Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she will consider designating pilot flight training as a higher educational course for the purpose of student loans.

The courses designated for Higher Education student finance are set out in secondary legislation.To attract funding, students studying in England must generally be undertaking a course leading to a designated qualification at a provider registered with the Office for Students (OfS).

Registration with the OfS is a requirement in place to provide assurance to the Secretary of State for Education that students are receiving a high-quality academic experience and value for money.

Flying schools are welcome to apply to be on the OfS register. The funding available for designated programmes, which include pilot training, does not normally extend to costs associated with the commercial pilot’s licence and flying experience.