The big difference between my generation of civilian trained pilot and that of the guys who got in in the 90's and 2000's is that we had much less debt. It wasn't because we were smarter or better, it was because we had to work our way up through the ranks to get 1500 or more before we could even get the regional job. The go slow helped us work our way through the costs. The guys later on got sucked into the quick pilot mill that required all costs to be paid at once. Hence, many went into debt.

With the 1500 rule, it will be interesting to see if debt drops for new hires. They will have to work to get the hours and it will allow much of that debt to be paid down.