Methods Of Funding Training

One of the most common roadblocks that student pilots and those wanting to begin their training run into, is funding.

Although degree programs are just as, if not more expensive, they are usually longer in duration, which spreads the cost over 3 or 4 years and makes for a lower per year cost. On the other hand, ab-initio pilot programs and some flight schools can cost the same over a much shorter duration, especially if the program is accelerated, which concentrates the cost into a much shorter timeframe.

There are several options for funding, which can either entirely or at the very least, partially fund your training. We will quickly go through the most common and obvious sources in brief.

Most common sources of funding:

1. Scholarships

2. Financial Aid

3. Air Force

4. Government or Airline Sponsorship

5. Loans

It's important to expand upon the sources mentioned above, as these, although commonly listed pretty much everywhere, are not to be written off or taken lightly. They could very well end up being the thing that works out for you.

Scholarships:

Although scholarships are one of the most obvious answers to the question of funding, they are also one of the best sources of funding you can get. A scholarship does not need to be repaid, and in many cases you do not have to pay anything to apply for one. They are a dime a dozen, which means that out of hundreds of scholarships, you are bound to find one or more whose criteria you fit.

It's really recommended that you check out Scholarships for more info.

Financial Aid:

Depending on your flight school or university (i.e. if you're pursuing a flight training program alongside a university degree), there may be financial aid offered by the institute itself - however, this will have its own set of criteria, for eligibility as well as whether or not you'll need to pay back. Eligibility criteria could include certain grades or an income level threshold, and the flight school or college may or may not require you to pay back the financial aid disbursed. Certain types of financial aid such as grants and bursaries usually are not required to be paid back, as they are effectively a need-based financial award. Although this may not cover the entire cost of training, anything that can lower your overall cost is a good thing - getting financial support from multiple sources adds up.

Air Force:

In most countries, the Air Force will not only cover the cost of your training but will, additionally, issue you a monthly stipend. However, this comes with its own set of caveats:

1. There may very likely be a minimum period of time you'll have to serve/remain enlisted in the Air Force before you can switch over to the airlines. This can be 4 or more than 4 years, depending on your country.

2. You need higher physical and medical standards compared to the airlines as you would be undergoing a selection process and - once you're selected, G-Force training to help you not blackout (i.e.. lose consciousness) when subjected to high g forces during certain flight maneuvers.

If you satisfy the medical and physical requirements (these may differ from country to country in some aspects), and are okay with a deferred timeframe for becoming an airline pilot, the Air Force is a good way to become a pilot.

Government or Airline Sponsorship:

Some governments and/or airlines sponsor your training, and this may or may not come with a training bond (i.e. the candidate serves a minimum number of years before they can leave for another airline or country).

Emirates, for example, at the time of this publication (March 2025), sponsors UAE Nationals in a bonded scheme through the Emirates Flight Training Academy.

As with the Air Force, this differs from country to country, and will require you to do a bit of research.

Loans:

Another way to secure funding if the previous options are not practicable is to opt for a loan - this can be a bank loan, or a private loan.

Banks recognize flight training as a form of education under the vocational category and may issue secured (collateral-backed) or unsecured (non-collateral) loans.

This will usually be found under the Education Loans section on your bank's website.

Personal loans from banks will usually be unsecured (i.e. no mortgage or collateral required), but may incur a higher rate of interest compared to student or education loans.

If you decide to proceed with a loan application, make sure to ask about the rate of interest, repayment period, whether or not you need to pay interest during your training, and any other questions you might have.