Murray, you've misunderstood me. Check my early replies, I agree with you. I just don't like being called a fool because i'm thinking of attending a training school that others deem 'to be not right for them therefore not right for anyone'. On the face of it, 65k seems ridiculous and way out of my grasp but there does seem to be more to it than that.
54k for the now 'basic' ATPL course is way in excess of a lot of other schools. However, as far as that particular course as a standalone was concerned, I was impressed with it and with a bit of creative accounting etc. I could have just about stretched to it.
However, paying a full 65k is too much. What gripes even more is that they expect you to pay accomodation on top of that! What we must bare in mind, however, is that the chap from OATS said it will most likely be run as a part sponsorship with the participating airlines, and thus the cost to the student would be more like 30-35k. We'll wait and see on that one.
If this is not the case then 65k + living costs is beyond just about everyone. It certainly is for me. I definately do not have the inclination to part with that kind of money for a job, no matter how much I want to do it. It's totally ridiculous. I wouldn't mind as much if they could actually guarentee you anything, but they can't. An interview, great as it is, is not a job.
What I do know for certain though, is that if I go to Oxford now, I will not be doing the ATPL course because in my view, Oxford themselves have devalued it greatly by running it alongside the new scheme. The same goes for the modular course.
Like I've already said, I had pretty much made up my mind to go to Oxford for the integrated course if I wasn't successful in gaining sponsorship. This change in OATS policy has made me think again.
[ 29 August 2001: Message edited by: bow5 ]