I strategicly went into 55k worth of college debt. I did so for the time value of money argument..I made my decision so I would appear more attractive to my future employer sooner. I'm 10 years younger than the average new hire and have already paid that debt off with and will have a massive return on that initial investment. (That ten year gap will garner well over 1.5 million before interest and tax free retirement savings and before profit sharing).That's the way students of any degree concerned about making money should approach financing college. What is the average/potential ROI on this investment (my education)...maybe the recruiters see a quality in an applicant for forward thinking manifesting itself in investing wisely in oneself...just a guess....I don't really know

 

You did it to work in the system. That doesn't mean the system is right.

Another thing it did was subtract 4 years you could have been working for whatever airline you are working for.

In the past I get it that it was a way to separate candidates. But the cost of both book learning school and flight school have got so out of hand it's crazy.

Not to sound to "old school" but back in my day I got a college degree and a multi commercial for a fraction of the cost of what it cost today even adjusted for inflation. I'm not talking the 1970's either. It is just so out of hand requiring both is crazy.

But hey what do I know.

 

I agree with you billsaw, I came about in a time when a degree was necessary, so I had to work within a system already in place. I also agree that the cost of learning to fly has exploded. My 55k degree (including flight costs) today would cost around
150k. I'm only 9.5 years removed from college

 

A 4 year degree is like the former SWA type-rating requirement, it will remain until it is no longer sustainable. As long as the airlines have an adequate pool of qualified applicants with a 4 year degree then the degree requirement won't go anywhere. As soon as they can't fill cockpits, then I'd expect the degree requirement to vanish much like the SWA 737 type rating requirement.

 

Exactly my point. 55k for a degree and flight training combined is justifiable.

150k = stupid

 

I agree with you. For the record I don't see Delta dropping the degree requirement anytime soon. I do think they should as a pure requirement as there are some good guys out there without one and they are missing out on them and that's Delta's loss.

 

Agreed, still plenty of qualified pilots with even Masters degrees who can't a get call. I think i'll be a while before delta considers dropping the 4 year degree.

 

How to win at beer pong, quarters and darts for starters. How to organize a giant party, attend said party, sleep 3 hours and ace the exam at 8am. And how not to do that. How to work full time, go to school full time and learn to somehow balance them both. One semester learned how to balance a ledger in accounting and how to balance multiple boxes 30 feet in the air on a forklift. Another semester learned how "life is not fair" from an economics professor (and ex-college QB) and how to work in a drive in sub-zero freezer and not get frostbite. Learned about "finance" (yep), statistics, finite mathematics (comes in handy playing cards), mountain climbing and landscape architecture all in one semester - while driving a dump truck.

Not to mention learned about Greek parties, dorm parties, 100 keg parties and the aftermath of those parties. Learned about basketball games where you screamed until you were hoarse - throughout the entire next day. Leaned that shucking oysters and tapping a keg with your buds is great on the front porch on Friday afternoons. And that's some of what I "learned".

 

That sounds like a lot of fun. I miss it.

 

You guys do know that in this country there are literally hundreds of options to get a college education without going into deep debt. Perhaps the easiest is two years of junior college followed by a transfer to a state school. Apply for scholarships and grants and have a job.