2 Methods You Can Use To Help Pay For Your Flight Training School

Posted on: 19 April 2016

Furthering your education with college or specialized training can help you to get a better job or switch to a different career. If you want to train to be a pilot, you can get specialized training at one of the many flight training schools across the country. With the rising costs of tuition, paying for your own college or training can be a big financial burden. Fortunately, you don't always have to pay for your own education, as there are many types of financial aid to help you achieve your goal. Here are two options you can look into that can help you pay for your flight training school.

Aviation Scholarships

Calvin L Carrithers Aviation Scholarship

If you are enrolled in a fully accredited university aviation program and you need help with some of your tuition, fees, or books, this scholarship can help you with that. Four applicants are chosen  and awarded this scholarship each year. If your are chosen, you will receive $1,000 to pay for your aviation education costs. You can apply online for this scholarship to submit an essay or a letter of recommendation. Make sure you apply by the deadline of August 15 of each year.

In addition to winning scholarship money with this award, you also get to write on a weekly blog about your flight education and aviation program training . In the blog, you will be able to write about your life as an aviation student, including such things as your weekend activities, internship, or flight training. Your blog posts will allow you to share with other students your passion about flying and your flight school education process. Then, you will be able to use the blog website as a useful tool to get to know other professionals in the aviation community.

Leroy W Homer Jr Scholarship

The Leroy W Homer Jr Scholarship awards three scholarships each year for a total of $5,000 to pay for private pilot certification. You can apply for this scholarship if you are between the ages of 16 and 23 and are a US citizen or resident alien. You also need to be able to read, write, and speak English at the Federal Aviation Association's (FAA) standards. 

It is important that you are eligible to qualify for a FAA third class medical certificate if you win the scholarship, as it is a requirement for the pilot training and to become a pilot. To qualify for a FAA third class medical certificate, you will need to pass a series of physical and mental assessments. For example, you need to pass a vision test with vision 20/40 or better in each eye, with or without corrective lenses. Then, you need to take a hearing test with acceptable passing results.

The deadline for this scholarship is January 31st of each year and the winners are announced in the spring. If you are chosen for this award scholarship, you will receive the funds to pay for your training at a nearby Cessna Pilot Training Center.

Student Loan

When you are short on time and have missed deadlines to apply for an aviation scholarship, you can apply for financial aid through federal or private sources. Federal student loans usually have a lower interest rate than private student loans. And, when you apply for a federal student loan, you usually don't need to have good credit to qualify. You can also defer your payments on the loan until after you graduate.

Perkins loans and Stafford loans are two types of federal student loans available. You can get information from your school's financial aid office and online to apply for a student loan. Perkins and Stafford loans are both available for undergraduate students, which includes aviation school. You can get a Perkins or Stafford loan based on your income and financial need, or based on the cost of attendance at your school. 

If your loan is given based on your income, you won't have to pay for any interest on the loan while you are in school, as it will be paid for by the Department of Education. If your loan is given based on the cost of your school, the interest will accrue on your loan while you are a student.

For more information, contact a company like Parkland College

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Going Back To School

After spending years away from school, I realized that I needed to get a degree if I wanted to advance at all at work. However, I was really nervous about heading back into the classroom with people that were around 30 years younger than I was. Although I was really nervous about it, I picked out my hippest outfit, gathered together some school supplies, and registered for classes. This blog is all about continuing your education, going back to school, and doing what you want to with your life for the first time. After all, you can be anything you want to be with the right education.

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