First of all, I am kind of like you in that I have not begun training yet. However, I've done extensive research and I've talked to experienced pilots about this, and I'm happy to pass that along to you.
No, regional airlines will not assist you with education choices. Frankly, I'd be surprised if they even would respond to your email - it is not their job to hold your hand. Also, I'd wager that the info here is much more valuable than whatever they'd tell you anyway.
Education options...
- Aviation colleges. If you are past college-age, this is not an option. Examples of large ones are Embry-Riddle and University of North Dakota. They integrate flight training into an Aeronautical Science curriculum. Pros include the fact that you get lowered minimums for an ATP certificate, now required for any airline pilot, and the fact that you can flight instruct as an undergraduate once eligible, allowing you to gain hours during college. The cons are that they can be (very) expensive, and an Aeronautical Science degree may not be very valuable if you somehow are unable to fly anymore.
- Local flight school. These operate under part 61 or part 141 regulations. Part 61 means that your flight instructor is responsible for your lessons, and simply has to get you to a point where you can pass the assessments. Part 141 means that your flight instructor follows a curriculum with set lessons, and training is more structured. Aviation colleges run under part 141, and they are required to have a certain % of students passing, otherwise the FAA will intervene.
- Military. I don't know a lot about this, but you may want to look into it.
Unfortunately, because of new FAA regulation, the days of "zero to hero" training are over, since you have to have a very high amount of flight hours to be able to fly as an airline pilot now. (750 military, 1000 av. college, 1500 regular training)
You can expect training to take several years no matter what approach you decide on.
Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.