Hi Kraxous,
I am going to break the depressing trend in this thread with something positive for you. Firstly the people you have spoken to are decent reasonable people who have set up and run a successful Training School for a long time now. They did it different from everybody else with their tie in to the Scholarship and a the potential for some decent education along with the Licence Training. I know the MD and his Partner well and he is a straight shooter. Between them, they operate a kind of altruistic approach to training and developing the careers of new helicopter pilots.
Of course they run a business just like everyone else in this game. So of course they will earn money from your training but this is not a crime it normal.
I sense in other posters that smug self satisfaction that they have made it and so they can pour scorn any anyone else who steps up for his go.
I tell you a short story. Many years ago I was Working as CP in a Northern HEMS Unit. I young man walked into my office and announced he wanted to be a helicopter pilot. At the time he worked as a Civil Engineer, I think building Tesco's. (If he reads this he will laugh). Because that's exactly what we did in our arrogance and smugness. However, I gave him some of my valuable time and sent him away with a letter to his bank as a reference and a description of the "Positives" that existed in the market at that time. In my opinion he seemed misguided, delusional and had very little chance of achieving what he set out to do.
Today that same man works for AIRBUS as a Staff Instructor Pilot and has had a very good career thus far. How wrong I was and how humbled I felt as I watched him fulfil his dreams.
So for you I say this. Take advice but be careful as anything negative needs treating with more caution than the positives. Make your financial plan. Be realistic. Work hard at your goals and there should be no reason why you will not succeed.
The MD of the outfit you visited will guide you and I would trust him. What he is saying is fair. Its not his fault that right now the market is depressed.
However, just like the stock market the time to buy is when its has crashed! Look to the positive. If you can afford the financials go for it. You will never be rich. None of us are. But you will hopefully enjoy the freedom of flight and meet lots of interesting people along the way. I have never met a helicopter pilot who has said, they wish the had not bothered!.
Good Luck.
DB