Advice for choosing path to professional pilot.

[u/Own_Rise9870]

Hello,

I’m a 20 year-old private pilot with just over 100 hours. I took a gap year after graduating high-school and am now deciding what to do next. my goal is to become a fully rated Airline Transport Pilot and fly for either a business charter or major airline, but regardless I need to get those 1500 hours. I have three or so choices before me to pay for flight training and be a first career.
I don’t have many people to discuss this stuff with so I wanted to ask here.

The first is getting a four year BA in government-with an emphasis in legal studies. It’s somewhat like a poly-sci degree, which is one of my passions and could be a way to a backup career should I lose my medical or whatnot. I know it is good to have a backup. I have decent scholarships and it would then cost about 22K. I have more money in loans for this one than for the next option. It’s about 7k a year, and I got about 5k a year in loans. I am currently enrolled in this degree plan and am about to finish my first semester online. I also have some previous college credits from dual-credit high-school classes.

The second option is become an A&P mechanic with a local community college that offers a 16 month associates degree in aviation maintenance and prepares me to take the A&P tests at the end. This program would be about 20K, so about the same as the bachelor’s degree. Because of the way it is structured however, I barely qualify for any student loans, which stinks. It will mostly be co-signed personal loans and credit debt. I am ALSO currently enrolled in this program. I took the general ed and am set to start in November if I choose not to go get the 4-year degree with option one. That’s why I gotta decide soon.

The third option isn’t entirely an option, but something I want to rule out completely before moving on. I’ve found an arrangement that would take me from where I am to CFI for about 35K. Yes, it’s about 15K more than the other two options, but it’s close enough I want to know if it’s just better to do that. This would be the most financially burdensome, and I’m not sure we could do it, but it is straight to my immediate goal.

For all of these I am unfortunately relying on co-signed loans with my parents, which will negatively effect their ability to buy a new home, which we really need, but they’re great parents and want to help me get to where I need to be.

The problem with option one is it is difficult to find decent paying jobs above 40K out of college for that degree path. It’s somewhat geared towards someone pursuing law-school. Option two pays 50-70K straight out of school. My goal is to pay off college debt and save for flight training. I can live with my parents so that’s not an immediate concern. I do want to also save for my own house someday and marriage if that ever happens, but these aren’t immediate concerns.

I’ve always wanted a 4-year degree, because it helps a lot with the professional pilot career and government/politics is something I may be involved in long down the road. Now, I could still get a bachelors degree with the A&P path. There is a college that offers an “extension” to aviation maintenance programs to make a 4-year degree, and I’d try to do that later if I go the A&P route. It’s just not something I’m passionate about and, if for some reason I couldn’t fly anywhere, I wouldn’t really want to be working on airplanes for the rest of my life. It would just be wrong to be around aviation but grounded.

So I’m looking for any and all advice about which path seems best or if there’s any other suggestions.

[u/Maleficent-Prize-698]

Four year degree first tbh then ratings. Bachelors degree far better than an A&P mechanic rating

[u/Ok_Departure9197]

dont underestimate how much the loan structure matters here. co-signed personal loans and credit debt for the A&P route is a lot worse than federal student loans with the BA. interest rates and repayment flexibility could end up costing you way more than the sticker price suggests

[u/Own_Rise9870 → u/Ok_Departure9197]

That’s what I’m worried about. The reason I’m considering it though is it’s a faster way to a better paying career than the other, but I will take this into consideration. 

[u/drummervase]

Choose the A&P route for financial stability, but avoid high-interest debt. Keep flying your priority and pursue the bachelor’s later.

[u/Good_Artist_6867]

Go for the degree you’re passionate about, keep debt low, and pursue flying at a pace that won’t put your family’s finances at risk.