ok, I'm not going to argue. All I ask is people THINK about the WHOLE BLOODY THING not just the obvious bits.
Now, just humour me and answer two questions.
1. If flight training was not on the agenda AT ALL, for either of our mythical students, what would they need to fund to live for a year? If your answer is "the same" - why then would you add the "cost" of living to one course but not the other - that cost exists, regardless of whether you are learning to fly or not - UNLESS you have to fund one home whilst living away - in which case it's valid. If there is a fundamental difference between the two people whereby one costs more to live than the other, then please explain.
2. Go to PPJN and look up the salary scales for a decent carrier. Let's use Thomas Cook. here:
Thomas Cook Airlines (UK jobs, payscales and entry requirements.)
Now. Fire up a spreadsheet and copy/paste in the F/O and captain salary values per year given. Now. We have to assume that the integrated student is available to work AT LEAST a year prior to the mod - purely because he'll finish sooner, because he's full time. Let's also assume that both land a job - lucky so and so's - straight out of flight school - so ignoring the main selling point of integrated. Let's assume both never lose their medicals and get to enjoy 25 years after the first finishes flying school and they have continuous service before retiring with their respective better halves. Add it up. Seriously, add up the columns. This is really, really basic economics, but it proves the point about length of service. The fact that the integrated student has a year extra working is tail loaded. It means over a 25 year working life, he earns the top level salary for A YEAR LONGER. It means over a 25 year career the difference in salary is £109k more. But what if our modular student takes *2* years longer that integrated boy to finish? WOW £219k less! But that's ok huh .... cos you've earned £25 a year for those two years you lost.
I am NOT trying to sell or push or guide anyone to integrated - but for gods sake - LOOK at the whole picture. Yes modular is cheaper up front, but what's the long term cost? You can argue all you like if you don't like the numbers, but that's how it is. That's how it breaks down. The sooner you get into [professional aviation] the larger the final amount of money you'll make out of it. Same in ANY career.