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. TSU officials said that 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 Dr. 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.”
TSU—a historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Houston—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, said college officials.
“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 university’s 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.”
University officials note that 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.
