I can confirm what ManUtd1999 has said about the cadets stating that guarantees were an option. The cadet I spoke to seemed to think that the guarantees would be available this year. Last year it was possible to borrow up to £119k (the £109k course cost plus living expenses). I do think Virgin et al look at the individual's situation closely though.
In answer to Flybrain's question, one of the contributors to last year's Virgin Atlantic thread calculated that if interest rates remained the same, the total cost of finance would be approximately £26k. So the programme basically costs about £150k including living expenses, assuming interest rates don't rise. You get £109k of that back through the bond repayments on top of the circa. £27k salary.
Last edited by Chris the Robot; 10th Nov 2015 at 08:37.