Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan for Flight School Students (Professional Pilot Only)

Sling Pilot Academy has teamed up with Sallie Mae to offer a financing option to help fund pilot training.

With the Sallie Mae® Smart Option Student Loan® for Flight School Students, students can get the money and resources they need to attend flight school and launch their career as a pilot.

  • You can borrow up to 100% of the cost of training and benefit from flexible repayment options to fit your needs: interest only, fixed repayment, and a deferred option.
  • No origination fee or prepayment penalty.
  • Variable or fixed interest rates.
  • Add a creditworthy cosigner.
    • Since most students have little or no credit history, they were nearly 4X more likely to be approved with a cosigner last year! A cosigner is usually a parent, relative, or other responsible adult with good credit, and having one may help you get a better interest rate.
  • Available to qualified international students with a creditworthy cosigner that is a US citizen or permanent resident

Sallie Mae® Application Guide

This guide walks you through the Sallie Mae application process and helps answer common questions along the way. You can apply to see your personalized interest rate-with no commitment to enroll.

Who's Applying?

Student (Student is required to be the primary borrower. Parents/sponsors are not eligible to borrow on behalf of the student.)

or

Cosigner (A cosigner can initiate the application. Most applicants submit the student portion first then add a cosigner if required by Sallie Mae.)

What kind of degree are you getting?

Select ‘Certificate’ for the degree type.

This loan is for my______?

Select ‘Certificate’ or Continuing Education.

'I plan to attend school' for?

Please be sure to select ‘Full-Time’ training. This loan program is only available for the Accelerated Full-Time Pilot Program.

Are you borrowing for the semester or the full academic year?

Sling Pilot Academy conducts training year-round. Please consider the full duration of your flight training when selecting.

What part of the academic year are you borrowing for?

Start date: Enrollment start date of August 2025, November 2025, or February 2026. 

End date: Select the month you anticipate your training will end based on the following:

  • Starting From Zero Time: (Allow for 12 Months of training)
  • Starting From Private Pilot/80 Hours Total Time: (Allow for 9 Months of Training)

 

(Don’t worry you can change it later when you’re ready to schedule.)

How would you like to apply?

You can submit your application individually or with a cosigner. If you’re not sure, you can submit the application individually to see if you qualify by yourself. The cosigner may be added to the application later.

Next, tell us about your cost of attendance.

Sallie Mae® defines cost of attendance as the maximum loan amount a student from Sling Pilot Academy can borrow which includes costs such as Examiner & Knowledge Test Fees, Training Materials and Living Expenses.

To continue to Sallie Mae® and start your application, click below:

Questions?

If you have questions while completing your application, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 424-250-0648