What University Aviation Association does

The University Aviation Association (UAA) is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1947 and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that serves the collegiate aviation education ecosystem. As of the most recent data, UAA counts 131 member colleges and universities across the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia, representing nearly 1,500 individual members and over 400 affiliated STEM and aviation high school programs. Its core offerings include voluntary Independent Program Reviews (a quality assurance service at $3,500 per review), an annual Collegiate Aviation Education Conference & Expo (the 79th edition scheduled for September 2026 in Dallas, TX), an annual D.C. Aviation Policy Summit, multiple scholarship programs, a peer-reviewed journal (Collegiate Aviation Review-International), the Student Research Poster Competition, and a Career Opportunities posting platform with tiered pricing ($100-$550 per 60-day posting). The organization also operates a free Internship Opportunities portal and a mentoring program.

UAA's underlying technology is a standard association management system operated by MemberLeap, which powers membership administration, event registration, scholarship applications, and the monthly newsletter distributed to over 2,100 contacts and 400+ institutions. Its primary distribution channels are self-serve (uaa.aero website), the annual CAEC conference (exhibitor/sponsor sales), and a channel partnership with JSfirm.com for aviation job placements. Advertising inventory is sold through the Collegiate Aviation Guide (CAG) and Collegiate Aviation Scholarship (CAS) catalogs, with over 2,000 printed copies distributed at six annual events.

UAA's business model is primarily subscription/membership-based revenue (annual institutional and individual dues), supplemented by event revenue (conference registrations, exhibitor/sponsorship fees), professional services (Independent Program Reviews), transaction fees (career posting fees), and advertising (CAG/CAS catalog placements). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and is not a venture-backed or publicly listed entity; no ownership changes, funding rounds, or acquisitions are evidenced in the source material.

Name

University Aviation Association

Legal name

University Aviation Association

Website

https://uaa.aero

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The University Aviation Association is a nonprofit membership organization serving 131 collegiate aviation programs and nearly 1,500 individual members across five continents, providing program reviews, annual conferences, scholarships, career postings, and a peer-reviewed journal to aviation students, educators, and industry employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for colleges, universities, and aviation industry partners providing access to resources, networking, and member benefits.
2. Career Opportunity Posting Fees: Fees for posting job opportunities on the UAA website and in monthly newsletter for 60 days. Full-page $400 (member) / $550 (non-member); Half-page $200 (member) / $300 (non-member); Text Block $100 (member) / $150 (non-member).
3. Program Review Services: Voluntary program review services for collegiate aviation programs. Typical reviews cost $3,500 for two reviewers (two days on site; one day off-site) and administrative support. Each additional reviewer is $1,500 plus travel costs.
4. Advertising - CAG and CAS Catalogs: Advertising revenue from the Collegiate Aviation Guide (CAG) and Collegiate Aviation Scholarships (CAS) catalogs distributed digitally and in over 2,000 printed copies at major annual events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

University Aviation Association (UAA) is a nonprofit professional membership organization that serves collegiate aviation education. It offers membership services to colleges, universities, and industry partners, alongside Independent Program Reviews, annual conferences, the Student Research Poster Competition, scholarship administration, career and internship postings, and the Collegiate Aviation Review-International peer-reviewed journal.

Product overview

University Aviation Association (UAA) is a membership organization serving collegiate aviation, not a software product company. Its offerings include: Independent Program Review services for quality assurance at aviation programs; annual conferences (Collegiate Aviation Education Conference & Expo and D.C. Aviation Policy Summit); multiple scholarship programs for aviation students; career and internship opportunity postings; the Student Research Poster Competition; the Collegiate Aviation Review-International journal; the Collegiate Aviation Scholarship (CAS) Catalog; and a mentoring program. UAA partners with JSfirm.com for job listings and MemberLeap for website and membership management functionality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Independent Program Review

Quantifiable outcome

• 131 member colleges and universities in U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JSfirm.comcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUAA and JSfirm.com have partnered to help aviation universities connect their students and alumni with aviation job opportunities. The platform allows employers to post aviation jobs and students to post resumes.
• MemberLeapcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering the UAA website, member management, event registration, newsletter distribution, and scholarship application systems.
• Piedmont AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPiedmont Airlines sponsors the Ambassador Flight Scholarship and Non-Flight Education Scholarship for UAA member students. Preference given to Piedmont Cadet Program members.
• American AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmerican Airlines provides round-trip airfare and conference support for Aviation Policy Summit Scholarship recipients.
• American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAAAE Foundation sponsors scholarships available through UAA's affiliated scholarships listing, including the AAAE Foundation Scholarship and AAAE Scholarship for Accredited Airport Executives.
• National Air Transportation Association (NATA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNATA sponsors multiple scholarships through UAA's affiliated scholarships including Business Scholarship, Dan L. Meisinger Sr. Memorial Learn to Fly Scholarship, Navigate Your Future Scholarship, Pioneers of Flight Scholarship, and Richard L. Taylor Flight Training Scholarship.
• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNBAA sponsors the Lawrence Ginocchio Aviation Scholarship through UAA's affiliated scholarships listing.
• National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNGPA sponsors scholarships for LGBTQ+ aviation community members through UAA's affiliated scholarships.
• Regional Airline AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRAA sponsors scholarships for aviation students through UAA's affiliated scholarships listing.
• Chicago Area Business Aviation AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCABA sponsors scholarships for aviation students through UAA's affiliated scholarships listing.
• GlobalAir.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobalAir.com sponsors the Calvin L. Carrithers Aviation Scholarship through UAA's affiliated scholarships listing.
• AIR T, Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAIR T, Inc. sponsors the Aviation and Aerospace Minority Scholarship through UAA's affiliated scholarships listing.
• Federal Aviation AdministrationminorOthersFAA career opportunities linked from UAA career resources page.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA): EAA is a long-standing aviation membership association that operates on a similar dues-plus-events model (e.g., AirVenture), making it a directly comparable peer in membership, events, and aviation community building.
• American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE): AAAE is a peer membership association serving airport executives with conferences, accreditation programs, and scholarships — comparable to UAA in structure, revenue model, and aviation workforce mission.
• National Air Transportation Association (NATA): NATA is a U.S. aviation trade association with a similar membership-plus-events-plus-scholarships model and represents the air transportation and flight training community that UAA's collegiate members supply.
• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA): AOPA is the largest general aviation membership association in the U.S., directly comparable to UAA as a dues-driven aviation membership organization that advocates for pilots and operates scholarships, publications, and events for its members.
• Women in Aviation International: Women in Aviation International is a membership-based aviation organization offering scholarships, mentoring, and an annual conference — closely aligned with UAA's scholarship, conference, and member engagement model.
• Regional Airline Association (RAA): RAA is an aviation membership association representing regional airlines, with overlapping interests in collegiate aviation recruitment, scholarships, and pilot pipeline development — directly comparable to UAA's industry-engagement function.
• National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA): NGPA is a community-focused aviation membership association offering scholarships, mentoring, and networking events — closely comparable to UAA in member services and student-pipeline focus.
• Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA): ALPA is a large aviation membership organization (a pilot union) that engages in policy, training, and workforce advocacy — comparable to UAA's role in workforce and policy engagement within aviation education.
• Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI): AABI is the recognized accreditation body for collegiate aviation programs, directly comparable to UAA because both serve the same population of aviation degree-granting institutions and address program quality assurance through a defined review/audit process.

Broad incumbents

• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA): NBAA is a broader-incumbent trade association serving the business aviation industry with events (NBAA-BACE), scholarships, and advocacy; it overlaps with UAA in collegiate outreach and aviation workforce development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UAAaero
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uaaaero

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University Aviation Association