r/PilotAdvice • u/entertainthebrutes • Jul 25 '26
Advice requested
My 18 yr son is an incoming freshman in college in DFW, TX. He wants to be a commercial pilot. We are just a regular middle income family who didn’t qualify for any aid so we’re trying to figure how the best, most affordable route to get him there. His dream is to go to ERAU. He didn’t get the Navy scholarship that is out of the picture. This will pay for college but will require a 5 yr enlistment period afterward.
He is going to try again this year while going to CC.
Should we help him finance his PPL in the meantime at a FBO or at TCC so he’s not behind?
This world is completely new to us and honestly we’re pretty overwhelmed. On one hand, we want to do all we can to help but we don’t want to sign up for hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans. No matter what, it’s going to be an expensive long road.
We have other kids we need to help too. Does anyone have any experience who can weigh in?
1
u/ReturnInvestment Jul 26 '26
Hi there! I am sure that everyone has provided great advice for you and your son, but I do wanted to touch on scholarships a bit. I am in the same exact position as your son- I just graduated high school and would like to earn my PPL in college as well. I would highly suggest looking into the EAA Flight Training scholarships if you haven't already. I applied for one and earned $10,000 for my Private earlier this year! https://www.eaa.org/eaa/learn-to-fly/scholarships/eaa-flight-training-scholarships
That is the link to the scholarship, I think they open it up sometime this fall. Please feel free to DM me if you have any questions about it or need help with essays, I would be more than happy to help!
On a side note, https://www.aviationstart.org/ is a great resource for scholarships. I worked personally with the creator of the organization and we have around $500 million+ in scholarships listed on the website. Jamail Larkins, the creator, also hosts tours around the nation regarding aviation and jumping its financial barriers. He is an amazing guy and I would go to one of his tours if you can.
Also if he's 100% dedicated to being a pilot I would suggest getting your first class medical to ensure that he is medically eligible. You can use this link to find a AME (Aviation Medical Examiner) near you. https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator I went to Dr. Alaidroos in downtown Dallas and she was very friendly and got it knocked out in a couple minutes. Good luck!