How to fund training for Cat B licence?

[C.Taylor]

Hi Everyone,

I am hoping to start training for my Cat B aircraft tech licence this September at AST in Perth.

I have been looking into options for funding, and so far have come up with the Career Development Loan, which you can get up to £10,000 (and no repayments for 2 years). But this still leaves a shortfall of near enough £13,000 just for the course fees!

So far i have been unable to find any other forms of funding, except personal loans, and if I was to be accepted, the monthly payments would be something as a student I cant imagine I would be able to afford!

I have been told the work load of this type of course is very intense, and therefore I assume I would not be able to work while I study. Is this the case?, as working would make the loan for the remaining amount a more realistic option.

So if any of you out there have been in my situation, or have any advice it would be great to hear from you!

Thanks.

[T.R Haychemu]

Career development loan = "Standard" rates of interest!


Forget AST which is a college I believe, and perhaps look at a University offered course (Kingston/Glamorgan etc), where you will be eligible to receive Student Loan from the Govt owned Student Loan company....that way it's funded at a much better rate of interest (~1.5% iirc), and you won't have to put together a "business case" for it like a career development loan.


Another advantage of the Uni/SLC route is that if you are out of work....you don't pay it back (it is taken out of PAYE wages like Tax/NI)....unlike a career development loan, which may result in defaults etc if you can't pay while you are out of work

[ironchefflay]

For the love of god, dont get a loan of any kind to pay for the training. unless its from somone willing to wait to be paid back. theres no garantee that after 2 years you could be earning anything like enough to pay it back.

Go to Airmech website and ask there. its prob your best bet for info.

[Geezer7348]

After doing some further online research it appears AST in Perth are offering a special tuition rate for UK Nationals with fees in line with those to be charged by the Universities in England. Details found on bbga website below. :ok:

Air Service Training (http://www.bbga.aero/2011/09/air-service-training-%E2%80%93-your-partner-for-all-aviation-training-needs/)

[C.Taylor]

@ironchefflay

Yea what you are saying is exactly right! My gut instinct has been telling me that a loan of this size will be impossible to pay back in the near future at least!

Thanks for the link to Air Mech, i join and see what information i can find there!

[C.Taylor]

@Geezer7348

Thanks for the information, the reduced price is a great help, but still quite a way short of the amount i need.

I will keep looking at my options, when there's a will there's a way! (i hope)

[C.Taylor]

@T.R Haychemu

Thanks for the reply!

As i am currently doing a degree just now, i wont be eligible for another student loan for another course.

So if the situation was different for me i would probably go down that route!

Thanks for the advice all the same, i appreciate it all!

[rico2k_uk]

Im looking at doing this course myself (currently doing HNC Aircraft Engineering at Perth college).

Perth College is now a university (part of the University of Highlands and Islands) but is keeping its old name. However, AST is a seperate company (wholly owned by Perth College).

I am hoping to be able to self fund myself through this course and hope to start in Sept.

Once this course is complete, would entering the job market in aircraft engineering be relatively easy?

[ironchefflay]

the short answer is No. but its never was. its down to hard work, sticking at it and getting a big slice of luck.

Best of luck if you go for it. its been good to me.

[rico2k_uk]

Thats pretty much what I thought. Bit depressing some people on here about job prospects. Thankfully I will be in the position to be able to travel to any part of the world (if visas allow!) to work. Quite looking forward to starting a course.