More than a dozen aviation groups have expressed their strong opposition to a congressional bill that includes provisions that would disproportionately harm veterans seeking careers in aviation.
House Resolution (H.R.) 7323, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2024, would impose a lifetime cap of $115,749 on flight training benefits starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. While that amount is larger than a $108,480 cap initially proposed, it still represents a “substantial limitation” to funds accessible to veterans for flight training, according to the aviation advocates.
“Aviation is a vital industry, supporting over 7% of the U.S. GDP and providing more than 11.5 million jobs,” noted the Sept. 17, 2024, letter sent to House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA-4) and Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8). “The aviation sector is in dire need of qualified pilots, and veterans are among the best candidates to fill this demand.
“Limiting veterans’ benefits through a cap would restrict their access to these crucial career opportunities at a time when the industry needs them most,” the letter continued.
High costs often prohibit those seeking flight training through civilian programs, the groups noted. Without adequate benefits coverage, veterans would face the choice to either take on significant personal debt or abandon flight training entirely.
Furthermore, the letter continued, the bill imposes “unfair and discriminatory” funding caps on veterans pursuing aviation careers that do not exist for veterans seeking degrees and career training in other fields.
“We remain committed to working with Congress to ensure that veterans can access the benefits they were promised, and that they can pursue careers in aviation without financial obstacles,” the groups concluded. “We urge you to remove the cap on flight training benefits in H.R. 7323 and ensure veterans can fully utilize their GI Bill benefits to pursue careers that are both rewarding and necessary to the nation’s future.”
Groups signing the letter include the National Business Aviation Association, the Air Medical Operators Association, Airborne Public Safety Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Airlines for America, American Association of Airport Executives, Experimental Aircraft Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Air Carrier Association, National Air Transportation Association, National Association of State Aviation Officials, Regional Airline Association, and Vertical Aviation International.
Read the full letter here.
How many candidates graduate and obtain employment as pilots on heavy aircraft?
I know things are higher but some years back ATP training was advertised at $20k
Maybe the academic pricing structure needs review to see if there’s $1M+ salaries involved like so many groups have.
I don’t know. The math implies that $116k should be more than adequate for a candidate to get both an ASEL/CP and and AMEL/CP with Instrument and CFI certificate. The next 1000 hours of logbook time toward an ATP should be on the student, not the taxpayer.
Whomever came up with this Bill should face a Firing Squad…..Really
$115,749 is almost twice as much as an Active Duty military member can get for flight training under the post 911 GI Bill. The post 911 GI Bill currently pays up to $16,535.46 per “Academic Year”. So why should a reservist get so much more? Maybe these aviation groups should say thank you for providing so much money for reservists, instead of asking for even more.
I totally agree with MikeM’s comment of Sept 24 at 9:48…