadline; the individual recipient terms control how the award is used. A local instructor or flight school can help estimate training costs, but the sponsor decides which charges qualify.
Related resources include the EAA flight training scholarship list, the flight training cost estimator, the flight school directory, and the scholarship directory.