Flight schools that accept the GI Bill

23 responses to “Flight schools that accept the GI Bill”

1. ViPrez says:

   November 22, 2021 at 07:20:59

   This resource is AMAZING! You have certainly done a lot of the footwork to put this list of Part 141 institutions together. Thank you SO MUCH! It has made the screening process to select a school easier.

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2. Nick says:

   December 3, 2021 at 09:18:42

   Arizona State University is not a VA approved flight school. It says directly on their website that the program is not VA benefit eligible.

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   • Kyle Ramirez says:

     February 3, 2022 at 11:03:38

     Hello Nick,
     I just got off the phone with the Arizona State University flight program, and you’re right. I was told their Professional Flight major is not VA eligible, even though they’re a Part 141 program. I was told to go to their Pat Tillman Veterans Center for more information. Too bad! People will have better luck by going to Yavapai College. I will update the list. Thanks for pointing this out.

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3. Ryan says:

   December 26, 2021 at 05:21:14

   Kyle, fantastic list. Thank you for consolidating. Question on ERAU. I was under the assumption that the total flight cost were not covered by the GI bill. There would be a significant out of pocket cost that wasn’t covered by GI or Yellow Ribbon. Did you find something different? Thank you again.

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   • Kyle Ramirez says:

     February 3, 2022 at 11:14:44

     Hello Ryan,
     I’m glad you found this helpful! I looked into this, and it looks like you’re right. It looks like flight training costs are not covered by the GI Bill for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at either the Prescott, Arizona or Daytona Beach, Florida campuses. Really too bad for a school that seems to work with veterans worldwide! I will make this correction now.

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     • Patrick Jones says:

       September 19, 2023 at 08:47:47

       JU also doesn’t not allow the G.I. Bill to pay towards flight training cost. I just got an email from them telling me this.

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     • Patrick Jones says:

       September 19, 2023 at 08:49:00

       And just to be clear, that’s Jacksonville University in Jacksonville Florida. I don’t know about the Jacksonville State College though.

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4. Tynan Conner says:

   April 11, 2022 at 02:31:01

   Hey man! I am working with VR&E CH31/33 and my counselor told me that the VA will NOT pay for a private pilots license. That in order to attend any of these schools, I must first have or pay out of pocket for my private license and then the VA will pay for the rest of the schooling. I have found a lot of conflicting information while reading through the documents and fine print. In some sections it says it won’t pay at all, in some sections it says it will pay for schooling after you get your private license and they will backpack 60%, and some sections say as long as the private license is included as part of the overall training program that they will cover it. All of this is in the same several documents and it is confusing. Do you have any information or insight into getting the VA to pay for an A.A.S. in Fixedwing Aviation? Thanks in advance!

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   • Kyle Ramirez says:

     April 26, 2022 at 02:58:33

     Hello! Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve been hearing about this here and there. I did some research on this a while back, but it seemed at the time, since Private Pilot was a graduation requirement, that it was possible to use GI Bill funds for the program … as long as the Private Pilot program is conducted under 14 CFR Part 141 rules, and not 14 CFR Part 61 rules. Some universities actually operate under Part 61 to avoid the level of certification required for Part 141. When that happens, the consequence is we can no longer use the GI Bill to pay for that part of the training. Let me know if you hear back from them!

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5. Tyler says:

   September 6, 2022 at 05:46:28

   As a tip to those in the Air Force. AFCOOL will provide you with up to $4,500 towards your PPL. I just got all of the funding approved and it’s in my Flight Schedule Pro account at my flight school with some of the money paying my DPE for the check ride. That being said. You will want to get at least halfway through training because if you don’t get your license within 120 days then you will have to pay that money Back.

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   • Francesco says:

     April 4, 2023 at 10:13:07

     Hi Tyler, I’ve heard conflicting information about AFCOOL paying for a PPL. As I’ve heard, AFCOOL will not pay for anything regarding aircraft rental or instruction fees. They will only pay for ground testing, study material, and other non-flying costs. Can you weigh in on this? Is there a workaround for being able to apply the full $4500 to general costs?

     I’m currently pursuing my PPL as active duty, I’d be very interested in hearing how you went about the process. Thanks!

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6. Jacob says:

   September 28, 2022 at 02:30:54

   Craven Community College in Havelock, NC also offers a Pilot program. Liberty University is listed as a Public College erroneously.

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7. Alex says:

   November 12, 2022 at 03:45:50

   One of the reasons why I’m joining the military is so I can use the G.I. Bill and go to flight school. I just want to clarify that the GI bill will cover me with no out of pocket expenses, if I choose one of the school listed?

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8. Adrian Rodriguez says:

   November 12, 2022 at 09:51:45

   Hello Kyle, Thank you so much for the assistance and you truly are a hero. Now I have questions, I am a Coast Guard Reservist with 60% Post 9/11 GI bill entitlement. So I’m struggling to figure out how much I will be paying out of pocket when it comes to finishing flight training and degree program. I’ve reached out to schools and am comparing apples to apples mainly at the cost of what I must pay out of pocket by the end of the program. I live in SWFL and plan to stay in FL for schooling. So if there is any guidance for me please share, thank you God bless.

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9. Noah says:

   December 16, 2022 at 01:21:11

   Hey, great list. This is definitely getting bookmarked. Just one thing though, Baylor’s program is not covered by VA benefits, tuition for the flight program would not be covered.

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10. Mike Spurlin says:

    December 24, 2022 at 11:05:29

    Kyle, is this still a working site?

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11. NavyGuy says:

    January 4, 2023 at 03:33:25

    According to https://www.baylor.edu/aviation/doc.php/261218.pdf, Baylor’s Aviation Sciences degree program is no longer certified by the VA and not eligible for VA funding.

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12. Nate G says:

    April 18, 2023 at 05:55:05

    Hey Kyle, your page is a great resource. Westminster College in Utah has shut down their aviation program (https://westminstercollege.edu/academics/academic-schools/bill-and-vieve-gore-school-of-business/school-of-business-newsletter/aviation-program-updates.html). Also, the University of Minnesota – Mankato states that their aviation degree program is not VA funding eligible.

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13. Dylan Davis says:

    May 22, 2023 at 11:22:52

    Just called Baylor, and they said the gi bill no longer covers flight training.

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14. Travis says:

    June 15, 2023 at 08:45:03

    Liberty University will let you do your classes online and your flight training remotely at a number of flight schools around the country. Their website lists the exact affiliates. This ended up being the only option that would work for me, and I’m glad it exists. The only downside is that if you’re using your post 9/11 GI Bill the BAH rate is slightly lower for online schools, but it was still worth it for me due to the convenience.

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    • Ryan Dickson says:

      January 31, 2024 at 09:59:47

      Not anymore, VA cut support to almost every Liberty U affiliate flight school. Now there’s just a few in Virginia that are still getting support.

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15. Matt says:

    October 31, 2023 at 11:42:53

    Charleston Southern University recently got its approval and is currently the only university program in South Carolina to offer this.

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16. ACRX says:

    April 17, 2024 at 12:06:08

    Cochise College in Douglas, AZ is no longer covered under the GI Bill.

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