Originally Posted by
Icarus2001
Costs for a degree are not dissimilar, I agree. What is different is that flying is pay as you go generally. The degree does not have to be paid for until you are gainfully employed and earning over a certain threshold.
They are being called cadets for want of a better term, potential pilots, student pilots, pilots in training, take your pick.
Most cadets would be eligible for a VET Student Loan to cover the cost of training, similar to the HECS-HELP/FEE-HELP schemes that are available for uni students. As of 1 July, the income threshold and rate of repayment for all the government schemes will be the same. The current loan cap is $104,440, but the last Federal budget made provision for the cap to be increased to $150,000 for aviation courses from January 2020, the same as medicine, dentistry and vet science.