Updated January 4, 2015 at 2:42 PM ET
ASU STUDENT FINANCIAL GUIDE
Introduction
This guide provides ASU Professional Flight Program students and stakeholders with important information
about the cost of the flight training portion of the program. Use this information to make financial plans before
you start the program and as a student.
In this guide, you will learn about:
• recommended budget for each semester
• program structure and minimum costs
• historical median costs based on student performance
• tips to minimize cost
Detailed policies and procedures pertaining to ASU Professional Flight Program students and their flight
training with ATP may be found the ATP ASU Student Handbook.
Flight Training Budget
Recommended Budget by Semester
Semester
Certificate/Rating
Recommended
Budget
1
Private
$20,899.00
2
Instrument (1/2)
$14,648.00
3
Instrument (2/2)
$14,648.00
4
Commercial
$3,773.00
5
CFI
$6,367.00
Flight training requires a minimum of 5 semesters to train from zero flight time through certified flight
instructor. These semesters represent your first through fifth semesters of flight training, but not necessarily
your first through fifth semesters of your academic program.
The recommended budget represents minimum flight training program cost plus 20%. This provides a
modest buffer for extra training, if required, and designated pilot examiners fees. Add this recommended
flight training budget to your academic course budget.
Student Financial Guide
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Updated January 4, 2015 at 2:42 PM ET
The flight training budget does not include ASU class registration fees, FAA knowledge test fees, pilot
supplies, or living expenses.
Flight Training Program Outline
Aircraft
Hours
Rate
Cost
Private
78 Flight Hrs
CE-172
Dual
68
$198
$13,464.00
CE-172
Solo
10
$140
$1,400.00
Ground
25
$58
$1,450
Briefings
19
$58
$1,102
Total Module Estimate
$17,416.00
Instrument
122 Flight & FTD Hrs
CE-172
Dual
99
$198
$19,602
FTD
23
$73
$1,679
Ground
30
$58
$1,740
24
$58
$1,392
Total Module Estimate
$24,413.00
Briefings
Commercial Multi-Engine
46 Flight & FTD Hrs
PA-44
Dual
30
$379
$11,370
FTD
16
$73
$1,168
Ground
35
$58
$2,030
Briefings
7
$58
$406
Total Module Estimate
$14,974.00
Commercial Single-Engine
15 Flight Hrs
CE-172
Dual
15
$198
$2,970
0
$58
$0
3
$58
$174
Total Module Estimate
$3,144.00
Ground
Briefings
CFI (ME Initial, II, SE)
35 Flight Hrs
PA-44
Dual
14
$379
$5,306.00
CE-172
Dual
21
$198
$4,158.00
Ground
38
$58
$2,204
Briefings
8
$58
$464
Total Module Estimate
$12,132.00
Total Flight Program Estimate
$72,079.00
The flight training portion of the ASU Professional Flight Program is distributed across four stages of
certification: Private, Instrument, Commercial and CFI. Each stage should require just one semester to
complete, except the Instrument stage, which requires two semesters.
The estimated hours are minimum times. While it is possible to complete training in minimum times, most
students exceed minimum times by a small margin.
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Schedule of Rates
Base
Hourly Rate
Aircraft
Spring 2015
Hourly Rate
Single-Engine Cessna 172
Dual
$198
$198
Single-Engine Cessna 172
Solo
$140
$140
Multi-Engine Piper PA-44
Dual
$379
$379
Multi-Engine Piper PA-44
CK
$321
$321
Rates are updated each semester based on the cost of fuel. The rate quoted at the beginning of the
semester will remain fixed throughout the semester except in the most extreme circumstances. (For details,
see the ATP ASU Student Handbook.)
Historical Costs
The following table demonstrates the median flight training cost incurred by students who passed their
Private, Instrument, or Commercial certificate or rating within the last academic year.
Historical Costs by Certificate
Spring 2014 to Fall 2014
1
Median Cost with
Median Cost with
Conforming Flight
Non-Conforming
Blocks1
Flight Blocks2
Private
$17,416
$22,305
Instrument
$24,413
$26,462
Commercial
$14,974
$20,126
The “Conforming Flight Blocks” column includes students who substantially met the minimum participation
requirement of three flight blocks per week.
2
The “Non-Conforming Flight Blocks” column represents students who extended their training over a longer
than recommended period of time and did not meet the minimum participation requirement of three flight
blocks per week.
Tips to Minimize Cost
Meet Flight Block Requirement
ASU requires professional flight students to schedule a minimum of 3 flight blocks per week. Flight blocks are
your class schedule for flight training. Just like traditional classes, flight blocks are registered once at the
beginning of each semester. Students who regularly attend training events benefit from increased proficiency
and less re-training of previous lessons, which keeps costs on-budget.
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Arrive Prepared
Each flight, ground, or training device lesson has a lesson plan available on your student extranet. Read your
lesson plan, read the assignments, and arrive prepared. Students who arrive prepared spend their time flying
instead of re-training requisite ground school knowledge while losing flight proficiency. Students who arrive
prepared stay on-budget.
Train Over Consecutive Semesters
ASU recommends that students begin flight training in their freshman year and continue training for five
consecutive semesters, including summers. This improves flight proficiency and minimizes cost. It also
maximizes flight experience as a paid flight instructor while completing degree requirements in junior and
senior years.
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