Hey all,
This is my first post here, so sorry if it has been brought up before.

Anyway, I had a quick question for everyone that attends or has attended UND. I'm starting there this fall, and just found out a few alarming things.
1. My family only has enough money for my first year of tuition (not flight costs), nothing more.
2. The financial office is giving me $15,000 of financial aid.
3. My 3.2 high school GPA does not qualify me for the scholarship the university offers.
4. It is already too late to apply for (according to my research) 99% of the scholarships that I qualify for.

I guess my question is, when I'm there, how many scholarship opportunities will there be for commercial pilot majors? Keep in mind I am willing to get VERY involved there, and work as hard as I possibly can, but I have always been a "B average" student.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Colin

 

Colin,

I'm not a UND graduate, but perhaps I can provide some helpful advice.

First, if you are in a financial pinch I would look at other options. i.e., other choices for education. You might want to think about attending a local community college for two years and take as many core classes as you can with the intention of transferring them over to a university. Also, if you can work while in school, you may be able to save a lot of money to be used when you transfer. Scholarships may not be out of the realm of possibilities either if you can earn a high enough GPA. Community college tuition is much more affordable than university tuition, and many people have started here and then transferred at a later date with much success.

Second, I would seriously look at other universities. More often than not, one pays for the name in addition to the education. Look at in-state universities that offer both aviation and non-aviation degree programs.

Finally, the airlines do not care where you got your flight training from. By the time you are qualified to interview, what will matter most is going to be a clean record and an accumulation of quality flight time that will most likely be above and beyond the published minimums. At this stage in the game nobody will care if you got your certificates and ratings at an ivy-league school or a mom-and-pop FBO.

Also, I would avoid financial aid. Even if it takes you longer to graduate, I would much rather graduate with later with no debt than on time but with tens of thousands (if not even $100K+) of school debt.

 

You can get student loans from places like Wells Fargo, Citibank, ect.

They will give you the amount for tuition, room/board, and the projected flight costs. Usually your flight costs end up being more than what they project.

They also have lots of different scholarships, most are pretty competitive.

Enjoy your college experience. Get involved outside aviation and meet as many people as you can.

I've been out for 3 years. I miss college so much! Springfest is in a few week. I will defiantly be attending to watch the new co-eds.

 

Have you considered an Air Force ROTC scholarship? It's not for everyone, but with the uncertainty in today's aviation career field, you cannot find a more secure flying gig, and it's remarkably well-paying for the experience you will attain at pilot training or beyond. I won't lie, the Air Force is not a bed of roses, and you should research it extensively. But you've got to pay your dues one way or the other. I'm glad I paid my dues in the AF.

 

You may have already made your decision about this, but I'll offer my opinion anyways. I graduated from UND and it is expensive. The cost of actual training there however is competitive, especially if you train at a FBO with the same level of equipment. You will be able to get approved for student loans to cover all 100k of your education, BUT DON'T DO IT!!! You will find yourself buried in payments out of school.

UND does accept credits from almost any community college. I suggest you spend a year satisfying all of the credit requirements for non-aviation related classes. English, math, physics, econ etc... It will take over a year off your time at UND and save you money. You can also work and save money during that time to live on your first year. You can find jobs in Grand Forks to cover your cost of living. Being a resident of ND will save you cash as well by cutting tuition in half. It will also give you a chance to apply for as many scholarships as you can before you show up on day one. If you get flight ratings before you get there, they will make you go through the courses again... so it would be somewhat of a waste of money as well.


Feel free to PM me if you need more info. Good luck