Flight School: Take out loans vs enlist for GI bill?
Posted by Intelligent-Gur-696@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 47 comments
I’m curious what you guys have to say about this.
I’m 22M and currently living with family. Family offered ≈$40k in financial support and I have $10k saved. However, that still leaves ≈$50k I’d need to borrow. Plus, I’d have to continue living with my family for 2-3 years while doing flight school, which would be very bad for my social development and mental health. I live with conservative christian grandparents. I’m 22 and can’t invite friends or girls over and they get suspicious if I’m out too late. Essentially a man-child. Anyways, option #1 is to grind out flight school on loans and suck it up living with family. Downside: man-child no freedom
Option #2: I could do a 4-year Air Force enlistment and use the GI bill to fund flight school debt free. I could move out, have no flight school debt, and possibly finish my college degree while in the AF as a backup plan if flight school doesn’t work out. Downside: 4 year delay + in military
Surprise Option #3: I’m currently in school for accounting and have 2 years left. I could abandon my will to live and use the $40k to finish my accounting degree. Then work towards piloting later in life with a stable income. Downside: accountant
downwiththemike@reddit
Enlist but go coast guard they’re incredibly supportive and you can start whilst you’re still employed. https://www.propilotplaybook.org/e/unlocking-dreams-at-42-va-gi-bill-benefits-to-become-a-pro-pilot-58-an-inspiring-journey/
dawnhewett1@reddit
agree with others to not enlist unless u actually want that experience cause even being 6yearsAF ANG, which u could say is the cushiest thing u could do, u still deal with a lot of shit in the military. And u said u have 50k of support and it would be another 50k but that is if u went to a 141 school. U could def do part 61 for around 50k if you’re living at home with minimal other expenses.
Say u did do 4 or 6 years military: Flight school 50k / 4 or 6 years = 8333-12500/ year. Which is effectively minimum wage.
Do u want to trade 4 to 6 years of ur life for something u could have gotten anyway with a low to medium paying job?
Flyingredditburner44@reddit
Your mental health will suffer because your mean conservative christian (gasp) grandparents offered you 40 big ones, and you have to live with them?????
Boy, your time in the military will be a wake up call if that's the case.
Intelligent-Gur-696@reddit (OP)
I understand it sounds very privileged, which it is, I won’t deny it. I’m grateful for their contribution. However my family history is complicated. There’s more to the story than what’s included in my post.
Flyingredditburner44@reddit
Yeah I get it. Your post does come off that way, if you'd just left all that out and said you'd like to move out because you're 22 and want to become your own person, I think we all could understand.
Personally, I don't think the military is the way to go in your scenario. You have the money (You can easily get to CFI CSEL with 50k), you have a stable place to live with a family who seems you care about you. The military will chew you up and spit you out, I'd only do it if you were absolutely sure you wanted to serve.
Intelligent-Gur-696@reddit (OP)
That’s fair. I wanna say though, that money doesn’t excuse people’s behavior. Yes they did set aside money for me, and yes I am eternally grateful, but that doesn’t mean my concerns aren’t valid. They are overbearing and hard to live with, and they do have very traditional beliefs. Like, homophobic and anti-premarital sex or you go to hell. I’ve had to talk to counselors regarding my relationship with them, so my wanting to move out is valid.
Regardless, I do really appreciate your advice and that is a route I’m heavily considering. I’m gonna look into that, thank you
Bardammew@reddit
🤓
rod-my-dog@reddit
Dude is giving up 40k and free rent for a chance to almost kiss a girl
Sticky_Corvid@reddit
Dude, just join the Air Force or some other branch. A four year delay is absolutely nothing. You'll be 26(?) once you're done and ready to start flight school without financial worries. That's worth its weight in gold. I did nine years of service. I signed up a little after turning 21. Now i'm out and using my GI bill and basically about done with my instrument rating and looking to start my Commercial in the summer. I say this because thats not that unusual and maybe to help with your perspective. I think it would be good for you too since you'll get out of your current home situation and be able to do plenty of traveling and the military will help you grow personally as well.
TheEchoChamber69@reddit
“Take out loans.” As if it’s just handed to you lmao.
The easiest way to get loans is to find an associate degree community college that’s the cheapest in your area, who will refund you around $6500+ a semester. Do online school, work full time and use those $6500 boosts for flight, if you do summer, fall, winter you can get 3 rounds of it back to back, that’s $19,500 towards flight in 1 year before you dump any paycheck money into it.
Maybe it’s frowned upon, but it’s better than a sallie mae 30% apr for 30 years at $1000/M
Intelligent-Gur-696@reddit (OP)
I already have my associate’s degree from a community college, sorry I didn’t include that in the post. I stretched it out to 4 years because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I ended up settling on accounting as a safe option, planning to transfer to a university next year. Now I discovered piloting and am serious about pursuing it, but kinda have to decide soon cause I’m on the clock for transferring colleges
TheEchoChamber69@reddit
Oh just do WGU for accounting, it’s a fast track to the degree, then use them for masters.
Either career will pay a lot.
10-15 years at the same Big4 and you’ll make partner pulling in $300k+, after 10 years of partnership it’s $700k+.
Pilot would take 4-5 years of training, 2 years of instructing. You’re at 6 years, just to make $100k, then 4 years at a regional before you can go to a major, so year 10 you start back over at $100k bottom bitch, then after 3 years you’ll finally be at $170k.
Even doing it fast like 1 year ATP, still 1-2 years instructing, that’s still 6 years to switch to a major, and a 2-3 year wait to make $170k+. 9 vs 13, 9 being the fastest possible. 13 being the usual route.
Vs 3 years accounting 125k, 5 years 150k, 7-8 years $200k, year 13 $300k and so on.
squawkingdirty@reddit
I cannot stress this enough
DO NOT enlist unless you want to serve. You are enlisted first, then there’s 500 feet of shit you have to deal with, and then you can focus on flight training.
Source: got all my ratings when I was enlisted
Intelligent-Gur-696@reddit (OP)
I would enjoy enlisting. I’m not particularly patriotic in the sense that I want to serve my country or whatever, however I enjoy getting out of my comfort zone and doing things that foster growth. Enlisting would be a valuable experience.
jckwlzn@reddit
I’m 22 in the same boat. I mean you would get out at 26 with your ratings “paid for” … still got plenty of life. But yeah on the other hand I don’t know if I want to give up my civilian life and gf rn
JiggilyPudding@reddit
That's probably not realistic. Yes, there are people who have gotten their ratings while enlisted (working a full time job), but you don't get full GI Bill until you've been in for 36 months, so you'd be paying out of pocket if you flew years 1-3, missing out on any financial benefit of enlisting for flight training.
You could then use your GI Bill in year 4, but you'd have to go to a standalone part 141 school (likely hard to do while working full time), and your money is capped (about $60k total, if you exhausted all 36 months of benefits).
Much more likely is to enlist for 4 years, not fly during that time, then get out and attend a 2-4 year collegiate professional pilot program that the GI Bill will pay for. Then spend 1-3 years as a CFI building time until you get hired by a regional (or similar).
Best case, you trade 4 years of your life for $60k-120k worth of flight training.
jckwlzn@reddit
Ah, I wasn’t aware. Good looks 👍
Intelligent-Gur-696@reddit (OP)
Haha yeah, part of the resistance for me joining the air force is that I feel like it could interfere with finding a partner. But at the same time, the alternative is that I either A.) continue living in my grandparent’s basement or B.) Finish a college degree I hate. A is equally unlikely to attract women and B is just sad
jckwlzn@reddit
Prioritize yourself first. You’ll find the right girl when the time comes. Our whole pilot careers are going to be so unpredictable and we’ll be constantly moving around it will be hard to keep a relationship with someone. My gf knows I just hope she can handle it but we’ll see haha
Intelligent-Gur-696@reddit (OP)
I appreciate that brother, and likewise. Hope things go well for you
squawkingdirty@reddit
I’m going to be 100% honest with you
Of the people that I supervised in the military, some of the worst were the people who were “not really patriotic in the sense that I want to serve my country”
They were typically entitled people who thought that just because they completed basic, everything needs to be given to them by Uncle Sam for free.
I’m not saying that will be you, but think really long and hard about enlisting. There has to be a desire to serve your country if you’re going to get anything meaningful out of it.
RealKimJongUn@reddit
OP: “I would enjoy enlisting”
narrator: “he did not”
B4West@reddit
Enlist in a job that will help you become a pilot. Like enlisted aircrew. ATC, weather, avionics or mechanic
Use your paychecks to get your private pilots license
Get out and join the Air Guard. But in a different job. Make money going to school. And possibly a sign on bonus
Continue your flight training using your Federal, state and VA education benefits
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R47817.pdf
bisquick__@reddit
There is no enlisted job that is going to help you become a pilot anymore than working in the chow hall would help you become a pilot. End of story.
Ok_Truck_5092@reddit
Well…… I picked up ATC comms and procedures super fast in flight school having been ATC in military. But yeah I agree in the sense there is no shortcut to learning to fly and grinding through certificates.
B4West@reddit
Flying on an aircraft for your job. Is exactly the same as making omelettes at the DFAC?
Ok
Ok_Truck_5092@reddit
I’m not the one who said that
Narrow_Translator918@reddit
Option #1 is your only best option. I will tell you this and anyone who is interested in a flight career with the majors. Scrub your social media, be prepared to lose your friends, and be prepared to cancel all your outings that include alcohol and late nights. This career path will turn your life upside-down. Before you invest a penny into flight school, apply for a 1st class medical. Not a 2ND OR 3RD!!! Disclosed ALL your medical issues, family history, and medications you're taking with the DR. Under no circumstances will you put yourself in a position where ANY controlled substance, legal or not, enters your bloodstream starting TODAY!! and until the day you retire. You are about to enter a field that comes with a responsibility you cannot fadom. Kiss your current social life goodbye and build a new you. Hit the gym, eat healthy & most importantly, keep your brain sharp. Flight school has an extremely high washout rate. Don't give in to social norms. You will be buried deep in the books 24/7, with very little personal time. Look, flight schools are big business. They take your money 1st, then it's on you to log hours. My advice is to attend a flight school that is contracted by the airlines and LOG as many hours you possibly can per week. You're going to be out 100-150K in tuition. You might as well get in and out and start making $$$$. Stay home, save money, and stay out of trouble. One mistake and your entire career is OVER!!! This is not for everyone, I personally know corporate & commercial pilots. I'm speaking from experience & a place of truth. Having family support and a healthy lifestyle is key to success. FYI, once you transition from the regionals to the majors, expect your salary in the 300-800K a year!! Dont let anyone discourage you. I wish you luck and godspeed.
throwaway5757_@reddit
Option 1 but you can still work while flying and move out
omalley4n@reddit
Normally I'm a fan of not being overly optimistic, but I think your cost estimate and timeline area bit off. I did 0-CFI in 12 months for $60k all in. If you have access to 50k and can work part time, you can have it done within 18 months with your current resources.
Caveat: you have to do the work. Find a local flight school with enough airplanes and instructor availability that'll meet your needs. Treat this like a full-time job and plan to be at the airport 5-6 times per week, and studying at home just as often. Feel free to take small breaks, but never more than a week.
TxAggieMike@reddit
Using Unsecured Financing (Debt) to Fund Flight Training (Part 2)
Let’s wrap up with some additional reading and examples:
This post from covers an example where $30,000 was borrowed for instrument flight training. The borrower wound up repaying $116,000 just for his instrument certificate.
This post discusses the results of borrowing $70,000 and was surprised by an additional $15,000 fee.
This post shows someone borrowing $123,000 for a flight training program. And the terms of the loan mean their training would cost them more than double that amount.
Think Sallie Mae is the answer? Check out this post and what $125,000 of training debt was going to cost the student.
: : : : :
Your dream to become an airline pilot is admirable and a good one. But we want to make sure you are not stuck in the dream world and are being provided with some down to earth information on the realities of using debt to fund flight training. And as a result, make some really bad financial decisions.
Yes, using debt to fund a dream can work for some. But for many, and possibly you, it can take a wonderful dream and create a very cruel financial nightmare with a massive payment you are not able to make. Please consider how you fund your flight training wisely.
== == ==
Thank you for reading this far…. Here are some other topics that u/raisetheded has curated that may interest you:
ATP Flight School
College Aviaiton Programs
TxAggieMike@reddit
Using Unsecured Financing (Debt) to Fund Flight Training (Part 1 of 2)
(Credit for the following article goes to u/RaiseTheDed/. I just did some editing)
USING UNSECURED LOANS FOR FLIGHT TRAINING
So it has always been your dream to be an airline pilot? AWESOME!! And now you’re ready to take on the training to achieve that dream? WONDERFUL!!
But you’ve just realized that achieving that dream and doing the required trining comes with a big price tag. So now you’re considering using a loan (aka debt) to fund that training.
Sure…. but you need make certain you’re thinking beyond the dream and considering some reality.
= = = =
Many folks in this subreddit will say the same thing: avoid flight training debt at all costs. Let’s examine why.
Starting with the numbers:
Many flight schools offering a “Zero to Hero” program advertise a cost for the program of $100,000 to $120,000. This takes you from Private pilot to flight instructor (typically 250-300 hours of flight experience). (don’t forget you need 1,500 to be eligible for Airline Transport Pilot). It may also include certification for Commercial Pilot-Multiengine Land. Maybe even Multi-Engine Instructor.
The interest rates for an unsecured loan (which this is) is about 13-18%.
Term length on these loans are often 7 to 10 to 15 years.
For our illustration and our discussion, let’s plug into a debt calculator $120,000.00, 15% interest, and a 10 year term length. The results are:
Using a loan to pay for your dream and your training just to get started in aviation will cost you A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS!. That is million with a very big M.
Some additional things to know….
So beyond the dreamy idea of “I want to be a pilot and fly for a living….”,
:: :: ::
Now let’s say you get the loan, trained hard, obtain your certification to be a flight instructor, and got really lucky to find a job at a flight school. (FYI: don’t fall for the sales pitch that the flight school you trained at will hire you as an instructor. Unless you posses a signed contract saying they will do that, it’s likely they won’t. Most likely you finish their program and need to find employment.)
In the 2025 world, finding employment as a very low time instructor is very difficult.
Anyway, you’re employed. And you have a $2,000 a month loan payment to make. And you need to pay rent. And you need to buy gas for the car. Oh, and you want to eat too, yes?
Again, let’s work the details and the numbers:
- Most CFI’s make at best $35,000 to $40,000 a year…. before taxes. Many make less. - Most schools employ you as a 1099 contractor. That means you are the one responsible for paying income tax to the IRS, not the school - Estimated self employed income tax on $40,000 is $12,000. Leaving you $28,000 - Divide that by 12 months, you have $2,334 to cover your monthly nut - Loan payment made have, you have $334 remaining to cover your rent, your transportation, and feeding yourself.
Oh, and that’s just the average……. Did you consider the months, such as winter, where you are not flying hardly at all? No flying means no income. And you still must make the $2000 payment.
And we’re not touching on what it costs to live in different regions like expensive California or the Atlantic Seaboard.
Looking at this closer, after taking on that training debt….. can you even afford to exist? Looks like you need to find a second, maybe a third job, … just to exist.
What are you going to do if you lose your flying job and maybe your other income? Even with no income, you still gotta repay that $2000 per month.
Pieodox@reddit
gang, finish the degree. You can even switch to business if you really want. But when you are jn your senior year you should look into applying for officer school (OCS) for the Navy or OTS for the Airforce.
They will then send you to pilot training, but this does come with ~10 year service requirement + military life. But if you were willing to enlist in the first place it might be worth looking into.
Also a Coast Guard pilot, they do cool stuff as well they have a program called CSPI and their own OCS program. Definitely look into those with your own research cuz each branch has its own little quirks to commissioning.
PerceptionOrnery1269@reddit
Why switch to business? Anywhere including government will hire an accountant.
Pieodox@reddit
accounting sucks a lot, CPA exam sucks a lot. Was just throwing out an opinion tbh
PerceptionOrnery1269@reddit
Makes sense
Intelligent-Gur-696@reddit (OP)
I definitely did look into Air Force piloting. I even applied to a ROTC college. However, I decided the 10 year commitment is too much for me. I’d rather pursue civilian flying
Pieodox@reddit
oh def fair. I would still recommend finishing college. A lot of people say they will just come back and finish it and take a gap year. Gap year turns into gap biennial, gap biennial turns into 4 year break. Then you realize you forgot everything you learned and the social aspect of university is gone so you have a really hard time returning. Lock in finish degree now then flight train later. Flight training most often comes out to be more expensive than initially quoted
MicroACG@reddit
It's generally better to use the GI Bill after serving rather than during serving, so make sure you understand the differences. If you are active duty, you can't get the housing (or partial housing) allowance from the GI Bill since you're already receiving an allowance for your main job. Also, where you are stationed may not be compatible with GI Bill flight training. Whatever you decide, good luck.
Intelligent-Gur-696@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I’d be active duty and using the GI bill after service. A community college in my home state actually offers flight school through the GI bill. Just found it out like 30 minutes ago.
MDT230@reddit
If you want to enlist, go for like a flight job. Loadmaster, Flight engineer etc. But do not enlist just for college.
MDT230@reddit
But it’s Air Force so it’s quite possibly the best branch for QOL and College benefits so I’d say, go for it.
PerceptionOrnery1269@reddit
I enlisted Army "mostly" for benefits (I was going to join anyway) and did some college while in. I can confirm the Air Force is the better branch to do this.
PerceptionOrnery1269@reddit
I did 2 and 3. Don't recommend any other branch except the Air Force for this, unless you want to go straight to flight school and fly Blackhawks for the Army. I'd stay away from loans whenever possible.
The GI Bill is stingy unless you go to a public university; not private, and not mom and pop. While you can do the latter two, they won't give you your money's worth, and you won't get BAH going to mom and pop.
I used most of my GI to get an engineering degree, and once my GI runs out (projected to go through instrument and part of commercial) then I can self fund the rest. And since you mentioned living situations, I also just bought a house. I enlisted at 18, especially to be on my own, and never looked back. It delayed my degree and my flight, but I'm debt free with both.
My recommendation: go Air Force, see the world, finish your degree on the Air Force's dime, get out, get a good job with your degree, use your GI for flight. Or finish your degree, compete for a flight spot, commission, and save your GI for later, but you'd have to live at home for 2 more years. There's no downside in being an accountant since that pays well, but again you'd have to live at home.
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rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I’m curious what you guys have to say about this.
I’m 22M and currently living with family. Family offered ≈$40k in financial support and I have $10k saved. However, that still leaves ≈$50k I’d need to borrow. Plus, I’d have to continue living with my family for 2-3 years while doing flight school, which would be very bad for my social development and mental health. I live with conservative christian grandparents. I’m 22 and can’t invite friends or girls over and they get suspicious if I’m out too late. Essentially a man-child. Anyways, option #1 is to grind out flight school on loans and suck it up living with family. Downside: man-child no freedom
Option #2: I could do a 4-year Air Force enlistment and use the GI bill to fund flight school debt free. I could move out, have no flight school debt, and possibly finish my college degree while in the AF as a backup plan if flight school doesn’t work out. Downside: 4 year delay + in military
Surprise Option #3: I’m currently in school for accounting and have 2 years left. I could abandon my will to live and use the $40k to finish my accounting degree. Then work towards piloting later in life with a stable income. Downside: accountant
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