I was lucky enough to have the Air Force put me through all my flight training, but the good news is, the GI Bill is a commonly used benefit (available to all veterans) to become a commercial airplane pilot.
In fact, I had a navigator buddy who separated, and used the GI Bill to pay for all of his pilot training.
If your ultimate dream is to become a commercially paid pilot, then you must be wondering if you can use your hard earned GI Bill benefits toward flight training.
Well, here’s the answer:
Yes, the GI Bill can be used towards attending a Part 141 accredited flight training program to get your commercial pilot license (CPL) or Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, and will pay for flights, tuition, books, fees, and supplies. You have three options available to you:
1. Go to a public university flight program and get 100% paid for,
2. Go to a private university like Embry-Riddle, and get up to $24,476.79 per year,
3. Go to a vocational (non-college) program and get up to $13,986.72 per year, or the total cost of training (whichever is less).
Veterans sometimes confuse a flight school as a GI Bill non-college degree program, but it's actually classified as a GI Bill certification or license.
We will share with you everything you need to know about how to use your GI Bill benefits for flight training below:
Can I Use the GI Bill to Get a Private Pilot’s License?
Yes, you can use your GI Bill benefits to get your private pilot’s license...
...but there is a catch:
Normally the Post 9/11 GI Bill requires you to already have a private pilot license, and pays for commercial certifications...which makes sense, as they want to pay for training that will result in gainful employment as a commercial pilot.
If you’d like to get your private pilot license on the GI Bill, you can do this by attending a public or private university degree program, such as a 4-year degree program from Embry-Riddle, where they will train you from no-flight experience, all the way through your commercial certifications.
Can I Use the GI Bill to Get a Commercial Pilot’s License, and/or ATP Certificate?
You can use your GI Bill benefits to get a commercial pilot license (CPL) or an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate.
This training will typically be done at either a 4-year public university, a 4-year private university like Embry-Riddle, or at your local flight school (non-college).
The amount you get depends on which of the three options you choose.
Keep reading below to learn the exact specifics.
The GI Bill will also pay for the actual costs of licensing or certification, with a maximum of $2,000 per test. You can retake the test until you pass (or in case you need to retake it for license renewal) as long as you have remaining entitlement benefits.
For all licensing and certification tests, your entitlement is charged based on the actual test cost.
To qualify for this benefit, you must have a private pilot license, and a first class or second class medical certificate.
If you want to use your GI Bill benefits in get reimbursed for any testing, fill out the VA Form 22-0803 and send it to the Ask a Question website, or by mail to the nearest VA Regional Processing Office.
However, before you can start your flight training, you need to be sure you meet the requirements for such a program:
What are the Qualifying Requirements to Use the GI Bill for Flight Training?
The GI Bill can be used for flight training in order to become a commercial pilot or an airline transport pilot, as long as you meet the qualifying requirements, which are:
- A private pilot license, and
- A medical certificate (second class if you want to be a commercial pilot, or first class if you want to be an airline transport pilot)
This benefit is available for veterans who are using the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill- Active Duty (MGIB-AD), and the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP).
Your Options To Pay For Flight Training With the GI Bill:
You have three core options if you want to use your GI bill to pay for your fixed-wing flight training.
Or, if you’re more interested in helos, you can read our GI Bill Helicopter Training Guide here.
Here are the three options, and there are pros and cons to each method:
1. Public University Flight Training:
Here’s a good example:
Utah State University (my alma-mater) has an Aviation Technology - Professional Pilot Bachelor’s Degree Program. You'll get approximately 250 to 300 flight hours, and over the four-year program you will progress through your Private Pilot certificate all the way to your Commercial Pilot License. This sets you up for getting an airline pilot job upon graduation.
Pros:
The biggest advantage of this option, Is that you will get 100% of your tuition paid for, and this tuition includes all of your flight training. Additionally, you’ll get a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA), also referred to as BAH. This will be paid at an E-5 "with dependents" rate, based on your zip code. You can find out how much you get paid for your GI Bill MHA here.
If you do not already have a private pilot's license, this is your best option.
Important: The Post 9/11 GI Bill will not pay for your private pilot license unless it’s bundled into a university degree program.
There is one important risk to note:
There was legislation that failed Senate approval in 2018 which attempted to cap the amount of (public university) flight training benefits to the same levels of the private university (currently $19,198.31).
Congress passed it in July of 2018, and it failed to get past the Senate as a law and was wiped from the books. It’s unknown if something like this will surface again, so if I were you, I’d get started sooner than later, before this comes up again.
Cons:
The biggest disadvantage of this option is that you need reasonably good grades to get accepted at a university, and you also must spend two to four years of your life getting a university degree. If your goal is to start your pilot career as soon as possible, then this is probably the least attractive option.
2. Private University Flight Training:
What’s the difference between a public and a private university? At a public university, such as a state college like University of North Carolina, the state government funds the majority of operations, keeping the costs lower for the public.
At a University they don't have the same government subsidies, and hence the costs are higher. A good example of a private university that specializes in flight training is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
If you’re wondering if a particular university is public or private, you can do a quick search with this tool here.
Pros:
A possible advantage in some circumstances is that a private university might have a higher quality of education, or specialization, in flight training. This could also lead to a higher success rate in airline pilot placement. Embry-Riddle was recently named “Most Likely To Land You a Job”.
The other advantage we already mentioned is that if you don’t already have a private pilot’s license, you can get one as part of your degree.
Cons:
Since it’s a private university, and there are usually steeper tuition rates, the VA caps how much they will pay with the GI bill to $24,476.79 per academic year. For this reason, I think it’s worth considering going to a public college that has a flight program.
*You need to check with the university to see the total cost (including flight training and certifications)--most times, the cost is well above the $24, 476.79 cap.
However, you’ll still get a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA), and a books and supplies stipend.
3. Enroll in a Part 141 Accredited Vocational Flight Program
What exactly is this?
Well, there are two types of FAA certifications flight schools can have: Part 61 and Part 141.
Part 141 is more stringent, and accredited. The VA will only make GI Bill payments to a Part 141 flight school certified by the VA.
Click here to search our database of all the Part 141 flight schools approved by the VA for the GI Bill.
Another option is to just search Google for: “Part 141 flight school” near me. Be sure to call them and ask if they are approved by the VA.
Pros:
Biggest reason to use a program like this if you don’t want to spend another 2-4 years getting a degree. A good example of this: you’ve already got your pilots license, and want to quickly get your commercial pilot license and/or ATP quickly.
Cons:
You don’t get as much money.
The GI Bill will pay the lesser or total cost of training or the annual cap- which is $13,986.72. If you’ve only got a private pilot license, the total cost to get your commercial pilot license, and CFI certificates is going to be around $63,995.
There is a BIG gap here, so make sure you have a plan for financing if going this route.
If you’re looking for student loan options (specific for flight training), AOPA recently launched a program that provides up to $100,000 of financing with no money down.
A word of caution:
Before you start taking on loads of debt, you need to do a thorough analysis to make sure it will have a positive return on investment, and you want to make sure you’re future commercial pilot career will be able to pay it back!
Please note:
How much GI Bill benefit you can get depends on which GI Bill program you are using, the program and type of school you are attending, and your eligibility percentage (how long you were on active duty service).
Using the Post 9/11 GI Bill for Flight Training
The rates above will apply, meaning, you can get the full in-state tuition cost or up to $24,476.79 per year, plus a Monthly Housing Allowance based on your classes’ location, and up to $1,000 as stipend for books and supplies. Or if you’re attending a vocational school, then up to $13,986.72 per year.
The actual rates you can receive depends on your eligibility percentage. Use this table as a guide to figure out how much you qualify for:
Duration of Active Duty | Eligibility Percentage |
|---|---|
At least 36 months | 100% |
30 consecutive days or more of active duty and discharged due to service-connected disability | 100% |
30-36 months | 90% |
24- 30 months | 80% |
18-24 months | 70% |
12-18 months | 60% |
6-12 months | 50% |
3-6 months | 40% |
Using the Montgomery GI Bill- Active Duty (MGIB-AD) for Flight Training
The GI Bill will pay for 60% of all approved charges. How much you can actually receive depends on how long you have served, as well as whether you are attending school full time.
You get up to $1,994 per month if you were enlisted for at least 3 years, or up to $1,619 per month if you were on active duty for at least a year (or at least 30 days and was discharged due to a service connected disability).
Your benefits entitlement are charged as 1 month of entitlement per every $1,994 (or $1,619) paid.
Using the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) for Flight Training
How much the VA pays in your tuition costs depends on your training level (how far along you are with your training). You can get:
24% of all approved charges once you are at least at the 40% level,
36% of all approved charges once you reach the 60% level, and
48% of all approved charges once you get to the 80% level
You can get up to $1,595.20 if you served for at least 2 consecutive years, $1,196.40 if you served for at least a year, or $797.60 if you served for at least 90 consecutive days.
Like the MGIB-AD, you are charged 1 month of entitlement for every full-time rate paid.
Again, these rates depend on whether you are studying full time. To determine the rate of what you are actually eligible for, use this table as a guide:
Rate of Pursuit | Eligibility Percentage |
|---|---|
Full Time | 100% |
3/4 Time | 75% |
1/2 Time | 50% |
Less than ½ time but more than ¼ time | 50% |
1/4 Time | 25% |
Note
The rates mentioned above for all GI Bill programs are based on the payment rates for Academic Year 2019. These rates may vary each year. You can check out the current rates at the VA Rate Tables.
Will the GI Bill pay for ATP Training & Certificate?
Like we mentioned, you can use the GI Bill to get an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) training, and ATP certificate. However, you need to have a first class medical certificate in order to qualify.
If you want to use the GI Bill for attending a flight school, fill out the VA Form 22-1990 and submit it online to the Ask a Question website, or by mail to the nearest VA Regional Processing Office.
Now, we mentioned earlier that your school or training program needs to be Part 141 accredited in order for you to be able to use your GI Bill benefits. What does this mean, exactly?
Part 61 vs Part 141: What’s the Difference?
These two are flight training regulations set by the FAA. Here are their key differences:
Part 61 is a more relaxed approach to flight training where you usually hire a certified flight instructor to learn about the aspects of flight, then go through flight tests and earn flight hours for each training that you have to complete.
It works best for those who have a lot of things that need their attention and cannot commit all of their time in flight training.
On the other hand, Part 141 is a more rigorous flight training program that is conducted at a flight school through a thoroughly planned training program that meets a strict set of rules and regulations.
This is the only flight training program that is approved by the FAA, and thus, the only one where you can use your GI Bill benefits on.
While it may sound harder, with a Part 141 training, you can finish your training with much less flight hours and become a licensed pilot sooner. Taking the Part 61 approach is recommended for getting a private pilot’s license (if you want to take up commercial or ATP flight training through a vocational school) since the GI Bill won’t pay for it anyway.
Since we are talking about flight hours and length of training, one question that is often asked is:
How Long Does It Take to Become an Airline Pilot?
This depends on the approach that you want to take. The flight training alone at a vocational school may just take a few months per flight category, while a degree program can take 4 years- although, once you’re done, you’ll most likely have completed all the required training and flight hours, meaning, you can get licensed.
But that’s only half of it:
You need 1500 hours for an ATP, which is required to fly for the airlines. So, the route most civilian pilots take to get those hours is to teach as a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) in order to get those required hours.
Basically, if you go with the vocational school approach, while you can opt to take long breaks in between trainings, the total training time to become an ATP pilot amounts to more or less 4 years as well.
The required number of flight hours per flight category is as follows:
For a private pilot’s license- 30 to 45 flight hours
For a commercial pilot’s license- 150 flight hours
For an airline transport pilot certificate- 1500 flight hours
We get it- all these numbers can be daunting. But becoming a licensed pilot opens up a lot of possibilities.
Here are just a few of them:
What Qualifications Can I Get Through Flight Training?
Some of the many qualifications that you can get when you train to be an airline pilot include:
Rotary wing or Fixed Wing
Multi-Engine
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
Type Ratings (such as 737)
Other Options to Pay for Flight Training
Now that you know all about using your GI Bill benefits for flight training, you may come to the realization that you have a low eligibility percentage, or how much the GI Bill can pay just won’t be enough- especially if you dream of attending one of the more expensive flight schools in the country.
Well, here’s the good thing:
There are a lot of other options you can take advantage of aside from (or along with) the GI Bill!
The Forces to Flyers Program
The Department of Transportation launched the Forced to Flyers Program under their Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. It covers a lot of certification programs, including getting a private pilot’s license (which the GI Bill does not pay for).
Through this accelerated training program, you can finish your training in as short as 4 months, and can get up to $12,526 for training costs.
Find out more about the Forces to Flyers program and all the certification programs that they offer by visiting the VOLPE website.
Other Scholarships and Grants
The FAA has a regularly updated list of accredited grants and scholarships for flight training that you can check out. Moreover, there are also ones that are specific for veterans, such as the Stripes to Bars scholarship.
If you are ready to start your journey to reach the skies, check out our list of 316 VA approved flight schools.
