[ QUOTE ]
Well the more money you can save on your way to becoming a pilot; the better off you will be. Why not just train at one of the little FBOs somewhere?
[/ QUOTE ]
For most people from stable financial backgrounds, this would be a good idea. Unfortunately, I have never known much in the way of financial stability. I tend to thrive in academic environments and use my merit to pay for things I need to do, and to advance myself so that I won't meet that degree of instability again.
Take my sister, for example, who just had to go back down to Alabama a couple of weeks ago because she ran out of money in NY after a car accident. She then discovered she wasn't going to get the job she expected she would. Four days ago, she hopped on a bus in Alabama with $200 in her pocket and a bag of clothes. She arrived in Duluth, Minnesota and then went on to book a hotel and arrive at her new job at the University of Minnesota as a teaching assistant. She now also has a full scholarship for graduate studies in mathematics to work on her master's degree, and just secured an apartment by lake Superior! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
The story can be way longer than that, but I'll spare ya this time! ...We have always used universities for mobility, motivation, and financial stability.
It would be a much easier and faster path in my personal case to get my training through ASU's program than to find a local FBO and train there. I'm eligible for tons more financial assistance in that light.