Award overview
The National Business Aviation Association Charities offers the International Operators Scholarship for education or training related to international operations in business aviation. The 2027 cycle can provide up to $8,000 per applicant. The award amount depends on the sponsor's terms and should be confirmed in the application and award notice.
NBAA lists January 6, 2027 as the application deadline. The application is expected to become available in November 2026. Recipients are expected to be announced at the NBAA International Operators Conference, scheduled for March 23 to 25, 2027, in New Orleans. The application page, rather than an older scholarship summary, should be checked when the 2027 application opens.
Who the award is for
The stated target candidate is someone entering the business aviation industry or an aviation professional seeking to expand a career in international operations. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. This is professional education funding, not a primary flight training grant. The sponsor's published purpose is to support education and training that improve safety knowledge and professionalism in international operations.
The 2027 cycle excludes applicants who received an International Operators Scholarship in 2026. NBAA's page also says applicants may receive one award every other year. That distinction matters for people who have received another NBAA Charities award, so check the current application rules if you have participated in another NBAA program.
Award amount and covered expenses
The published maximum is $8,000 for education or training. NBAA describes funds as reimbursement for expenses connected with designated education or training classes. Full-time students are an exception to the usual reimbursement method: their funds are paid directly to the school. The page does not promise that every training plan is eligible or that the maximum award is automatically granted.
Recipients must complete the professional or educational training by March 2028 or risk forfeiting the award. Before submitting an application, identify the course, provider, cost, and completion dates. Ask NBAA whether the proposed training fits the program's definition of international operations education and whether payment will go to the recipient or the school.
NBAA says the number of monetary awards depends on donor support. The current page lists donors to the 2026 fund and states that 2027 donors will be recognized through the 2027 conference cycle. Do not treat the donor list or the maximum award as a guarantee of available funding for an individual applicant.
Application materials and timing
When the 2027 application opens, the official scholarship page directs applicants to submit an application, an essay, and at least one signed recommendation letter. The page does not specify a word count for the essay or a fixed format for the recommendation in the material reviewed for this listing. Check the live application form for its current prompts and document rules.
The 2027 scholarship page currently says the application will be available in November 2026 and must be submitted by January 6, 2027. Applicants should make a schedule that leaves time for a recommender to provide a signed letter and for NBAA to review any training proposal. A partially completed application is not the same as a submission.
After an award decision, preserve the sponsor's instructions and receipts. Because the scholarship is for designated professional or educational training, applicants should not assume that unrelated travel, equipment, or general expenses will be reimbursed. Confirm the eligible cost categories and the deadline for completing training before accepting or paying for a course.
What to confirm before applying
Ask NBAA whether your role and proposed course fit the international operations focus, what documentation is required to substantiate costs, whether your payment will be reimbursed or paid directly to a school, and how the award is affected by a previous NBAA scholarship. Confirm that your course can be completed before March 2028.
The scholarship page is the controlling source for the current cycle. Its dates and terms can change, and the application portal may add instructions that are not listed in the summary. Contact NBAA Charities through the address on the official page if a term is unclear.
Keep the course description, fee schedule, and any approval from NBAA with the application record. These documents help distinguish costs approved for the scholarship from expenses that remain the applicant's responsibility. They also give the sponsor a clear reference if the training schedule changes.
Related resources include the NBAA scholarship page, the scholarship directory, and the aviation glossary.