scholar awards program
2023 applications are now closed
Learn More
Purpose
Every fall, the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society Scholars Award Program provides financial support to eligible students who are pursuing careers in aviation and are enrolled in colleges or aviation trade schools in Florida.
Jannus Scholars program
In January of 1914, Tony Jannus flew a paying passenger from St. Petersburg to Tampa in a Benoist airboat. This achievement established the Tampa Bay area as the home of the first scheduled commercial airline. Each year, the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society celebrates this historic aviation achievement by recognizing a distinguished individual for outstanding contributions to scheduled air transportation.
The society also looks to the future by providing scholars awards to eligible undergraduate college students and trade school students who are enrolled in programs that could result in careers in aviation. The 2023 awards program has three elements:
Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society Scholars Award
The Society plans to provide up to six students a cash award of $4,000 each.
Southwest Airlines Jannus Award
Southwest Airlines is sponsoring an additional travel award to each of the six Scholars Award recipients by providing two roundtrip tickets to any destination they serve. Southwest Airlines is committed to education advancement and invests in workforce development programs that introduce students to the diverse set of career opportunities in the aviation industry. From pilots to accountants and everything in between, Southwest offers a range of opportunities to help students soar to new heights in jobs of the future. Southwest is a proud partner of The Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society and supports their mission to promote and provide support to students pursuing a career in commercial aviation.
Richard Newton Memorial Award
A supplemental award of $4,000 will be provided to the highest scoring applicant in memory of past Tony Jannus President, Col. Richard Newton Jr.
How to Apply
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for consideration as a Tony Jannus Scholar, applicants must meet the following requirements:
Colleges and Universities - Students must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program from an accredited college or university within the state of Florida Student must have completed at least 30 credit hours with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 at the time of the application.
Aviation Trade Schools - Students must be currently enrolled in an aviation maintenance program with an accredited aviation vocational trade school within the state of Florida. Students must have completed at least 25% of the program with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 or percent score of 86% at the time of the application.
Applicants must submit the following materials:
Cover Letter - A one (1) page cover letter providing the Applicant's personal contact information along with a personal statement requesting consideration to become a "Tony Jannus Scholar." The letter should explain how winning the Jannus Scholars Award will help the applicant in their pursuit of a career in aviation.
Resume A resume of no more than 2 pages highlighting work experience, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and any other general accomplishments.
Faculty Application Form - A one (1) page application form must be completed by a faculty member from the College or Aviation Trade School in support of the Applicant's request. It must include a statement attesting to the Applicant's good academic standing, with supporting information regarding the applicant’s eligibility including GPA (or Percent Score) and credit hours (or percent complete) as of the beginning of the fall session. A link to download the form is provided at the end of this web page.
Essay - A supporting essay of 500 to 800 words clearly outlining:
· How and when the Applicant first became interested in aviation.
· How aviation has already impacted life choices related to academic, service, and/or occupation decisions.
· How Tony Jannus has affected the Applicant's existing thinking with respect to aviation as a potential career.
· Any additional personal observations the Applicant considers relevant to the Committee’s evaluation process.
Note:
· Graduate students and previous Jannus Award recipients are not eligible to apply.
· Applicants that submit essays that do not meet the minimum/maximum number of words will not be considered.
· Applications will be screened and those that are found to have been prepared using Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs such as ChatGPT will be disqualified.
· Additional materials sent that are not requested will not be considered in the evaluation process.
· Applications submitted after the due date will not be considered.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of Tony Jannus Society board members.
Applications will be evaluated considering the following criteria:
· Academic achievement
· Quality of essay
· General accomplishments
· Demonstrated commitment to aviation
· Subjective factors as deemed appropriate by the Committee
Winners will be notified the week of October 16 and invited to receive their awards at the annual Tony Jannus Awards Dinner on November 2 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Tampa.
The 2023 program is now open. See the list of last year’s winners here.
How to submit
The Applicant’s submission must include the cover letter, resume, faculty application form and essay (in that order) into a single PDF file. The PDF file must be emailed to scholarawards@tonyjannus.com by the end of the day on October 6, 2023. Late applications will not be accepted.
Please download program details and Faculty Provided Profile Form here.