The goal is to further racial and gender diversity within STEM programs across U.S. institutions of higher education and ultimately the industries they join after college.

The Bessie Coleman Aerospace Legacy Scholarship, formerly known as the AYEF STEM Scholarship, awards annual scholarships to aspiring U.S. high school students who plan to attend college to study science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

The program is inspired by women and people of color in aviation who persisted up and over financial barriers, as well as explicit bias, to attain careers in aviation. We are grateful to name the scholarship after Bessie Coleman, who can you read more about here. We have permission from the Bessie Coleman Aerospace Legacy to name the scholarship in her honor.

To AYEF, student diversity in STEM college programs means a broad array of backgrounds and life experiences are represented, including students with skills or attributes that are underrepresented in STEM industries and specifically including students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The next application period opens in March 2024 closes on June 30, 2024. Click here to view the application.

Each scholarship is administered by AYEF and granted to students after a rigorous selection process wherein applicants demonstrate their passion and dedication to aviation or a related STEM field. AYEF actively partners with individuals and American aviation corporations and other STEM industries to sponsor, select, and present each scholarship.