Parkland College

Located in Champaign, Illinois, Parkland College offers an associates degree in aviation as well as a certificate program. They have partnerships with four-year universities to provide students options to continue their education after finishing their two-year degree, and students can take flight courses independently from their degree path.

Program Highlights

Parkland College is an FAA-approved Part 141 pilot school and flight operations are conducted at the Willard Airport (KCMI), a 20-minute drive from the main campus.

Programs Parkland College offers include:

• Associate of Science
  • Aviation
• Certificate
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Students may enroll in flight training courses without pursuing a degree as space allows.

Once they complete the program, students can attend one of Parkland’s partner schools to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Those partners are:

● Western Michigan University
● Lewis University
● University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Parkland College is also part of region 8 of the National intercollegiate Flying Association Inc.

Value

For in-state students, base tuition is just under $10,000 a year. For out-of-state students, it will hover around $13,000 a year. On top of base tuition, flight students will have additional costs for flight courses. Over the course of four years, before financial aid or scholarships, flight costs will come in at around $70,000 for all necessary certificates to be a professional pilot.

Parkland College offers aviation-specific scholarships for flight students, including:

● The Richard L. Taylor Flight Training Scholarship
● Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships
● The Dan L. Meisinger Sr. Memorial Learn to Fly Scholarship

They also accept veterans benefits such as the GI Bill.

Fleet and Facilities

The fleet of aircraft at Parkland College includes:

● Piper Archers
● Piper Arrows
● Piper Seminoles
● Cessna 152s

Parkland also offers many simulators for students to utilize for training, including the:

● Frasca Warrior
● Frasca Archer AATD
● Frasca Mentor
● Frasca 141
● Frasca 142
● Frasca 242T

Graduates of Parkland College’s aviation program will be eligible for a R-ATP.

Parkland College works with many airlines to provide students with internships and the possibility or conditional job offers. Those partnerships include:

● Air Wisconsin
● Republic Airways
● GoJet

Campus Life

Parkland College has many sports teams students can get involved in, including soccer, baseball and softball. The school also has more than 25 student organizations including general interest clubs, academic clubs, honor societies, and social fraternities and sororities.

The Bottom Line

Parkland College is able to offer aviation students high-class connections within the aviation industry. Many college aviation scholarships can help shoulder the burden of their already lower-than-average flight costs.