Flight school loans aren’t necessarily hard to get. If you are attending an accredited institution in an eligible certification or degree program, you should be eligible for federal student loans. If you don’t qualify for federal student loans, you may still be able to get a private student loan.
Some personal loan lenders (like LendingPoint, Upstart and U.S. Bank) let you use their loans for flight school. Rates may be high, but your earning potential may be higher. Use a personal loan calculator to see if a personal loan is worth it.
Flight School Loans
Ways to pay for flight training: loans, student aid and alternatives
Updated on:
September 08, 2025
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Flight school loan rates
How Does LendingTree Get Paid?
LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
| Lender | APR range | Loan amounts |
|---|---|---|
 | 7.99% - 35.99% | $1,000 - $36,500 |
 | 6.70% - 35.99% | $1,000 - $75,000 |
 | 8.74% - 24.99% (with autopay) | $1,000 - $50,000 |
 | 6.39% - 8.94% | Varies by loan type |
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In 2024, LendingTree helped find funding for over 309,000 personal loans.
LendingPoint
7.99% - 35.99%
24 to 72 months
$1,000 - $36,500
660
Up to 10.00%
Pros
- Could get your loan as soon as the next business day
- Don’t need perfect credit to qualify
- Longer loan terms mean lower monthly payments (but more total interest)
Cons
- No joint loans
- Could have double-digit origination fee
- Can only borrow up to $36,500
What to know
LendingPoint offers personal loans that you can use for nearly anything, including flight school.
This fintech lending platform uses an AI algorithm during the application process. It doesn’t just consider your credit score, but your financial and credit health as a whole. This can make it easier to get approved.
However, it doesn’t offer joint loans. That means you can’t add a second person to your application to boost your approval odds, but will have to qualify based on your credit alone.
How to qualify
To get a loan from LendingPoint, you must meet its minimum criteria:
- Age: Be 18 years old or older
- Administrative: Provide identification issued by the U.S. government, have a Social Security number and have a bank account
- Income: Have a minimum income of $35,000
- Residency: Not live in Nevada or West Virginia
- Credit score: 660+
Upstart
6.70% - 35.99%
36 or 60 months
$1,000 - $75,000
300
0.00% - 12.00%
Pros
- Eligible college students and grads don’t need a credit score
- Accepts borrowers with bad credit
- Can borrow up to $75,000
Cons
- Could keep a large chunk of your loan as an origination fee
- No joint loans
- Only two loan terms to choose from: 36 or 60 months
What to know
Upstart is an online lending platform that also uses AI when reviewing loan applications. This helps it more accurately predict if you can pay your loan, even if you have bad credit. As a result, you only need a 300+ to qualify.
If you’re going to an accredited school to learn to fly, Upstart may even waive its credit score requirement. The same goes for eligible college graduates with at least an associate’s degree.
But like LendingPoint, Upstart doesn’t offer joint applications. It also charges an origination fee between 0.00% - 12.00%. Origination fees are more likely if you have bad credit.
How to qualify
Upstart has transparent eligibility requirements, including:
- Age: Be 18 or older
- Administrative: Have a U.S. address, personal banking account, email address and Social Security number
- Income: Have a valid source of income, including a job, job offer or another regular income source
- Credit-related factors: No bankruptcies within the last three years, reasonable number of recent inquiries on your credit report and no current delinquencies
- Credit score: 300+ (unless you’re an eligible college student or recent graduate, in which case Upstart could approve you with no credit)
U.S. Bank
8.74% - 24.99% (with autopay)
12 to 84 months
$1,000 - $50,000
Not specified
None
Pros
- Can add a second person to your application to help you get approved
- No origination fees
- Can get help in person at a branch, over the phone or by video call
Cons
- Must be a current U.S. Bank account holder to qualify for the biggest loans and longest terms
- Loan funding can take up to four business days
What to know
Although U.S. Bank is brick-and-mortar, it also offers personal loans online.
Banks (as opposed to lending platforms) tend to charge fewer fees. U.S. Bank is no exception. It doesn’t charge an origination fee. You can also get personalized service from a banker if you need it.
How big a loan you can get and for how long depends on whether you currently have an account with U.S. Bank. If you do, you can borrow $1,000 – $50,000 for 12 to 84 months. If not, you’re capped to $25,000 with a maximum term of 60 months.
How to qualify
U.S. Bank considers the following when deciding whether to approve you for a loan:
- Credit score
- Credit history
- Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio
Learn more about personal loan requirements and how lenders like U.S. Bank make approval decisions.
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Frequently asked questions
If you can’t afford flight school (and even if you can), you should apply for an aviation grant through the FAA. You may also qualify for aviation or STEM scholarships.
The major airlines also partner with ATP flight school, so you could get trained through ATP and target an airline with a generous reimbursement program. There are also federal student loans and private student loans for flight school.
The FAA doesn’t require you to go to college to get a pilot’s license, but a bachelor’s degree could help you get hired. A bachelor’s degree also means fewer flight hours are needed to get your Restricted Airline Pilot (R-ATP) certificate (1,000 flight hours versus 1,500 without a degree).