Delta Air Lines pilots speak with students about training and career paths during the 10th annual Aviation Career Day at Los Angeles International Airport on Oct. 30, 2025.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

College aviation programs are pushing the Education Department to designate them as professional and allow their students to access higher levels of federal loans.

So far, the lobbying effort has included a slew of public comments from aviation associations , airlines and aerospace institutions as well as a letter from a bipartisan group of more than 30 senators . Together, the air travel advocates argue that the bachelor’s degree necessary for a pilot’s license meets the same standards as a doctorate in medicine or law, which are more commonly cited as professional programs.

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