First off, you are in a really good position right now. I mean it. You are getting a college degree, and you have 0 debt. A college degree is so incredibly important for your progression in a flying career.
WITHOUT a college degree, you will have a tougher time getting a job, and your career will probably end at a regional airline, making $90k a year after being there 15/20 years. WITH a college degree, you have good chances of your career ending at a major airline making around 180k. BIG DIFFERENCE!!

The 0 debt is also VERY important. I went to an out-of-state school (25k a year). I paid for 1/2 my education, my parents paid for the other 1/2. But I did not pay a dime out of my pocket. How? 1. Scholarships. Look for them. There are plenty out there. Merit scholarships for good grades. Financial aid scholarships. You should be eligable for financial aid if your parents are not paying for school! So look for them. The other great gig I had was as a resident advisor (RA). You live in the dorms and get FREE room and board (and R&B was a big part of college costs). You are on duty one night a week, and you can typically spend that time doing HW. You are the leader on your floor. Work out the math and it came out to like $25 an hour for sitting around. And you meet some of the most awesome people on the planet! Those are my two recommendations for keeping college costs low.

As for flight training... You should get your private license as soon as possible. The best time to do that is during the summer. It is MUCH easier to do flight training when you are working 40 hours a week than when you are in school. I did my private during school, and it was tough. So I did my instrument/commercial/multi during summers (working 40hrs a week) and it was a lot easier. You should expect to spend around $8,000 on your private. If you did that now, you would have your license for 2 years before you graduate college. The next step in flight training is your instrument rating, and you need 50hrs PIC cross country to get your instrument.

If you get your private now, you can spend the next 2 years flying friends/family, and having FUN. Fly about once a month. Go on trips wherever you want, whenever you want. However, if you fly somewhere that's like 40 miles away, just go to the nearest airport thats 50nm away, do a touch and go, and fly home. That way you can log it as PIC cross country time. By the time you graduate college, you will have all that PIC cross country time you need, and you can dive right into your instrument rating. If you wait to get your private until after you graduate, you will have to do those hours in a short period of time. Most the trips will be pointless time building flights. You will not have the amount of fun as if you spread those trips out over 2 years, and did them with friends and family. Doing xc flights alone are generally boring. So I highly recommend doing your private ASAP. Do not wait until you graduate.

Once you graduate, try and have as much money saved up as you can. If you need to borrow money, that is fine. Just borrow only what you need. Do your flight training at an FBO (it is much cheaper than an airline academy). You can expect 6 months to 1 year to do the rest of your licenses/ratings (6 months flying everyday, 1 year flying often while working). Live with your parents for that short time. Once you get your licenses/ratings, you can get a decent job as a CFI, and you can move out an get your own place.


You are on the right track. You have no debt. You are getting a college degree. You should get your private ASAP. Fly every month, and have some fun. Build your cross country time, and then start your instrument once you graduate. Live with your parents while you get your ratings. Keep saving money. Keep spending down. Keep college costs low.
Whatever you do, DO NOT loose your patience, and drop out. College is too important. You will be kicking yourself when you are at a job making 100 grand a year less because you didn't want to put some effort to finish yout degree. Try to have fun in college. It is usually the best time in a persons life.
I hope you stay on track. Let me know if you have any more questions, or if I can help you further.
Good luck,
Ryan