Here are two items from the BGA website about financial assistance for young pilots:

Air League Scholarships

Applications are now being accepted for 2016 Air League Gliding Scholarships. These are for solo pilots aged 16-25 and are designed to help them to broaden their flying experience through aerobatic, cross-country or SLMG training. Awards are typically around 300 and cover flying fees at any Junior Gliding Centre or at a number of other selected clubs.

Full details and an online application, which must be completed by 19th February are at http://www.airleague.co.uk/scholarships/gliding-scholarships/ (the application process is at https://airleague.formstack.com/forms/gliding2016).

RAeC Trust Bursaries

The Royal Aero Club Trust has announced details of its 2016 Bursary Scheme.

The 2016 bursaries include The Presidents Scholarships (2 bursaries each worth up to 750); the Peter Cruddas Foundation Scholarship worth up to 1,000; the Breitling Bursary worth up to 750; the MacRobert Trust Bursaries (2 bursaries each worth up to 500); and the Bramson Bursary, as well as a number of additional bursaries worth up to 500 each. These are available to anyone between 14 and 21 years of age wishing to develop their interest in either air sports or aviation.

Additionally, Follow-on Bursaries are available to assist committed applicants, aged up to 24, reach even higher levels of achievement through, for example, participation in national and international competitions.

Full details and application forms are available on the Trust web site at http://www.royalaeroclubtrust.org/bursaries.

Note that the closing date for applications to be received at the RAeC is 31st March 2016. These need to be countersigned by a sponsor such as your CFI and submitted via the BGA. To ensure that applications are processed by the deadline, your application should be received at the BGA office no later than 17th March.