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AOPA Donates $26,000 to Embry-Riddle for Aeronautical Science Scholarships

Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 26, 2007 -- Continuing a 10-year alliance between the world’s largest aviation organization and the world’s leading aviation university, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) recently presented a $26,000 check to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as a donation to the AOPA Career Pathways Scholarship Fund.

Each year, AOPA contributes 10 percent of the AOPA member dues paid by Embry-Riddle alumni to the university’s endowed scholarship fund. Since 1999, AOPA has donated $176,600 to help deserving aviation students.

AOPA President Phil Boyer presented the check to Embry-Riddle President John P. Johnson on Oct. 18 during a meeting of the Embry-Riddle President’s Advisory Board in Orlando, Fla.

“The long-term partnership between Embry-Riddle and AOPA is going strong,” said Dr. Johnson. “Not only through the scholarship fund but also through the valuable services and benefits students receive as AOPA members. AOPA’s informational and real-world resources complement the Embry-Riddle curriculum, enhancing the education and future careers of our students.”

Seniors at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach and Prescott, Ariz., campuses who are AOPA members and meet the following criteria are eligible for an AOPA Career Pathways Scholarship: majoring in Aeronautical Science, minoring in Aviation Safety, intending to pursuing a career in aviation, and holding a CGPA of 3.0 or higher. As an endowed scholarship, the award amounts vary. Embry-Riddle’s undergraduate Aeronautical Science program is the largest in the nation.

Every active Embry-Riddle aviation student and 50 faculty members are AOPA members, with AOPA membership discounted for Aeronautical Science students. Since the relationship between Embry-Riddle and AOPA began 10 years ago, the number of Embry-Riddle alumni who maintain active AOPA membership has almost doubled, to 6,499.

AOPA has promoted the interests of general aviation pilots since 1939. Currently AOPA has 413,000 members, representing 75 percent of all general aviation pilots in the United States.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. The university educates more than 34,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.