Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship

The Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation (TASF) and Tuskegee Airmen, Incorporated™  (TAI) are two legal entities that are uniquely bound to the central goal of preserving the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen while providing educational services that honor the history of their service. The mission of TASF is to honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen by providing motivation, access and scholarships to assist financially and academically deserving students in the pursuit of careers in aviation, aerospace, STEM as well as other disciplines. TASF is located in Los Angeles and serves as the national scholarship organization with Tuskegee Airmen, Inc (TAI).

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must be students from accredited high schools who will graduate (or who have graduated) in the spring of their academic cycle. Additionally, those who apply must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least three point zero (3.0) on a four-point scale.

Application Procedure:

Application forms and instructions may be obtained from high school guidance counselors, or a Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. local Chapter. Use the "Chapter Locator" button to find the chapter nearest the applicant. Completed applications must be returned to the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Chapter nearest the applicant on or before the stated deadline in the application form.  Applications that do not meet technical requirements may be eliminated from further consideration. 

Attachments required:

In addition to the completed application form, the following attachments are required:
1) An OFFICIAL Copy of Student’s High School Transcript, senior year schedule.
2) A copy of parent(s)’ latest IRS Form 1040 (2016 preferable but 2015 acceptable) that shows the adjusted gross income line (generally line 37) or other OFFICIAL document (W-2/W-4 not acceptable); the Social Security Number should be “blacked out” for security purposes.
3) Three Letters of Recommendation (From Counselors, Instructors, Community Leaders, etc.).
4) “The Tuskegee Airmen” Essay including. how their experience impacts you. (Typed, double spaced, not to exceed one (1) page).
5) A Personal Essay (Typed, double spaced, not to exceed two (2) pages.
6.) List of Extracurricular and Community Activities (including Junior ROTC, Civil Air Patrol, BSA, GSA or Explorer Scouts, if any).
Please note, all attachments to the application must not exceed 8.5” x 11” in size.

In order to validate the financial status of the applicant, a copy of parent(s)’ latest IRS Form 1040 (preferably the current reporting year) up to and inclusive of the line that indicates the adjusted gross income must be included in application package. Please DO NOT send the entire tax return. If the household member is does not meet requirements to file Form 1040,  applicants must provide an official alternate source document to verify income, such as statement from Public Social Services, Pensions or SSI.

Selection Procedure:

Applications for scholarship received by individual chapters of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. are screened, verified, deemed appropriate, and competitively evaluated. Applications determined worthy of further consideration are forwarded to the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Selection Committee for National Competition. A scholarship selection committee, composed of several members from each Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Region, evaluates individual applications. Using a scale of one hundred (100) points, the committee considers academic achievement, extra curricular and community activities, relative financial need, recommendations, and both essays to competitively rank applicants.

Notification Procedure:

All applicants will be notified of their application disposition, both those who have been selected for an award and those who have not. Final awards will be communicated by the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors.

Award Payment Certification:

Scholarship awardees may enroll in the institution of their choice, however, in order to receive the financial award, the student must secure a valid "verification of enrollment" from the school registrar which indicates full-time enrollment . Pre-enrollment forms will not be accepted. When the required verifications have been received, individual award payments, which can be made made payable to the student or parent, will be mailed directly to the recipient from TASF's banking institution in Los Angeles. Students are advised to inform TASF of any changes in contact information that occur after application submission.

Award Payment Limitation:

All scholarship awards must be utilized within one year from date of selection notification.TAI is dedicated to the preservation of history regarding African American Veterans who served during World War II. Their actions demonstrated to America that responsible citizenship and high character are the standards for success, not ethic origin. Although TAI was originally incorporated in Washington, D.C., the organization holds deep connections to the National Historical Site in Tuskegee, Alabama and its many chapters throughout the US, including a National Museum at the Coleman Young International Airport Detroit, MI,  and its affiliation with the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation, located in Los Angeles, CA.

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