Major national women in aviation scholarships
Air Canada Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship: 8 scholarships of $5,000 each, administered through the Northern Lights Aero Foundation in partnership with CAE. For women pursuing commercial pilot training or AME studies. Applications typically open November.
PAL Airlines Women in Aviation Scholarship: Approximately $10,000 total split between one pilot-training and one AME recipient. Administered through Elevate Aviation.
Elevate Aviation Bursaries: $1,000–$5,000 for women and under-represented groups pursuing pilot, AME, ATC, and other roles. 2026 window: April 28 to May 26. Named awards include AviateHER and the Sarah Stahlke bursary.
Ninety-Nines First Wings Award: Up to roughly $6,000 CAD for women student pilots who are Ninety-Nines members. Apply through your local Canadian chapter.
COPA Réne Cutforth Memorial Scholarship: $1,000 for female-identifying pilots pursuing CPL or additional ratings, sponsored by Elevate Aviation through COPA.
These national programmes can typically be combined with provincial and school-specific awards in the same year. Browse all women-specific scholarships.
Provincial and regional awards for women
BCAC Mary Swain Memorial Scholarship: $1,500–$1,875 for women in BC in pilot, AME, or aviation operations training. BCAC spring window (February to April 30). Training must be in BC or Yukon.
BCAC Lynne Denison Foster Female BCIT Aviation Scholarship: $10,000 annually for women studying aviation and aerospace at BCIT.
BC Coast 99s Wings & Wrench Scholarship: $1,000 for both pilot and AME students in BC, partnered with Geoff Latter Airshows. Good option for women in maintenance as well as flight training.
Many general provincial scholarships (MAC, Alberta AAD Emerging Aviator, CPL/advanced) are open to women and can be stacked with women-specific funding.
Women in AME and maintenance — often overlooked
Women interested in aircraft maintenance face less competition for scholarships than pilots. Key opportunities:
- Air Canada AME scholarships at seven colleges — $1,500 at partner institutions including BCIT, Northern Lights College, ENA, Centennial, Fanshawe, Canadore and Mohawk
- Elevate Aviation Xenia Morales Scholarship — for women pursuing AME or agricultural pilot careers
- BCAC Pacific Coastal Sheldon Smith Scholarship — $10,000 for BC pilot or AME students
- Alberta AAD AME Avionics Scholarship — $1,000 for AME-bound students at TC-approved programmes
How to apply as a woman in aviation
Stack women-specific and general awards in the same cycle. Link your application to representation and mentoring — committees respond strongly to applicants who plan to support other women in the industry. Highlight technical and leadership achievements, especially in maintenance or operations where women remain under-represented.
For the full application process see the how to apply guide.
Organisations supporting women in Canadian aviation
- Elevate Aviation (elevateaviation.ca) — pilot, AME, ATC, airport operations, leadership
- Northern Lights Aero Foundation (northernlightsaerofoundation.com) — Captain Judy Cameron awards and annual gala
- The Ninety-Nines Canadian chapters — local networks and 99s-specific scholarships
- Women in Aviation International (WAI) — many WAI scholarships open to Canadians for advanced ratings
Browse women-specific scholarships | All Canadian aviation scholarships | Indigenous scholarships guide | FAQ
About this guide: Scholarship amounts, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change annually. All information is verified against official scholarship administrator websites as of March 2026. If you find an error or outdated detail, let us know.
