Hi again
Re the funds for example for an HSBC loan and the Oxford course it is my understanding that you will get 25-35K unsecured max. The rest , well then they will probably want security, and unless you have your own pension worth a lot a house or as in most cases ma & pa's signature on the home !! Then it will be hard to get "self sponsored" funding (integrated anyway).
Saying that get a degree, then the odds are 3-4 years later you still don't have that type of cash or indeed have less and a debt but a degree you do have (if you stay in Uni) so you'll probably still need ma & pa's signature if you want to get the money, however the pilot market situation may have changed a bit e.g. it may be a seekers market rather than an employers market (if that makes sense)
There are a few schemes around now which are/if not getting close to sponsored (see other topics) but I imagine the competition is fierce for these.
All I would say is this, print out this topic, discuss it worth your folks and talk about the "what if's"
What if I start training then there is another 9/11 etc etc.
Perhaps a half way house, e.g. an HND (if they still exist) in electrical engineering or plumbing or something lucrative ?? I mean they will make you money if it all goes sour :-) It's a really tough choice and I am thinking if I had kids what would I rather they did, the options
1. Go to Uni, get degree (+ life experience)
2. Take year out to get life experience start ATPL course on return
3.Start Now
4. Do airline related job (e.g. dispatcher) then get into it.
5. Some formal qualification then the course
I think I would steer them in the #2 option because in that year I imagine one would do a lot of thinking and know for sure by the end if it's what you want to do (I mean after some of those life experiences)
As for the person who posted from channel islands, at that time I think is was probably a "graduates market" rather than an employers market, also going from school straight into that whoosh, that had to be hard. (respect
)
But look at all the options you have then weigh each one up (along with the financial implications)
Good luck with it all