Funding flight training for students that normally reside outside of the U.S. presents unique challenges for both students and schools. The Foreign Student FAQs link in the white panel on the right addresses important questions about whether Flight Training Finance programs may or may not be useful for non-U.S. students planning to receive flight training in the United States.

Career Training Information

Foreign Student Considerations

For Students and Flight Schools

Flight Training Finance programs provide privately-sourced, unsecured training funds. Applicants and/or co-borrowers must have an established U.S.-based income and credit history. If you reside outside the U.S. and are seeking U.S.-based flight training, or if your school specializes in training foreign students, we strongly recommend that you review all of the information in this section before you proceed.

Foreign Student FAQs

Foreign Student Considerations

FAQs for Students and Flight Schools

What are Flight Training Finance’s citizenship requirements?

Flight Training Finance does not consider citizenship status as a criteria for approval. However, our programs are private finance transactions. The transactions are unsecured, meaning there is no collateral. Flight Training Finance is not a student loan company. Our finance transactions are not government-assisted.

You should note that your flight school will likely have FAA citizenship or visa requirements that must be satisfied, even if Flight Training Finance does not consider these factors.

Can I, as a foreign student, be approved for financing?

All students must possess the following two qualifications:

Qualifying Income. You must currently have an established wage income from a U.S.-based source that will be fully sufficient to easily pay the agreed monthly payments. Payments commence 30 days after training starts. Generally we cannot consider benefit, retirement or pension income, unless it can be clearly demonstrated that the income is not needed for normal living expenses or existing obligations.

Established Credit History. You must have a credit history, usually three years or more, showing prompt payment for transactions such as ours.

Can a Co-Borrower be used?

Yes. The Co-Borrower must have qualifying U.S.-based income and credit history. He or she must be prepared to pay the monthly payments as scheduled, without regard to whether or not he or she receives reimbursement from the flight student.

How can I, as a foreign student, obtain qualifying income and credit history?

Generally, it takes several years to accomplish this as you must first be qualified to work in the U.S. As a practical matter, most foreign-based flight students have an available, fully-qualified U.S. applicant who can sign the obligation and be fully responsible for making the monthly payments.

Individuals just starting to establish a credit history usually must begin with smaller types of accounts, like revolving credit cards or retail charge accounts, or more secured transactions, like auto loans or mortgages.