Once again..... Thank you all for taking the time to send some knowledge my way. I've passed on every world to her. .

 

This may have been covered but if not I'd add:

It doesn't matter where your degree is from and it doesn't matter what its in.

Large collegiate flying programs are almost always a ridiculous ROI and all they may do in theory is shave a few months of instructing/check hauling (OK not much of that but there's lots of other things like drug test and biopsy samples that need to be rushed and all that) and that's NOT worth spending 6 figures more for.

Grades/GPA do matter, but the "college experience" doesn't. No one cares if there's a campus IMAX theatre inside the Starbucks rock climbing wall and no one will ever ask how nicely landscped the Quad was. The "college experience" is irrelevant and not worth one penny. Its a business decision, and odds are you have multiple really good in state options. A teenager wanting to go to a party school because they like the teams and "vibe" of the place is irrelevant.

No one cares if primary training is in "state of the art all glass" blah blah blah. No one cares. Ever. Never. Get quality training but old steam stuff, if its significantly cheaper, wins every time. All you'll "need" if anything is a short transitional course to glass most of which can be done on the ground with the engine off.

Because the degree won't matter, it should NOT be an "aviation degree" unless maybe its a legitimate engineering degree. Whatever the airline environment is for new pilots now may change a lot by the time she's at that point, so why not have either a legitimate backup degree or at least one that paves the way for real employment at the Master's level by facilitating entry into those programs.

MIL may be a great option, but these days with more and more drone stuff you'll need to make sure there's no risk of being trapped in something she won't want, and like others have said, don't look at it just as "free flight training" because its way more than that and there needs to be a strong motivation behind doing it independant of that.

Best of luck!

 

I don't get the concept of the backup degree, should an engineer get a backup degree in aviation, in case that market goes south they can get a job at Delta? A backup degree is pretty much unusable without commensurate experience, except in a job that requires any degree. The only exception might be a CPA, where you could run a side business in addition to flying, however, a CPA is one of the first jobs automation will eliminate. An aviation degree gets you extra points in the selection process, it may just be enough to push you over the edge to get the nod.

 

Its not that you'll be able to instantly walk into a top tier job with a degree you haven't used if the market goes south or you can't get a medical or any number of things. Its that since an "aviation degree" especially a BA/BS is functionally irrelevant in the real world, while being even less transferrable than other equally worthless degrees, why bother? And most places that offer them in the first place tend to be extremely high cost (although there are exceptions like UVSU etc).

I'd say a backup in engineering is the best followed by CPA, nursing, a solid pre-med/pre-pharma/pre-law/CJ related degree or even just business. Not because a BBA is a golden ticket by any means, but because everything you go into is a business, and you may want to start your own with some of that 6 figure money you saved by not jumping head first into the shallow pool of "follow your [BS 'studies'] dreams and go to a party school no matter how much it costs" like millions keep doing to disastrous/national crisis levels all the time.

 

Regionals pay higher than an engineering grad without experience. However, I agree with you 100% that the cost of a degree, especially an aviation one, is a scam. Is it worth the cost for the extra points in the selection process, well that's for the individual to decide based on their strengths and weaknesses. I would think getting accepted into the Propel program would be an advantage, although it wouldn't get you to mainline any faster than the standard DGI.

 

The aviation school and aviation degree also gets you lower R-ATP minimums to start that regional job.

 

Eh, a degree is a degree, the letters and words attached to it don’t count for much in most fields. Outside of medicine and engineering you will do most of your training on the job while “paying your dues.”

Do a degree that interests you, you’ll perform better and you might just enjoy the class side of adult training that is labeled “college.”

 

Does an aviation degree really get you "extra points"? How/Why is that a thing?

 

Most likely because an aviation degree does actually include aviation specific classes and may cover some things to a depth that a normal flight school wouldn't. That is also the reasoning given for the lower R-ATP minimums.

 

My God I can't for the life of me believe this but I agree wholeheartedly with Mesabah. Spot on.


If you enjoy aviation, go to college and enjoy it. A lot easier to study things you enjoy then crap you don't. Who wants to go through so much extra hard work to get an engineering degree when all you want to do is fly planes. Seen that burn kids out. And go on Spring break have A-blast. Go to the football games, hockey games whatever floats your boat. Enjoy every minute.


As far as return on investment. Going to the University cost maybe an extra 50,60 grand over trying to do your flying outside of the college.That was a couple bonus checks for me. Would never trade my college years for such a small amount of money. Some of the best years of my life.


Gloopy , my friend , good lord man, Have we gotten so old that we forgotten what it's like to be young and wanna have fun. Life is short brother. Party in college and enjoy every minute of it. There will be plenty of time in your life for nothing but blood, sweat, tears and hard work.