The AerCap Scholarship Scheme started off as a corporate project contributing to the education of people in financial need in emerging countries. In the meantime, AerCap has integrated its contributions into the scholarship programmes of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT). These programmes are need-based direct scholarships to academically qualified students pursuing an aviation related degree at an accredited university.

A Colombian student of Aviation Management at Purdue University, Indiana, US, was the winner of the AerCap scholarship contribution to the 2007 ISTAT programme. After graduating from Purdue, he joined the AerCap team for the Americas.

Two Master's degree students for Aerospace Engineering, one from China and one from Marocco, won the AerCap contribution to the 2006 ISTAT scholarship application round. They both studied at Delft University in The Netherlands and the scholarship helped them finalize their two year programme.

In 2005, the Company gave academic scholarships to three students in India for a four year period. The scholarships were implemented by the New-Delhi based Foundation of Academic Excellence and Access (FAEA). The FAEA provides academic education to the best talents among the least privileged young people in India.

In 2004, the Company gave a full career scholarship to an outstanding but financially disadvantaged student of Business and Economics at ESEN Escuela Superior de EconomÙŠa y Negocios in El Salvador.