Al Conklin and Bill de Decker Business Aviation Management Scholarship

Target Candidate

1. Full-time undergraduate enrolled or accepted into an aviation management program at two or four-year school;
2. rising sophomore or higher standing,
3. with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Award Amount

Up to $5,000 for educational costs

Notification/Award Period

Awarded during the fall

U.S. Citizenship/Permanent Resident Status Required?

Yes

Other Requirements

Completed application package, which consists of:

• essay,
• resume,
• unofficial transcript and
• one signed letter of recommendation,

must be received by NBAA no later than August 11, 2025 to be considered for the scholarship.

Scholarship recipients must use the funds by Dec. 31, 2026, or risk forfeiting the award.

Conklin & de Decker, in coordination with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), established the Alan H. Conklin Business Aviation Management Scholarship in 2007 to benefit undergraduates pursuing careers in business aviation management. At the 2014 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), the award was renamed to recognize Bill de Decker and his dedication to business aviation.

The scholarship was initially created to honor the memory of Al Conklin, a U.S. Air Force veteran and business aviation leader for more than 60 years. Conklin’s experience as a business aircraft salesman in the early decades of his career informed his later work in proving the economic value of aircraft to business. Today, the scholarship also honors Bill de Decker’s contributions to business aviation, for which he was honored in 2014 with NBAA’s John P. “Jack” Doswell Award. Together, Al Conklin and Bill de Decker first published the Aircraft Cost Evaluator in the 1970’s and later founded Conklin & de Decker, an aviation information company that provides aircraft operating cost and performance data.

NBAA Charities and Jet Support annually award up to $5,000 to an undergraduate student who is officially enrolled in an aviation management program at a two or four-year school. Scholarships will be awarded for the academic year, and checks will be made payable to the school. Awards will be made to U.S. citizens or permanent residents without regard to sex, race, religion or national origin.

See application form for details

NBAA scholarship applicants are limited to receiving one award per person, every other year.