A brand new bipartisan invoice has been launched within the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate aimed toward addressing the pilot scarcity and enhancing range within the years to return.
The Flight Education Access Act, sponsored by Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Colin Allred (D-TX-32), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05) and Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), seeks to extend the restrict for people taking out pupil loans to pay for flight coaching whereas additionally rising range inside pilot coaching applications.
Currently, airline pilots are required to finish Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-regulated coaching costing roughly $80,000 in tuition and charges related to the four-year diploma, in response to the University Aviation Association. If handed, the laws would enhance the overall most quantity of Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans an eligible dependent could borrow to $111,000; enhance the utmost quantity for impartial college students to $137,500 and enhance the utmost quantity of Federal Direct Stafford Loans to a complete of $65,000.
The Flight Education Access Act would additionally require the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on the invoice’s implementation, the variety of flight schooling and coaching applications and enrolled college students, and demographic information on college students’ participation within the mortgage program.
Finally, the invoice authorizes a grant program to extend range within the pilot workforce pipeline via partnerships between business and academic establishments, together with scholarship, outreach and growth applications and startup grants for greater schooling establishments to create aviation applications aimed toward college students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds.
Currently, Black Americans symbolize solely 3.4 % {of professional} pilots.
“I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan bill that addresses the need to grow our qualified aviation workforce, particularly in cities like Memphis,” Congressman Cohen, who serves as the highest Democrat on the House Aviation Subcommittee, mentioned in a press release. “From tourism to increased cargo shipments, our local economy has come roaring back, and that’s contributing to strong demand for a growing qualified aviation workforce.”
“Long delays and cancellations have become all too common in airports across the country, and part of the reason is due to a shortage of pilots. Our commonsense proposal would help close the gap by creating outreach programs and giving prospective pilots the same loan opportunities granted to students at traditional four-year schools,” added Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer.
The invoice is being supported by the Regional Airline Association (RAA), Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Airlines for America (A4A), Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), National Air Carrier Association (NACA), University Aviation Association (UAA) and the National Business Aviation Association.
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