More than 20 percent of Texas A&M students receive scholarship support. In addition to giving students the extra money and time they need to excel in their studies, scholarship programs help the university recruit top students. The criteria for recipient selection varies for each individual scholarship. A minimum 2.75 GPA is required for all scholarships unless stated differently in the individual scholarship criteria descriptions.
Scholarship Timeline
- October 15 - Application process opens.
- February 1 - Applications are due by 5:00 P.M.
- Mid-June - Scholarship Recipients are announced.
- November - Annual Aerospace Awards Banquet. Attendance is mandatory for scholarship recipients.
If you are selected for a scholarship, you must attend the Annual Aerospace Awards banquet. The application is part of the University Scholarship Application. Several scholarships will be considered with respect to this application. Each scholarship has its own criteria including financial need, scholastic achievement, and extracurricular activities. If you have any questions, please contact the Aerospace Undergraduate Programs Office.
Other scholarships/financial aid
Aerospace Engineering Donor Funded Scholarships
These scholarships are funded by our generous donors that help us support our students.
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Edward C. "Pete" Aldridge Jr. earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Texas A&M in 1960 and a master's from Georgia Tech, going on to serve as Secretary of the Air Force, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, and president/CEO of The Aerospace Corporation from 1992-2001. He is an Endowed Century Club member with The Association of Former Students, reflecting sustained, generous giving to the department. He and Joanne created both an endowed professorship and an endowed scholarship in aerospace engineering, supporting undergraduates in the field he studied.
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Dr. Terry Alfriend, a University Distinguished Professor and TEES Distinguished Research Professor holding the Jack E. and Frances Brown Chair II in Aerospace Engineering, has mentored generations of students during his long Texas A&M tenure and won the 2022 Goddard Astronautics Award for his contributions to orbital mechanics and space situational awareness. He and his wife Bonnie created a mixed-use gift combining an associate professorship, a faculty fellowship, and an endowed scholarship, with Terry noting they wanted to "see the impact" of their giving while he remained active in the department. Their priority is supporting current students while also rewarding early- to mid-career faculty who may otherwise be overlooked by programs favoring senior professors.
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Charles Anderson graduated from Texas A&M in 1955, and he and his wife Karen established this scholarship to benefit aerospace engineering undergraduates at the university. The award has been given to students including doctoral candidates pursuing advanced aerospace research.
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Alan "Lee" Briscoe graduated from Texas A&M in 1968 with a degree in aerospace and industrial engineering and went on to a distinguished career as a NASA flight director. Following his death, his family established this memorial scholarship in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. The family's priority is to honor Briscoe's belief in the power of education by giving another Aggie the same opportunities that propelled his career of remarkable contribution.
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Paul Campos graduated from Texas A&M in 1962, and he and his wife Gertrude established this scholarship in 2020 to support undergraduate students in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. The gift reflects a straightforward commitment to broadening access to the aerospace program for future Aggies.
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Dr. Barbara J. Craig earned her aerospace engineering degree from Texas A&M in 1988 and was later inducted into the department's Alumni Academy as an Outstanding Aerospace Engineer in 2018, recognizing superior professional achievement and community service. She and her husband Mark established this scholarship for aerospace engineering students, and recipients have highlighted it among advanced departmental scholarships supporting continuing coursework. The scholarship prioritizes students demonstrating strong academic performance in the aerospace program.
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Michael Ebanks was a Texas A&M aerospace engineering student who dreamed of working for NASA before his life was cut short. He was one of the 12 victims of the 1999 Bonfire collapse. The scholarship in his memory was funded through donations from family, friends, former classmates, and Reynolds and Reynolds, where his sister and brother-in-law, Cynthia and Phil Wade, work. It awards up to $1,000 annually to an upper-level aerospace engineering student.
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Leland Snow, Texas A&M Class of 1952, founded and led Air Tractor, Inc., building a 53-year legacy of aircraft design innovations that ushered in the modern agricultural spray plane. The Snow family established this memorial scholarship, awarded annually to an aerospace engineering student who demonstrates exceptional leadership, problem-solving skills, creativity in aircraft design, and academic promise. Past recipients have engaged in hands-on projects like the AggieSat satellite program, reflecting the scholarship's emphasis on applied design talent.
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Paul Fenley earned his aerospace engineering degree from Texas A&M in 1985 and built a career at Atec Inc., an aerospace and energy engineering firm, rising to president in 2008 and COO in 2017, overseeing all worldwide operations. He and his wife Michelle established this scholarship in 2022 for full-time undergraduates pursuing aerospace engineering, with preference given to Corps of Cadets members entering their junior year of leadership development who have demonstrated service to their community or the department. Fenley remains engaged with the department as a member of the Aerospace Engineering Advisory Board.
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David Gastinger graduated from Texas A&M in 1969 and was himself a scholarship recipient as a student, an experience that directly informed his later philanthropy. After being named the department's Alumni of the Year and participating in capstone design reviews, he and his wife Carol were inspired to establish their first scholarship, aimed at supporting undergraduates facing financial challenges similar to those he once overcame. The scholarship's priority is ensuring aspiring aerospace engineers have the financial foundation needed to pursue their academic and career goals.
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The Gibson Scholarship supports upper-level aerospace engineering students who rank at the top of their academic classes, requiring applicants to submit an essay, professional resume, and letters of recommendation. The award emphasizes rewarding sustained high academic achievement among advanced aerospace students.
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Established in memory of Charles R. Haines, Texas A&M Class of 1957, this scholarship is awarded to top-performing incoming aerospace engineering students. Charles Haines served in the US Air Force as a flight test engineer and joined NASA, working as a project manager for the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle program during the Apollo era and chief of operational planning for the Space Shuttle program. Recipients have gone on to Brown Engineering Honors Program placement and careers at organizations like NASA Johnson Space Center.
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Dr. Walter E. Haisler Jr. earned his 1967 aerospace engineering degree from Texas A&M and later served as the department's head, during which time he and his wife Delores became deeply engaged in departmental philanthropy. In recognition of his contributions, Haisler received the Texas A&M Foundation's 2020 Partner in Philanthropy Award, directing the accompanying $10,000 to graduate fellowships.
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The Jett scholarship, established by Donna and Dub Jett (Class of 1968), supports Texas A&M aerospace engineering undergraduates and has been awarded alongside other prominent departmental scholarships such as the Aldridge award. Recipients have credited the funding with helping them pursue continued innovation in the aviation industry.
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This memorial scholarship for siblings Travis and Rachel Joiner, administered through the Department of Aerospace Engineering, has supported numerous undergraduates over the past decade, including students who went on to careers at Boeing, Dynetics, and Firefly Aerospace.
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Tabitha Kavalew, Class of 1991, was an aerospace engineering major who became a certified Space Flight Systems Instructor, training astronauts in onboard space shuttle navigation systems during her five years at NASA's Johnson Space Center. After her death from breast cancer in 2015, her husband Ken C. Kavalew '89 and their children Brennan and Gianna established this $25,000 endowed memorial scholarship in 2020 to support aerospace engineering undergraduates. The scholarship carries forward Tabitha's legacy of technical excellence in space systems training.
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This scholarship supports undergraduate students in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, established by Richard J. Matus of the Texas A&M Class of 1980.
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Larry McQuien earned bachelor's and master's degrees in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M in 1976 and 1977, graduating cum laude and summa cum laude respectively, before building a career in Lockheed Martin's engineering department. His wife Carol established the "Take Flight Award" to preserve his legacy at his alma mater. The scholarship requires recipients to rank in the top 15% of their junior class, be active in extracurriculars, and submit an essay on their aerospace aspirations and reflections on McQuien's industry leadership, since Carol wanted a recipient with "book smarts" who is also personable and community-minded.
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Edelmiro "Ed" Muñiz graduated from Texas A&M in 1967 and built a successful career, later reflecting with his wife Alicia on how to give back to their community. In 2016 they created two scholarships, including this Aggie Sat Lab award supporting students involved in AggieSat Lab, a hands-on aerospace engineering program developing small-satellite technology. The Muñizes favor hands-on, applied engineering work, believing it produces stronger graduates.
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James R. Nowlin, Texas A&M Class of 1966, established this endowed scholarship to support students in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Limited additional public detail on Nowlin's career and specific scholarship priorities was found beyond its standing as an active departmental award benefiting undergraduates.
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Retired Maj. Gen. Wilbert "Doug" Pearson Jr., a 1969 Texas A&M graduate, had a distinguished U.S. Air Force career as a test pilot before retiring from active duty in 2005. He and his wife Teresa, along with their children including USAF-retired Lt. Col. Todd Pearson '99, established this scholarship to enable other engineers to succeed using the experience and wisdom Doug gained over his career. The scholarship prioritizes students pursuing hands-on, operational problem-solving in aerospace, especially those holding or pursuing a pilot's license.
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John E. Richardson, Texas A&M Class of 1971, serves as CEO of J&S Water Wells in Bellville, Texas, and has three children who all earned degrees from the university. He and his wife Susan established this scholarship in 2014 for junior- or senior-level aerospace engineering students, with the couple specifically requesting that recipients be members of the Corps of Cadets, U.S. military veterans, or children of veterans. This military-connected eligibility requirement reflects the Richardsons' priority of honoring service members within the aerospace program.
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Merri J. Sanchez graduated from Texas A&M in 1985 and built a nearly three-decade career with NASA, later serving as Chief Scientist for U.S. Air Force Space Command and currently working as a Technical Fellow at The Aerospace Corporation. She has received numerous honors, including the 2018 Colorado Space Heroes Hall of Fame induction and the 2016 Texas A&M College of Engineering Outstanding Alumni Honor Award, and has long served on the department's External Advisory Board. She established her endowed scholarship to help students afford the cost of completing an aerospace engineering degree.
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This scholarship, established by Buford W. Shipley Jr. (Class of 1983) and his wife Virginia, supports students pursuing degrees in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M.
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Deanna and Ben Smith, Texas A&M Class of 1965, established the first scholarship in aerospace engineering at the university in 1999, driven by their deep personal understanding of education's importance and desire to help young students. The two-year scholarship is awarded to academically standout juniors in the aerospace program, worth roughly $1,000 annually.
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Dr. John Vassberg, Texas A&M Class of 1980, spent his career working with early-career engineers and student interns, observing a growing trend in academia of inadequate aerodynamics understanding among students. To address this gap, he and his wife Claire established this scholarship specifically for students excelling in aerodynamics coursework with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Their goal is to reward and encourage future aerodynamicists who will be transformative in the aerospace industry.
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Brad Worsham earned his aerospace engineering degree from Texas A&M in 1988 on a President's Endowed Scholarship, an award he credited with fundamentally changing the course of his life and enabling him to attend A&M over other opportunities. His career included 28 years in intelligence work with the CIA, with postings from Islamabad to Australia, before he returned to Texas A&M in 2019 as an associate professor of practice in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Worsham established this scholarship to provide financial assistance to at least two students exhibiting exceptional academic performance.