Financing Flight Training, What The UK Can Learn

by Kate Lenny. 

Grants and student loans have been fundamental to the access of higher education in the UK since the 1960’s. The UK’s student loan system has created endless success stories by facilitating students from low-income backgrounds access to higher education.

The student loan company provides low interest, government backed loans that allow students to pursue almost any career, but not a pilot. 

Commercial flight training in the UK costs within the range of £60,000 to £150,000. There is currently no government support or funding offered to students. 

This has helped develop commercial aviation into an elitist career which is virtually inaccessible at entry level to those who are not born into wealth. Individuals who can pay their way through are favoured over those with the highest potential talent.

Current Funding options

Many students rely on funding from sponsors (normally family members), personal savings/re-mortgaging assets or private loans. These options can cause high financial stress for those involved. A government student loan doesn't require repayment until you’re earning more than the repayment threshold, and the amount you repay each month depends on how much you earn.

Private loans often require immediate repayment. The airline job market can be highly unpredictable as seen from events such as 9/11 and the Covid-19 epidemic. Unlike a university degree, a flight licence is not recognised by other industries, and so students who graduate during a low hiring period are left with few options for jobs, most of which don’t pay enough to finance the repayments on a private loan. 

Students should not have to risk everything financially to pursue a career.

This method of funding also contributes to the lack of diversity within the industry. Minority ethnic groups in the UK are twice as likely to live in low-income households than white Britons. If the industry is truly passionate about increasing diversity, financial accessibility must be addressed.

Cadet Programmes and Scholarships

The reestablishment of cadet programmes and scholarships has been eagerly anticipated within the aviation industry. Both scholarships and cadetships are prestigious honours for an aspiring pilot to be awarded and offer the rare opportunity for students to complete their training with little and in some cases no debt. 

As in academia, programmes such as these should be used to highlight the most promising students or to reward significant achievements.  However, as there are no reasonable funding options for students, scholarships and cadetships have instead become a lifeline for struggling students. These programmes are fiercely competitive, often with thousands of applicants competing for just a handful of places. And for many applicants, these highly selective programmes are their only chance at funding their dreams.

In addition, the initial application processes can require an upfront membership payment and the assessments often involve self-funding travel and accommodation to complete the in-person interviews and simulator assessments. This creates another financial barrier, excluding the group with the greatest need for the financial support.

Europe

In Europe the Nordic countries are setting the standard. Government support for flight training is provided across Finland, Sweden and Norway.

These loans vary between each country but provide a basic student loan to cover living expenses and tuition. The loans have no requirement for securing of the loan, no interest during education and a moderate pay back scheme.

In addition, each of these countries has their own state-owned aviation course to provide fully funded educations to Nationals. This allows students to graduate with a degree bachelor's in aviation with a CPL-certificate. This course is completely supplemented by the education sector including theory, flight lessons and exam fees.

Kristin Sveås Lilleberg, a student at the University of Tromsø School of Aviation (UTSA) spoke about the positive effects of the Norwegian system “it would cost me the same to go to flight school as it would to study medicine or psychology.” “You don’t have to come from a rich family or have a lot of money from before. Which makes it easier for [less privileged] people to become pilots as well”

Australia

Australian students are eligible for a VET student loan. The program focuses on ensuring that students given financial support are both academically suited to their course and are studying under a quality provider.

This loan is offered for aviation courses in the private sector and through a TAFE (Technical and Further Education) college which are government funded institutes that work with flight schools to provide an accessible form of flight training.

The loans for the majority of courses are a capped at $16,077. However, due to the high cost of flight training, it receives special status and loans up to $83,949 can be provided.

Canada

Financial aid is provided to those pursuing a commercial licence only, not including a private pilot's licence. This ensures that those using the funding are not just using it for recreational flying. It helps to provide financing to those pursing aviation as a career and only specific training organisations assessed by the government qualify.

Basic financing is provided by the Canadian government, this is paralleled with separate funding from provinces which can differ depending on which province you study under. 

Conclusion

The issue with funding for pilot training in the UK needs to be addressed at a governmental level. The success of other countries in implementing student loans proves that this is not only achievable but is necessary if the UK wants to keep up with the ever-adapting aviation industry. Introducing student loans will not only increase diversity and equality but will produce better pilots.

Making flight training more accessible will ensure that students are assessed on their talent and potential rather than their financial situation. It will allow for a wider pool of talent to enter the industry making it more competitive, producing a higher standard of pilot, and making aviation safer.