Welcome Flight School Owners and Managers. Will our programs help you attract more students and reduce dropout rates? Can we help increase your revenue? All the answers are right here.

We strongly recommend you take a few minutes to review all of the FAQ sections in the white panel on the right. If you do, you will know whether our programs can help you and your customers!

We WANT to help you grow. We want to be a partner. Find out if we can!

Flight School Profile

Career Training Information

Important Flight School FAQs

If you may want to offer our financing to students, read this information FIRST!

Step 1: Program FAQs
Step 2: Funding FAQs
Step 3: Learn the Benefits
Step 4: Training Compatibility
Step 5: How to Enroll
Step 6: Originating New Accounts

Profitable

You can double your revenue with the SAME number of flight students. When you finance entire training programs instead of one lesson at a time, you will have fewer dropouts and more licensed pilots.

Easy

Just make customers aware you have financing available. Hand them an application. Fax it in. We prepare the documents. Your student just signs and flies.

Free

It costs you nothing to offer your customers what many of them really need – the funds to achieve their training goal. There are no hidden fees. No additional charges. Just a value added service that can grow your business.

Fast

You won’t need to wait days for approval. All applications are processed within 24 hours. Just apply, sign, and fly! The Flight Students link on the left will answer all your questions and help you apply.

Safe

Our transactions are non-recourse. All you have to do is obtain signatures and originate transactions honestly. If the customer does not pay, you have no liability.

Flight School FAQs

Step 1: Program FAQs

Can my students finance their training with Flight Training Finance?

Students can finance their training only through enrolled flight schools. There are currently over 1,300 schools enrolled and we are adding more every day!

If your school is not currently enrolled to offer Flight Training Finance programs to your students, all the information you need is included in these FAQs.

What about cost and liability?

Generally, enrolled flight schools have no financial liability or costs associated with offering Flight Training Finance’s programs. There are certain minor administrative responsibilities, such as getting contracts signed and submitting signed invoices / training records for payment. This is discussed more in later FAQs.

Is there a cost for enrolling?

There is no cost to enroll, unless:

You own or manage a new school that does not have an established track record of training the type of customers we finance;
Your school has made multiple requests for enrollment supplies in the past and have lost or discarded the original supplied materials; or
Your school specializes in professional or career-oriented flight training.

In these cases we may ask for a $200 enrollment fee that is fully refundable when we accept our first account.

What kind of training can be financed?

Our finance programs are designed for part-time fixed-wing private pilot or instrument training. Under certain circumstances we are also able to accommodate advanced training, rotorcraft training, and sport pilot training.

What are the credit requirements?

We primarily look at two things when assessing a student’s creditworthiness.

Credit history: We look at the length, type, and quality of the student’s credit history to see if they have historically made their payments on time.
Income and employment: We look at how long the student has been at their current job, as well as their income to see if they can afford the monthly payments.

What about commercial and advanced training?

We can finance commercial and advanced programs as long as the training fits within our program guidelines and the monthly payment amount will be affordable to the student. For more information, give special attention to minimum program sizes and typical program sizes later in these FAQs.

Students that need a succession of ratings should look ahead and be aware of how their payments could increase – and whether they will be able to qualify. While we welcome new business, we also strive to avoid transactions that appear likely to leave students “stuck” in their training cycle; a situation where more training is needed to achieve a commercial or career goal but they are financially unable to continue.

What about rotorcraft training?

We can finance helicopter programs as long as the training fits within our program guidelines and the monthly payment amount will be affordable to the student. For more information, give special attention to minimum program sizes and typical program sizes later in these FAQs.

Almost all rotorcraft students plan to use their training in some commercial endeavor. So it is important to look ahead to see how payments could increase with additional training and whether the student will be able to qualify for more financing and higher payments. While we welcome new business, we also strive to avoid transactions that appear likely to leave students “stuck” in their training cycle; a situation where more training is needed to achieve a commercial or career goal but they are financially unable to continue.

What about sport pilot training?

We can finance sport pilot programs as long as the training fits within our program guidelines. Sport pilot programs are often fewer hours than full private pilot programs. For more information, give special attention to minimum program sizes and typical program sizes later in these FAQs.

What training schedules can be accommodated?

Flight Training Finance programs are for part-time training with training schedules that average between 1-5 lessons per week. The maximum training schedule must be established in advance because the maximum repayment periods we can offer is determined by the agreed maximum (average) training schedule. Lessons missed because of weather, scheduling or other reasons can be “made up” later, but you may not accelerate your training beyond the agreed maximum (average) training schedule, measured cumulatively.

Unfortunately, at this time our programs cannot accommodate accelerated training that involves more than 5 lessons per week. Please see our payment calculator after these FAQs to see how your training schedule affects your payment size.

For purposes of our financing, individual flight lessons may average up to 2.0 hours of aircraft rental and up to 3.0 hours total instruction time.

What are the repayment terms?

The repayment terms are determined by the number of lessons per week, on average, the student would like to take. Repayment terms range from 18 months for our most accelerated programs with 5 lessons per week, to 72 months for programs with only 1 lesson per week. Most of our customers use programs with 2-3 lessons per week and repay over 48-60 months. At the end of these FAQs, please refer to our payment calculator to see how training schedules affect the size of their payments.

Training Schedule	Repayment Terms
1 lesson per week	72 months
2 lessons per week	60 months
3 lessons per week	48 months
4 lessons per week	30 months
5 lessons per week	18 months

What if my student uses all their training funds before they finish?

The student can apply for “add-on” or “finish-up” training provided that 50% of the payments on his or her initial account are satisfactorily paid. To avoid this situation, we strongly encourage students and schools to package training programs that will be fully sufficient to achieve the training goal. Most of our schools add a “cushion” of additional aircraft and instruction hours, because many students need more hours than they originally anticipated.

Please be aware that additional training will likely have to be paid from other resources. For most transactions, unused training funds cannot be forfeited, as explained in the next FAQ.

What if my student doesn’t use all their training funds?

If funds are left over after training is completed, the student has several options: 1) use the remaining funds to rent aircraft and build hours; 2) use the remaining funds to take additional training; or 3) elect to terminate his or her program and have the unused training funds credited to their Flight Training Finance account to reduce their remaining monthly payments.

PLEASE NOTE: All training funds may be fully earned, or used up, by the flight school in certain circumstances where the school has guaranteed certification and/or committed to providing free “finish-up” training, if needed. If there are questions about this issue, ask Flight Training Finance.

What if my student wants to stop training?

The documentation for financing training through Flight Training Finance provides that the student may terminate their training at any time for any reason, or for no reason at all! The flight school and Flight Training Finance warrant this right. Both of us guarantee an immediate refund of any unused training funds at the time of the student’s termination.

Is there a minimum program size?

The minimum program size for our standard repayment plans will include at least 45 hours of aircraft rental. We consider programs that include 25-45 hours of aircraft rental on an exception basis, but with shorter-than-normal repayment terms. Programs with fewer than 25 hours of aircraft rental cannot be approved for financing.

What about partial programs under 45 hours?

We consider “partial programs” that include 25-44 hours on an exception basis. Partial programs are not eligible for the full repayment terms that are offered for “full” programs of 45 or more hours of aircraft rental.

The repayment terms for partial programs are determined on an individual basis, but generally range between 50%-90% of “full” repayment terms. If one of your students may need a partial program and would like a monthly payment estimate, please call us at (800) 667-0201

What program sizes are typical?

For the private pilot and instrument programs we finance, a typical, “full”, training program includes between 55-65 hours of aircraft rental.

Because financing “add-on” or “finish-up” training will likely not be available, it is important that program sizes be fully sufficient, in the best judgment of the school and the student, to achieve the training goal.

Is there a maximum program size?

Flight Training Finance does not have a maximum program size limit. The maximum financed program is determined by the applicant’s training goals, training schedule, demonstrated payment history, and of course his or her ability to pay the monthly payments.

What are the interest rates?

Our contract interest rates range from 12%-18% depending on the qualifications of the student. Generally, a student’s interest rate will be somewhat lower than he or she might pay on traditional credit card accounts. The next FAQ explains how every student can obtain lower interest rates with our Preferred Customer Interest Refund Program.

Are lower interest rates available?

Our Preferred Customer Interest Refund Program is a simple way for students to earn back up to 25% of their interest. If the student makes all of his or her payments on time, the interest will be recalculated 3 percentage points lower than their contract rate and we will refund them the difference. For customers that make their payments on time, the effective interest rates charged work out to between 9%-15%.

Will my customer pay a penalty for paying an account off early?

No. There is no prepayment penalty. Upon prepayment in full, the student will be refunded any unearned interest for paying off the account early. Interest rebates, or refunds, for early payment in full (referred to as “prepayment”) are determined by the finance regulations in each state. The calculation varies slightly state to state.

Flight School FAQs

Step 2: Funding FAQs

How do I get paid for financed training?

You receive checks or electronic ACH transfers from us for financed training that has taken place. In terms of cash flow, this is not unlike the student writing you a check for training after each lesson.

When do I get paid for financed training?

As an enrolled school, you must agree that training funds are escrowed and released only after training has occurred. Payment is immediate; there is no delay. However, to protect flight students, funds are not released prior to delivery of services.

What do I have to submit to get payment?

Per our agreement, each flight school is required to submit training records (TRs) or invoices. You can use a personalized TR that we provide, or your own invoice form; whichever is easier. TRs must be signed and dated by the flight student after training has occurred. Normally our schools submit TRs or invoices via fax.

How long does it take to obtain funds?

All training records or invoices received by 2PM CT will be processed and released by 5PM CT the same day. Delivery time is dependent on USPS processing time for mailed checks, or your bank’s processing time for electronic (ACH) transfers. ACH transfers are normally in your account the next business day.

Can I get paid electronically?

Yes, electronic transfer via ACH is available. However, ACH transfers are not ideal for every school.

First, you should make certain that your school has the online capability of monitoring your bank credits daily and identifying incoming transfers based on specific training records you submitted for payment. Not all banks transmit the identifying information we send with each ACH transfer. Your accounting records can quickly become confused if your incoming transfers are not reconciled daily.

We recommend caution because Flight Training Finance cannot provide account reconciling services for old discrepancies between your school’s accounting records and your bank balance. We can only provide records of recent transfers made and which invoices or charges these transfers applied to. We may have to assess fees for reconciliation work for activity earlier than the previous month.

How will I know how much funding students have left?

At the end of each month we mail a statement to all active flight schools that have students with training funds remaining. This statement displays the remaining funding balance for each student, as well as a list of all checks or electronic transfers paid out to the flight school during the month. These statements are useful for accounting and reconciliation purposes.

Flight School FAQs

Step 3: Learn the Benefits

Will a new student tell me if he is worried about money?

Not likely. It’s embarrassing for students to have to say “I can’t afford it” when they are talking about their dream.

You may never know how many students just walk away over money issues. But you can identify these students and erase their concerns with three simple sentences:

“We have financing available for our training.”
“Monthly payments are pretty low.”
“Would you like a brochure?”

What do I do if a student begins to drift away from training?

When a student starts to drift away from the training they love, they will likely give you a reason. While it may be partially true, this student is typically using another reason to cover the true issue – money!

This is the time to say three simple sentences:

“This may not apply to you, but we have financing available.”
“The payments are pretty low.”
“Would you like a brochure?”

How can I get “Walkaway Joe” to sign on the dotted line?

“Walkaway Joe” is the key to increasing your business and profits. He or she dreams of being a pilot but cannot afford to train without financing. He or she has come to you for information so show them how affordable their payments can be through Flight Training Finance; guide them along the application process.

You will sign up dedicated students with a sure source of training funds – a flight school’s dream!

How can I retain “Driftaway Dan”?

“Driftaway Dan” is a student who never flat out says “I quit” but is definitely no longer contributing to your revenue.

Flight Training Finance offers a solution to this problem. When a student is signed up for a complete training program with low monthly payments, there is a built-in incentive for the student to see training through to completion. Until the student says “I quit” in a written notification or email to us, he is still required to make monthly payments. This will keep him flying on a consistent schedule and increase your revenue!

How will Flight Training Finance affect my school’s revenue?

Flight Training Finance’s historical dropout rate is significantly lower than the national average. Data is available for those that are interested. Lower dropout rates translate to more of your students finishing their training and achieving their goal.

Second, each student’s financed funds are put aside in escrow for your school. The student cannot use the funds for other expenses or emergencies.

More of your students will take their training on a regular, reliable schedule. More students will finish their training. All of this means more revenue for you.

Does it really matter how I get paid?

Yes! Compare the FAA dropout rate of approximately 70% to the Flight Training Finance dropout rate of 8-10%.

Annual FAA statistics include all students that obtain their Student Pilot Certificate and have paid for each lesson with the traditional method of cash or credit card. Flight Training Finance statistics include all students who, since 1999, have paid for their training through financing with Flight Training Finance. That translates into 9 out of 10 students that finance their training end up finishing a full program.

Financing student’s training translates into consistent streams of revenue for your flight school!

Flight School FAQs

Step 4: Training Compatibility

Is financing through Flight Training Finance primarily for private and instrument training?

Yes. For a student with little to no flight experience we typically finance a program for the student’s private pilot and/or instrument training. This will result in an affordable monthly payment for most students.

For students that have no flight experience and want to finance a program all the way through their commercial certification, it is increasingly likely the student will find the monthly payments to be too large and/or the training schedules to be too slow.

What about advanced training and add-on ratings?

For students that currently have their private pilot, instrument, or more advanced certification, we may be able to finance advanced training. If your student is looking to finance an advanced certification, make sure that the program still fits within the rest of our guidelines, specifically with regard to minimum program sizes and training schedules.

What type of training schedules are available?

We finance training programs of between 1-5 lessons per week, averaging up to 2.0 hours of aircraft rental per lesson. Training programs of more than 5 lessons per week, or more than 2.0 hours per lesson, are considered “accelerated” or “full-time” training and are not compatible with our financing.

Are there minimum program sizes?

A typical “full” training program usually includes 55-65 hours of aircraft rental. To qualify for full repayment terms as indicated on the yellow payment estimation sheet in your school enrollment binder, a training program must include 45 or more hours of aircraft rental.

We consider “partial” programs of 25-44 hours of aircraft rental on an exception basis, but with shorter repayment terms to reflect the smaller program size. If you plan to submit a Prepaid Flight Training Agreement with 25-45 hours of aircraft rental, please call us before you do so at (800) 667-0201. This way we can provide you with an estimate of the repayment terms and monthly payment size of the program, which you can convey to the student.

We are not able to finance training programs with fewer than 25 hours of aircraft rental.

Are there maximum program sizes?

There is no maximum program size. The maximum approval size is determined by the student’s payment history, income and employment history, outstanding debts and ability to make the agreed monthly payments.

When you are preparing a Prepaid Flight Training Agreement for a student that has already been conditionally approved, the maximum amount he is approved for will be indicated on his credit response.

Flight School FAQs

Step 5: How to Enroll

Enroll Today.

Begin the Enrollment Process Today

3 steps to Enroll. First, read all the Flight School program FAQs to make certain our programs will be a good fit for:

The type of training services your school provides; and
Your school’s administrative capabilities

Second, use one of the first two options at the right to review our Pre-Enrollment Information Package.

Finally, complete an Enrollment Profile form.

You can get this from us, or
You can print and use the form from the Pre-Enrollment Information Package, or
You can complete the Online Enrollment form using the third button at the right.

View/Print Information Package Request an Information Package Enroll Online

Apply At Your Flight School

Does the school where you plan to train already offer our financing? If the answer is yes, you can apply directly through your flight school.

Enrolled flight schools have personalized applications on hand for you to fill out. If you submit an application through a flight school, we will respond within 1 business day directly to the flight school. This is generally the fastest way to get you in the air!

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View/Print Application Package

If you would prefer to print the application along with additional information about our finance programs, you can access our Flight Student Information Package right here. After you have filled out the application, you can submit it via fax to (847) 267-1800 or scan and email it to [email protected] for the quickest response. Or, you can send it to us via U.S. mail if you do not have access to a fax machine or a scanner.

We will issue a response to you via U.S. mail within 1 business day. You can call us 24 business hours after we receive your application to inquire about the status.
View/Print Application Package

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Click to select your form name below to see each thumbnail.
Then click VIEW/PRINT for a viewable/printable PDF.

Finance Application|Customer Brochure|Preferred Rates|Credit Cards?|3 Reason Brochure

The Application Form

Complete the application form as fully as possible. Sign the form at the bottom of page 1. Optional co-borrower information and comments you provide on page 2 can make your application stronger.

VIEW/PRINT

Customer Brochure

Available at any Enrolled flight school, the brochure describes how our programs work. Check the table and payment examples to make sure our programs will work for the training you need.

VIEW/PRINT

Preferred Rates

See how you can save up to 25% of all interest charges just by making your payments on time! Every Flight Training Finance customer receives a Preferred Customer Interest Refund Certificate.

VIEW/PRINT

Credit Cards Considerations

Straight talk about the advantages and disadvantages of paying for some types of flight training with a credit card. This information will help you evaluate your options and make the best decisions.

VIEW/PRINT

3 Reasons Brochure

We want you to become a pilot! We also want to make sure your expectations are realistic. This brochure tells the story of why some flight students fail to achieve their training goal.

VIEW/PRINT

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Request a Mailed Application Package

If you prefer to fill in a physical copy of the application but do not have access to a printer, we would be happy to mail you a copy of the Flight Student Application Package! Please complete the information form below and we will put a copy in the mail for you within 24 business hours.

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Apply Online

Before you apply, we strongly recommend that you read through all of our FAQs, if you have not already done so. Our FAQs provide the information you need to obtain financing approval for the type of training YOU want.

Go to Flight Student FAQs

I have read the FAQs and am ready to apply for financing. Please verify that you have read our FAQs before proceeding.

Proceed to Application

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Flight School FAQs

Step 6: Originating New Accounts

Make sure the applications you submit are as complete as possible.
Use co-borrowers whenever possible.
Provide optional information to explain any issues in the student’s credit history, plans for long term training, etc.
Make sure the student knows what monthly payment to expect so there are no surprises when the contract arrives.
If additional information is requested, submit it completely and all at the same time.

Important Flight School FAQs

If you may want to offer our financing to students, read this information FIRST!

Profitable

Easy

Free

Fast

Safe

Flight School FAQs

Flight School FAQs

Flight School FAQs

Flight School FAQs

Flight School FAQs

Begin the Enrollment Process Today

Apply At Your Flight School

View/Print Application Package

Click to select your form name below to see each thumbnail. Then click VIEW/PRINT for a viewable/printable PDF.

The Application Form

Customer Brochure

Preferred Rates

Credit Cards Considerations

3 Reasons Brochure

Request a Mailed Application Package

Apply Online

Flight School FAQs

Click to select your form name below to see each thumbnail.
Then click VIEW/PRINT for a viewable/printable PDF.