Hey, I am currently an Aero Sci freshman student at ERAU in DB. I have my PPL, IRA, and I am going to be starting my commercial flight training soon. I have been contemplating transferring to a state school not only to save a ****load of money, but also to get a more useful degree. I say useful degree like a real business degree, something that could be used outside the aviation industry incase i lose my medical or the entire airline industry bottoms out. I want to have a backup option just incase, i feel that an ERAU degree is useless anywhere else but in aviation. Since i'll have my commercial at the end of the school year, that doesn't leave much training left if i wanted to CFI/CFI/ME. Would I be at any disadvantage for hiring if I went to a state school and did any extra training at an FBO? Im concerned that if I dont stay at ERAU, ill end up flying RJs for life if i transferred to a state school and had fbo training.

Schools im considering:
SUNY Farmingdale
Rutgers in Newark or Piscataway

 

This has to be either flamebait, or you got some weak Koolaid and the side effects are wearing off. Flying an RJ for the rest of your life if you don't stay at ERAU? I'm sorry, but that might be the most idiotic concern I've ever read on here and have no idea how you could even have that conclusion anywhere in your mind.

Your certificates don't say where they came from.
No airline requires a degree from a certain school.
No airline requires a degree in a certain discipline.

 

haha no its not supposed to be flamebait. I know it sounds really retarded. But would i be better off getting a degree at a state school with out the ERAU stamp?

 

$20k job with $50,000 in student loans sounds a lot better to me than $100,000.

And contrary to what Riddle wants you to believe, you can get hired at a major without a degree from Daytona.

 

I agree completely. Just because you got to ERAU doesn't make you any better than the ones from MTSU, Purdue, etc... the only thing ERAU has is about 65k more debt. Sounds like a no brainer to me.

 

It also doesn't make you any better than the ones from Bumblescum Community College, assuming they have an accredited 4 year degree.

 

get you cfi/i and go to wmu and have them finish paying for your degree while you work as a cfi. So you'll be getting paid to fly, and finish school by having wmu pick up the school tab. Not to mention they've got a good business school.

wish it was an option when I was finishing everything.

 

honestly, that is a GREAT idea. and the fact that you are only a freshman is even better - you haven't spent too much on riddle yet.
I graduated from riddle a few years ago, and while I feel that the training I got was good.... the riddle degree is just not worth a six figure debt. After graduating and living with the reality of this debt on my shoulders, I now realize that NO school is worth being in that much debt. (OK, I guess I should make the exception for something like Harvard Business School... but you know what I mean.) I've been to a state school (before riddle) so I know that it's a lot more fun and soooo much more economical. Not to mention the practicality of a non-aviation degree, like you mentioned. If you do decide to go to a state school, try to go to one in YOUR state... I don't know about jersey, but at the time I was in college, the tuition discount for a NY resident was great for a SUNY.
Please, take this advice from someone who's living with the consequences of making a bad decision... hardly nothing in life is worth being burdened with so much debt! At least if this was a mortage, I'd be a homeowner. You are still a student, so you may not yet feel the weight of the loans you are taking out... but trust me... once those repayments start... it will hit you like a ton of bricks.
p.s. I'm not even sure how to respond to your concern about being stuck in a RJ if you dont have a degree from riddle... all I know is that there are thousands out there working at fedex, ups, southwest who didnt go to riddle. (and inversely, there are thousands of riddle grads who are "stuck in rjs".)

 

Not to defend Riddle or anything (as a matter of fact, I'm pretty bitter with Riddle....), but that can be done at Riddle as well... but you can only take 2 classes per semester for free

 

As far as I've heard, companies only care that you have the tickets and a 4 year degree to show you have the self-discipline to get through the training, and to meet the competition for a job. I live in NJ and will be transfering to Rutgers at New Brunswick, and RU is a good school, they're also plenty of airports near all the campusus for you to continue flight training. I think it's a good move, but it's not my decision. Im a JR at a college, and my total debt to get my Associates, through my Commercial is only $20K which isn't that bad. I'll have my CFI and Multi in a few months for $5K. Im happy with my path thus far, and will be starting A&P school in the next few months as well. A&P is always an option, and if you're like me, you could help in restorations. Im getting involved to help with the Berlin Air Lift's C-97 restoration at Floyd Bennet Field. Sorry for the rambling.