Jacksonville University

Hey, what's good? I was recently given a $15,000 scholarship every four years (totaling $60,000) to attend Jacksonville University for the Flight Management/Professional Pilot major..

I was also accepted into Embry-Riddle with only a $6,000 scholarship every four years. ERAU sent me a total tuition notice, which would be $39,000 yearly.

I tried weighing the pros and cons.. There are low fare nonstop flights to JAX from JFK since I'll be visiting NY a lot, while it's pricey to get to DAB. The tuition for JU is much less than ERAU, and I was awarded a larger scholarship for JU. I know ERAU is very reputable, but my pilot's license at either school would be the same, wouldn't it?

Any thoughts on Jacksonville University and if I should attend ?

Thanks for your info.

>>s!koutr!s

I'm really no expert in the field, but all of the flying in our flying training program here (Air Force Academy) is contracted out to Embry Riddle.

I'm really no expert in the field, but all of the powered flying in our flying training program here (Air Force Academy) is contracted out to Embry Riddle.
*Update, the Air Force is dropping ERAU's contract in September of 2007 completely. Don't know specifically why, though.*

A lot of the instructor pilots are ERAU graduates... and very cynical ERAU graduates might I add. While they are really nice people and all, and enjoyed their time at ERAU, many of them bitch at how expensive it was to go there, how they can barely survive because of the loans they have to pay off, and how graduating there has gotten them no further than "joe schmo" who went and did it the cheap way. In fact, a lot of them said if they had to do it all over again, they wouldn't go to ERAU, and they may not even have chosen to fly.

Now, I'm sure that not everyone from ERAU feels like that, and that many are really happy at their jobs, this is just what I've personally seen.

Also, if you're looking to fly for any of the airlines, it seems that all they care about are hours. All everyone talked about here was "I need to get X more hours to be competitive for a regional carrier". Therefore, going the cheapest possible way seems to be the way to go, so that you aren't paying off loans 10 years down the road.

Mike go where the money is, even if you go for only a year and decide the school isn't right and transfer you'll still be well ahead of the game. Whats the worst that can happen you go to JU love it and stay.

Thanks guys! Appreciate the info. I actually spoke with a pilot last night. She works for Comair and graduated from Riddle. She explained to me how she regrets goign to ERAU because you pay so much only to learn how to fly. She also explained to me how I need a certain amount of hours and how a pilot's license is a pilot's license. Finally, she told me how some of her fellow graduates weren't able to properly calculate flap setting depending ont he weight of the aircraft.. that's sad.

I think I'm going with JU.

Thanks again.

Congrats on the scholarships, Mike! :)

Thanks Mel!