Flight School Loans for Aspiring Pilots

Every pilot’s path is different—pick the one that fits your goals.

Two paths to flight school

Professional flight school

Degree-granting institution

Pilot in discussion with copilot in cockpit in evening.

Sallie Mae^® Airline Career Loan

Get the money you need to complete your pilot training within a year at a qualifying professional-based program.

12-month grace period^{footnote 1}
Set 15-year repayment term^{footnote 2}
Covers training costs—like flight and ground hours, certification & license fees, and some required equipment.

Apply now

Pilot completing preflight checks in plane cockpit.

Undergraduate flight school loan

Get the money you need to earn your degree while getting hands-on flight training or building technical skills, so you're prepared for a career in the aviation field.

6-month grace period^{footnote 1}
Repayment term dependent on amount borrowed
Covers training costs—like flight and ground hours, certification & license fees, and some required equipment.

Apply now

Flight school loan benefits

Up to 100% coverage

Tuition, tech, other fees—we’re on it.^{footnote 3} Apply once for the year.

No origination fees

There’s no fee to process a loan or if you pay it off early.^{footnote 4}

Consider a cosigner

Applying with a cosigner may help you get a better rate.

Save money

Get a 0.25 percentage point discount when you make payments with auto debit.^{footnote 5}

FAQs

Have other questions? We’re here to help.
1-877-279-7172

Do I need a cosigner?

Private student loans are credit-based, which means we will check your credit when you submit your application. Applying with a cosigner may help you get a better rate. A cosigner is an adult with good credit, usually a parent, who shares responsibility with you for paying back the loan.

What types of flight school loans are available?

We currently offer two types of aviation loans. The Sallie Mae undergraduate student loan, and the Sallie Mae Airline Career Loan. The undergraduate loan can be used at degree-granting schools that lead to a range of aviation careers—like piloting, aircraft maintenance, air traffic control, aerospace engineering, and more. The Airline Career Loan is designed specifically for students enrolled in professional pilot training programs who plan to become commercial pilots.

How long does it take to get a flight school loan?

It takes about 10 minutes to apply and get a credit decision. After you’re approved, you choose your loan rate type and repayment options, accept your loan disclosure, and the loan is certified by your school. We send (disburse) the funds directly to the school. The process can take as few as 10 business days from application to disbursement.

Do I qualify if attending school half-time?

Students that are attending full-time, half-time, or less than half-time are eligible—the loan's flexibility makes it a good choice for many situations.

When do I start paying back my flight school loan?

Both the Sallie Mae undergraduate student loan and the Airline Career Loan offer in-school repayment options: monthly interest payments, fixed $25 payments^{footnote 2}^,^{footnote 6}, or full deferment until after school.^{footnote 7} For both loans, the repayment option you pick will be applied during grace period. The undergraduate student loan has a 6-month grace period after school, while the Airline Career Loan gives you 12 months before principal and interest payments begin.^{footnote 1}

How do you decide if I qualify for a flight school loan?

When you apply, we look at your history of borrowing money and paying it back on time. Lenders want to know how responsible you are with credit before approving your student loan application.

Many students apply with a cosigner—a creditworthy adult who shares responsibility for the loan—which may help them qualify for a better rate.

What information do I need when applying with a cosigner?

You and your cosigner will want to have your school information, amount needed (remember, you can use it to pay for school-certified expenses for the entire year) as well as both of your financial and employment information ready. You or your cosigner may start the application, however, should your cosigner not be with you, we can send along an email with a link to their section of the application so they can fill it in later.

Are all flight schools eligible for this loan?

Not all flight schools are eligible for these loans. The Airline Career Loan is for eligible professional-based programs, while the Sallie Mae undergraduate student loan is for eligible degree or training-based programs. Reach out to your flight program for more information.

footnote Borrow responsibly
We encourage students and families to start with savings, grants, scholarships, and federal student loans to pay for college. Evaluate all anticipated monthly loan payments, and how much the student expects to earn in the future, before considering a private student loan.

footnote Airline Career Loans are for students pursuing a professional pilot program certificate at a participating school and are not intended for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree. Applicants must meet credit and identity verification requirements, accept and sign required loan documents, and have the loan certified by the school. Student or cosigner must be at least the age of majority in their state of residence. Students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents must reside in the U.S., attend school in the U.S., and apply with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident). Requested loan amount must be at least $1,000.

footnote Loans for Undergraduate & Career Training Students are not intended for graduate students and are subject to credit approval, identity verification, signed loan documents, and school certification. Student must attend a participating school. Student or cosigner must meet the age of majority in their state of residence. Students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents must reside in the U.S., attend school in the U.S., and apply with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident). Requested loan amount must be at least $1,000.

footnote 1. Payments may be required during the grace period depending on the in-school repayment option selected by the student or cosigner.

footnote 2. Example of a typical transaction for a $10,000 Airline Career Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, two disbursements, a 1-year in-school period, and a 12-month grace. It works out to 10.82% fixed APR, 24 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $130.27 and one payment of $35.31, for a total loan cost of $23,953.64. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment amount may receive a loan term that is less than 15 years. A variable APR may increase over the life of the loan. A fixed APR will not.

footnote 3. For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website will be subject to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time.

footnote 4. Although we do not charge you a penalty or fee if you prepay your loan, any prepayment will be applied as provided in your promissory note — first to Unpaid Fees and costs, then to Unpaid Interest, and then to Current Principal.

footnote 5. The borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction benefit. This benefit applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment.

footnote 6. Examples of typical transactions for a $10,000 Smart Option Student Loan with the most common fixed rate, Fixed Repayment Option, two disbursements, a 2-year in-school period, and a 6-month grace: For a borrower with the shortest loan term, it works out to 10.73% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $160.63 and one payment of $107.39, for a total loan cost of $19,897.36. For a borrower with the longest loan term, it works out to 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35, for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment amount may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years. A variable APR may increase over the life of the loan. A fixed APR will not.

footnote 7. Advertised APRs for Airline Career Loans assume a $10,000 loan with a 1-year in-school period and 12-month grace period. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan's Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment.

footnote Sallie Mae loans are made by Sallie Mae Bank.

footnote Information advertised valid as of 7/25/2025.

footnote SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. CHECK SALLIEMAE.COM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE PRODUCT INFORMATION.

Two flight school loans, one destination