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The Texas Southern University (TSU) Department of Aviation is partnering with the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) to host a seven-week flight training program for AFJROTC cadets on the TSU campus.

The cadets, comprised of high school students from across the nation, are training for a Federal Aviation Administration Private Pilot’s License and will reside in the TSU dorms for the entirety of the seven-week program. Candidates will experience instruction similar to Air Force Academy flight training, including Ground School and flight lessons.

“We are excited about the opportunity to partner with the Air Force JROTC. Our aviation program is one of the best in the nation and the only program in a major metropolitan area in Texas,” said TSU Interim President Ken Huewitt. “This joint venture enhances and elevates the brand of the Aviation Program and will encourage others to look to TSU to provide first-class aviation training that leads to meaningful careers.”

The University was selected as a host after an Air Force personnel visit last year determined that TSU was the right fit for an Air Force JROTC program.

“With the need for over 400,000 commercial pilots by 2035, TSU is playing an integral role in training America’s future aviators,” said Dr. Terence H. ​Fontaine, Director of the Aviation Program. “We are the only public institution of higher learning in Texas that offers both a Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation Science Management and Aviation Science Management with a Professional Pilot Concentration.”

TSU is one of 25 universities throughout the nation that has partnered with the U.S. Air Force to provide opportunities to JROTC cadets while also expediting flight training for future airmen and is one of only eight HBCUs in the country to offer a degree in aviation.

In July, Texas Southern will launch its Naval Cadet Flight Academy program in partnership with the United States Navy. Texas Southern University is an FAA-certified Part 141 Aviation Program. For more information about the aviation program, click here.

ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY 

Texas Southern University (TSU) honors our designation as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and research. TSU is a comprehensive university providing higher education access to the nation’s underserved communities. TSU’s academic and research programs address critical urban issues, and prepares its diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools on a 150-acre campus nestled in the heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, and the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas. TSU has positioned itself as a proactive leader in educating underserved students and many who are the first in their families to attend college.