Aviation degree · Hanceville, AL · Checked September 28, 2026
What an aviation degree at Wallace State Community College costs
A 2-year associate's (AAS) program. Tuition, room & board, and flight fees, each from the school's own published pages, summed into an all-in estimate. Flight fees are billed separately and on top of tuition. This is a planning estimate, not the school's quote.
Section 1Cost estimate
PilotBound all-in estimate
$82.2K
In-state, all-in
$97.4K
Out-of-state, all-in
Tuition + room & board (2 years) + whole-program flight fees. Sourced figures summed, not the school's quoted package. Tuition changes yearly.
The numbers, with sources
- Tuition (in-state)
- $10,108
- $5,054/yr × 22026-27Source
- Wallace State publishes tuition for the WHOLE five-semester CFI Airplane AAS, $10,108 in state, rather than per year; this is that figure spread over the two years this tool models, so the all-in reconciles to the college's own sheet. Its published per-credit rate is $133 for Alabama residents.
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $25,308
- $12,654/yr × 22026-27Source
- Whole-program out-of-state tuition of $25,308 spread over two years. Non-residents pay twice the in-state per-credit rate.
- Room & board
- $19,400
- $9,700/yr × 22026-27Source
- On-campus housing $4,000 plus the food allowance $5,700 from Wallace State's estimated cost of attendance, for a resident student enrolled in 12 or more credit hours. Living off campus is dearer: the same sheet allows $8,600 for housing. The page does not state an academic year.
- Flight training (whole program)
- $52,675
- 2026-27Source
- Wallace State's own single figure for the flight fees on the CFI Airplane AAS, from its 26-27 program cost sheet dated 21 April 2026, billed on top of tuition. The MULTI-ENGINE option of the same degree is $66,175 instead, $13,500 more. The sheet itemises the rest of the bill too, and those lines are NOT in this figure: $3,000 of DPE checkride fees, $600 of FAA written exams, $1,000 of textbooks, $800 of program resources, a $200 medical, a $350 headset and about $250 of charts and small kit. Wallace State calls the whole sheet an estimate subject to change.
- All-in (in-state)
- $82,183
Section 2Paying for it
Two ways to cover $82,183.
Win what you can first, then borrow only what is left. Neither figure assumes anything about you: one is what our scholarship directory holds, the other is what the lenders publish.
- Money you keepScholarships you could apply for51 open to anyone. Top awards reach $22,200.No Alabama-only awards in the directory yet.
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- Money you pay backLenders that cover $82,183Four of the six lenders in our comparison lend this much. That is whether a loan this size is on offer, not whether you would be approved.
- 4 of 6
Section 3Add to my plan
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A degree is one path. Build a free plan to map every step to your checkride and see it against the other routes.
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Track your flight training at Wallace State.
Enter the aircraft and instructor rates from Wallace State Community College's flight program when you set up PilotBound, and the app tracks every flight you log against the projection, rating by rating.
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Section 5Questions
- How much does an aviation degree at Wallace State Community College cost?
- Summing Wallace State Community College's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 2 years, PilotBound estimates about $82,183 all in for an in-state student and $97,383 out of state. That is a sum of the school's published figures, not the school's own quoted package price, and flight fees are billed pay-as-you-go on top of tuition rather than as a fixed bill.
- How much are flight fees at Wallace State Community College?
- Wallace State Community College publishes about $52,675 for the whole flight sequence its 2-year associate's degree trains (2026-27), separate from and on top of tuition. Flight fees move with your pace and the hours you actually fly, which is why they are the least predictable line in a collegiate aviation budget.
- What is tuition at Wallace State Community College?
- Wallace State Community College publishes about $5,054 per year in-state and $12,654 out of state for 2026-27. Over the 2-year program that is roughly $10,108 versus $25,308, before room and board and before any flight fees. Residency is usually the largest single lever on a collegiate aviation budget.
- Does an aviation degree from Wallace State Community College lower the airline hour requirement?
- Yes. Wallace State Community College's 2-year associate's aviation degree is a qualifying degree under 14 CFR 61.160, which lets you hold a restricted ATP at 1,250 hours instead of the standard 1,500. That is the concrete thing the degree buys beyond the credential itself, and it is worth weighing against the tuition and room and board a non-degree path does not carry.
Section 6Sources
Figures are Wallace State Community College's own published tuition, room & board, and flight fees, summed by PilotBound into a planning estimate. They are not the school's quoted program price, and they will differ from a student's actual cost. Flight fees are pay-as-you-go and vary with a student's pace. Confirm current numbers with the school. The 1,250-hour airline minimum comes from a qualifying degree under 14 CFR 61.160. PilotBound is not affiliated with Wallace State Community College. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Primary sources: wallacestate.edu·wallacestate.edu·wallacestate.edu·wallacestate.edu
Other Alabama aviation degree programs
- Auburn University · Auburn
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