James Cook, a Liberty High School junior and member of Air Force Junior ROTC at Cactus High School, has received a scholarship to attend an accredited aviation university participating in a private pilot license training program this summer.
Cadet Cook is one of 230 Air Force Junior ROTC cadets around the world to receive the scholarship from Headquarters Air Force Junior ROTC, Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery, Alabama. More than 1,340 cadets applied for the 230 scholarships. There are more than 120,000 high school students enrolled in Air Force Junior ROTC at almost 875 high schools in the U.S and overseas. The scholarship covers transportation, room and board, academics and flight hours required to potentially earn a private pilot license. The scholarship is valued at approximately $22,500.
The Flight Academy Scholarship Program is an Air Force-level initiative in collaboration with the commercial aviation industry to address the national civilian and military pilot shortage. The Flight Academy allows aspiring young aviators to get their private pilot’s certification, at no cost, during an eight-week summer course at partner universities. This incurs no military commitment while providing a college transcript. Those who participate in the program do not incur a military commitment to the Air Force or other branch of service, nor does completing the program guarantee acceptance into one of the military’s commissioning programs.
