A letter from a bipartisan group of U.S. senators is calling on the Department of Education to give student pilots greater access to federal loan aid by recognizing aviation and flight training as professional degree programs. The lawmakers, led by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), sent a letter Monday asking the department to clarify the definition under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted in July. The legislation established new lifetime borrowing caps for graduate and professional students, but ambiguity in the law has left it unclear whether aviation students qualify.
While there are a variety of ways to approach it, flight training for student pilots looking for a career in aviation can easily reach six-figure price tags, especially when factoring in ATP requirements that might require “buying time” beyond a new pilot’s initial training. This is particularly true for students pursuing the training through a university program or through other Part 141 schools.
“These requirements result in education and training costs that often exceed $80,000 to $100,000 beyond standard tuition,” the senators wrote. “Yet federal student aid policies currently limit these students to standard undergraduate loan caps, leaving them without access to the same federal support available to students pursuing other professional degrees.”
Although financing options do exist for student pilots, these are most often available through private companies, usually come with higher interest rates than federal student loans, and are usually contingent on students having good credit or having access to a cosigner. The clarification could help open the door to student pilots in university programs or other Part 141 schools receiving more complete access to federal student loans.
Industry groups, including the Regional Airline Association (RAA), have voiced strong support for the proposal. RAA president and CEO Faye Malarkey Black said the measure would “unlock additional federal resources for students, grow our pilot workforce, and support the economic health of smaller communities and our nation.”
The letter follows a similar appeal made in August by airlines, aviation organizations, and universities, who warned of what they identified as looming pilot shortages as student pilots lack sufficient flight training finance options. Signatories included major U.S. legacy carriers, Airlines for America, the National Air Transportation Association, and several university aviation programs.
“The nation is facing a pilot workforce crisis,” the August letter said. “Over the next 15 years, nearly 50% of commercial airline pilots will be forced to retire due to mandatory age requirements. At the same time, the current training pipeline is insufficient to meet projected demand … The solution requires strong, sustained collaboration with higher education and federal policymakers, particularly to address affordability and access to education and training.”
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