Bubbers - I think ER and most of your university programs are selling a job, their connectons at the end of it. For a lucky few, some ab initios, maybe, but it's a high price. I ripped through my ratings for about a third what the local community college charged, but for the players it worked out for them..the guys that got the 200 hours, then instructed for 5 minutes, then vfr 135, then some 121 commuter. Some guys have a plan to work in aviaton that has little with being good or actually being a pilot, they want a seat and some epulets. Some of these guy have never had, nor probably ever will command an aircraft until the very very end, and even then, it will only be on a canned flight plan, a SOP book under the seat, a phone to the right, and a copilot telling them what to do, watching them.
To each his own, but I think it's a very sad day when a pilot says he's a pilot, full well knowing he can't fly a plane with out all the gear in front of him propping him up. Complete sham.