Boeing recently estimated that 635,000 new pilots will need to enter the workforce around the world over the next 20 years to fly all the planes being built and replace the thousands of pilots expected to retire in the near future. If fewer students attend flight schools, the commercial airline industry drain on military pilots likely will become even more severe.

The Air Force asserts it is currently 2,000 pilots short. It's easy to see why. After only two years of working for a commercial airline, a pilot can earn more than $100,000 a year with about 15 days off per month. This is an attractive option compared to the military - even before considering some carriers are offering $45,000 signing bonuses for experienced pilots and $80,000 retention bonuses.

Some in Congress say paying for flight training for student veterans makes the Post-9/11 GI Bill unsustainable. Last month, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would essentially limit the ability for veterans using the GI Bill for flight training.

Currently, the Post-9/11 GI Bill guidelines for flight school listed on VA's website allow for a:

• Degree program that consists of flight training at a public institution of higher education, you can be reimbursed up to the public school in-state cost of the training and receive a monthly housing allowance and books-and-supplies stipend.

• Degree program that consists of flight training at a private institution of higher education, you can be reimbursed up to the full cost of the training or the national maximum (currently $19,198.31) per academic year, whichever is less. You may also receive a monthly housing allowance and books-and-supplies stipend.

Given these restrictions, student veterans who attend private institutions such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are forced to take out student loans to pay the remainder of their flight school training cost themselves, sometimes to the tune of $50,000 or more. The Yellow Ribbon Program does not cover the cost of flight school training, only tuition for the degree portion of the student's course work. The only remaining option for these students who do not wish to go into student loan debt is to attend public universities with flight programs, such as Florida Institute of Technology, where the GI Bill will cover the whole cost of their flight training.

The House-passed bill would limit the amount payable to public school flight training programs to the same level as private institutions - $19,193.31. Some veterans have explained that this means student veterans using the GI bill will be forced to take out student loans to complete their training at public universities just like they now must at private universities. They will have to take on additional costs to achieve the 1,500 flight hours the Federal Aviation Administration requires for most newly qualified pilots to fly for U.S. passenger airlines.

The bill was opposed by airline industry groups who pointed out “the VA's own analysis indicates that this change would dissuade virtually all veterans” from attending flight training while using the GI bill. VA estimates that 1,700 individuals are using their GI Bill benefits for flight training. Airline industry groups also stated that driving veterans away from flight school “is particularly concerning in the face of an acute and growing nationwide pilot shortage, which has already caused commercial air service cuts across the country.”

The bill at issue, H.R. 5649, Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William `Bill' Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act of 2018, passed the House on July 24, 2018, and will next be considered by the Senate. The Senate has not published a schedule indicating when they will be taking the bill up, but MOAA will track and report any additional developments. If you would like to share your thoughts on this issue, e-mail legis@moaa.org or call (800) 234-6622.