Senators Push for Increased Loan Aid for Student Pilots

Lawmakers ask the Education Department to define aviation and flight training as ‘professional degree’ programs.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

The FAA issued 69,503 student pilot certificates in 2023, up 24 percent from 2022. [Credit: iStock]

Key Takeaways:

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is advocating for aviation and flight training to be recognized as "professional degrees" under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
This change would grant student pilots access to higher federal loan caps, currently available to fields like medicine and law, to help cover the high costs (often $80,000-$100,000 beyond tuition) of pilot training.
The initiative aims to address the impending pilot shortage and strengthen the pilot workforce, which is crucial for economic growth and nationwide connectivity, and is strongly supported by the aviation industry.

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A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is pushing to give students enrolled in aviation programs and FAA-certified Part 141 flight training schools increased access to federal loan aid.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July, sets up new lifetime borrowing caps for graduate and professional degree students. These limits, which are higher than those used for undergraduate programs, apply to fields such as medicine, law, and veterinary science.