how strange
What a strange bunch of people you are. Why would anyone pay large sums of money or put themselves through such financial hardship to do what is now a mundane and undervalued job. You should be asking yourselves why you want to do the job at all. You seem to have this romantic view of flying an airliner that simply no longer exists among the seasoned professionals that do it. I completed an ATPL and had the choice of a job flying small turboprops or becoming an air traffic controller. Although that job has become a very different one over the twenty years I have done it at no point have any of my colleagues paid for the honour of doing it . You are all bright guys who have choices . Dont waste your time on some romantic image that will never be a reality. Do a job that will earn you the money to fly as a hobby or even work part time in business jets or flying instruction as many of my colleagues do. I am not suggesting ATC as a career as it is going in same direction but was never as glamorous!!