Financing of your pilot training

Overview on rates, grants/subsidies, and financing options

Launch aid to start your life as a pilot

Your financing options in detail

Very few young people are able to finance the pilot training out of pocket. We have compiled options on this page that you can avail yourself of to finance your training so that your dream job of pilot does not have to remain a dream. We are currently working on other aid and will add relevant information on this page as appropriate.

At the moment we are offering the following financing options:

Financing options provided by Brain Capital in Germany and the EU

FINANCING OPTIONS WITHOUT FURTHER FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS – BRAIN CAPITAL’S EDUCATION FUND

Our financing partner, Brain Capital GmbH, offers a downstream income-related financing model aimed at providing access to pilot training for everybody. Once you have concluded a training contract with EFA, no further financial security (e.g., guarantee provided by a family member) is required. This financing offer is open to all interested parties who are EU citizens.

Your financial aid might look like this*:

You have basic capital of € 30,000, which you raise yourself (or via our financial partner Albatros, for example) and with that can start your pilot training. Brain Capital provides you with the capital for the remaining costs of your training of € 80,000. Repayment commences only once the minimum annual income exceeds € 30,000. From then on you will repay a fixed percentage of your income over a period of twelve years.

The specific repayment amount is contingent upon your income level – the more you earn, the higher your repayment amount will be, and vice versa (principle of solidarity). This means that the model adapts to your personal career and ability to pay. Repayment is only made in the years in which your annual income exceeds €30,000. After 20 years at the latest, you no longer have any obligations. You can find the most significant details in the attached flyer**.

The contact persons at Brain Capital are looking forward to your message or your call and will happily advise you.

*The above data are for illustration purposes only. The contractual terms and conditions are agreed upon directly between you and Brain Capital without the involvement of the European Flight Academy and may deviate from the data above.

** The respective providers are responsible for the content of the informational materials (flyers, videos).

Brain Capital GmbH

Financial aid provided by Albatros in Germany

DIFFERENT LOAN OPTIONS

In addition to Brain Capital's education fund, our financial partner Albatros offers various forms of financial options for pilot training. In these cases, the borrowers are persons who have a fixed income – oftentimes the parents.

Personal loans: The financing amount can be anywhere between € 2,000 and € 100,000 and is paid out immediately. The maximum term is 10 years.
Real estate loans: Real estate can be mortgaged with an unencumbered charge on land starting at financing amounts of € 50,000. The long-term loan of up to 30 years, in particular, is an attractive option in this context.

Please note that all financing options provided by Albatros require a borrower/guarantor with a fixed income and a permanent residence in Germany.
The Albatros team is looking forward to your inquiry and will be happy to advise you in detail.

The respective providers are responsible for the content of the informational materials (flyers, videos).

To the Albatros website

Albatros Financial Solutions GmbH

BAföG in Germany

Educational aid pursuant to the Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (BAföG, German Federal Law on Educational Support) for the ATPL

Because of the recognition of equivalence pursuant to the Federal Law on Educational Support (BAföG), it has been possible since October 1st, 2019, to apply for educational aid for the duration of the training at the European Flight Academy.

As a rule, every student registered with EFA at the training location in Germany is eligible to apply for educational aid. An application can be filed once the training agreement has been signed. The relevant documentation will be provided upon request following conclusion of the training agreement. If approved, educational aid will be provided starting with the month in which the training commences; at the earliest, however, with the month in which the application is filed.

For the time spent in the USA in the context of the training, an application for educational aid is to be filed with the competent international office, in this case the Studierendenwerk Hamburg – Amt für Ausbildungsförderung (Student Services – Office for Education Funding (BAföG-Amt).

Financial aid, government subsidies, and declarations of intent to hire by airlines in Switzerland

Contributions by the cantons for the training course with the degree of “Dipl. Pilot/-in HF” (officially recognized by the Swiss educational system)
The Interkantonale Vereinbarung über Beiträge an die Bildungsgänge der höheren Fachschulen (HFSV, Inter-Cantonal Agreement on Contributions for Educational Programs at Technical Colleges) has been the basis for the equitable access of students to the educational programs at higher technical colleges (HF, Höhere Fachschulen). In particular, the Inter-Cantonal Agreement provides for the amount of the contributions that a canton makes to the education of its students.
The study programs at the higher technical colleges are funded in part by these cantonal contributions, provided, however, that our students meet certain requirements, including, but not limited to, having a place of residence in Switzerland (while pursuing their training).
Any subsidies paid out are already deducted (current as of 10/2022) from the training costs, as we do not offer the training in a break-even manner at this time.

When training to become a pilot in Switzerland, you will have the opportunity to get a declaration of intent to hire with the SWISS and Edelweiss Lufthansa Group airlines already prior to the start of the training. The prerequisite in this case is that you receive, in an additional selection step that is called the “pre-airline fit,” a favorable decision (“board positive”). If you have received such a favorable decision and have concluded your declaration of intent to hire, you can avail yourself of the funding benefits.

With an initial investment of CHF 35,000, you can begin your training. As a Swiss citizen, you will receive a federal subsidy pursuant to the Verordnung über die Finanzhilfen für Ausbildungen im Bereich der Luftfahrt (VFAL, Swiss ordinance on financial aid for aviation training) in the amount of CHF 60,000, while as an EU/EFTA citizen the corresponding amount will be CHF 36,000. The remaining costs of CHF 45,000 respectively CHF 69,000 will be deferred by the airline, which means that you can pay them back out of your salary as a pilot after completion of your training, starting in the 3rd year with a monthly payment of CHF 1,000 for 45 months (applicable to Swiss citizens) respectively with a monthly payment of CHF 1,150 for 5 years (applicable to EU/EFTA citizens).

Payment by training phase

We invoice you before the respective training sections, so you don't have to provide the entire training sum at once.

The training phases and payment rates in Germany are structured as follows:

Download payment rates Germany

The Swiss training phases and payment rates are structured as follows:

Download payment rates Switzerland

Funding through partial scholarships for program participants of non-profit organizations

We want to offer talented young people who have been means-tested the opportunity to make their dream of becoming a pilot a reality, which is why we enter into cooperation agreements with foundations and non-profit associations.
Our first partner is a registered association for intercultural encounters, the AFS Interkulturelle Begegnungen e. V. Alumni of the year-long study-abroad program or the volunteer service whose means-test has been positive may be eligible for a partial scholarship. Interested students of at least 15 years of age can apply for the year-long study-abroad program. Please note that the grants are reserved exclusively for AFS-Almuni.

To the AFS Website