Patti Grace Smith Fellowship — Fellowship

The Patti Grace Smith Fellowship helps students enter the US aerospace workforce through a paid summer internship, two mentors, leadership development, and an ongoing professional community. It is run by the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, a US nonprofit focused on building pathways into aerospace careers.

Applicants may pursue aviation or space work in engineering, science, business, policy, journalism, communications, or related fields. The program matches selected candidates with participating American aerospace companies and institutions for meaningful summer roles.

Benefits & funding

An approximately 12-week summer internship at a participating US aerospace company or institution, paid at a living wage.
A flexible cash grant of at least US$2,500 for tuition, school fees, or academic and professional resources.
Two mentors: an established aerospace leader and an early-career professional.
An annual summit and continuing access to the fellowship’s peer and alumni community.

Eligibility

Be currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program or in any year of an associate degree program.
Be a US citizen, US permanent resident, US national, a refugee admitted to the United States under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or an asylee in the United States under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, and be legally permitted to work in the United States.
Meet any additional work-eligibility requirements imposed by a prospective host company.
Not yet be part of the aerospace workforce; applicants with exceptional circumstances, such as military service or prior aerospace work unrelated to their intended path, may explain them in an additional essay.
Demonstrate strong moral character and dedication to the program and its community.
Study any major, provided that the applicant has skills and interests relevant to an aerospace career.

Can you apply?

Open to all applicants

No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.

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Application process

1
Confirm all eligibility requirements on the official application page.
2
Create an account in the SurveyMonkey Apply portal for the Class of 2027.
3
Upload a current one-page résumé and latest transcript as PDFs; an unofficial transcript is accepted at the initial stage.
4
Request two recommendation letters through the portal: one addressing aptitude, skills, passion, and potential, and one addressing character, creativity, and consistency.
5
Submit three original works: a 500–750-word program essay, a multimedia essay reviewable within five minutes, and a written or multimedia response to one listed prompt.
6
If prior aerospace employment appears on the résumé, add a 250–500-word essay explaining why the fellowship remains relevant.
7
Describe job interests and preferences, then submit the application by the stated deadline.
8
If shortlisted, complete the fellowship interview and any host-company interviews, technical assessments, or work-sample reviews.

Program timeline

18 August 2026
Class of 2027 application portal opened.
Applications and recommendation letters are due.
4 October 2026
Applicants are typically notified of selection decisions.
December 2026
Fellows complete an approximately 12-week paid internship; exact dates depend on the host company.
Summer 2027