I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6926 
To provide deferment to certain Federal student loan borrowers who are 
accruing aeronautical experience required for airline transport pilot cer-
tification. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 
Mr. COFFMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To provide deferment to certain Federal student loan bor-
rowers who are accruing aeronautical experience required 
for airline transport pilot certification. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pilot Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFERRAL OF LOAN REPAYMENT DURING AC-
CRUAL OF AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE RE-
QUIRED FOR AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT 
CERTIFICATION. 
Part G of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 493E. DEFERRAL OF LOAN REPAYMENT DURING AC-
CRUAL OF AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE RE-
QUIRED FOR AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT 
CERTIFICATION. 
‘‘(a) DEFERRAL OF LOAN REPAYMENT DURING AC-
CRUAL OF AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE.—In addition to 
any deferral of repayment of a loan made under this title 
pursuant 
to 
section 
428(b)(1)(M), 
455(f)(2) 
or 
464(c)(2)(A), a qualified borrower shall be eligible for a 
deferment, during which periodic installments of principal 
need not be paid and interest shall not accrue, for a period 
not to exceed 3 years following the attainment of a bach-
elor’s degree described in subsection (b)(1), except that 
a deferment under this subsection shall expire upon the 
qualified borrower’s— 
‘‘(1) completion of the aeronautical experience 
requirements imposed under section 44703 of title 
49, United States Code, for the airline transport 
pilot certificate sought; or 
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‘‘(2) failure to actively work to accrue the aero-
nautical experience required to apply for such certifi-
cate. 
‘‘(b) QUALIFIED BORROWER.—The term ‘qualified 
borrower’ means a borrower of a loan under this title 
who— 
‘‘(1) has attained a bachelor’s degree with an 
aviation major from an institution of higher edu-
cation that has been issued a letter of authorization 
by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Admin-
istration under section 61.169 of title 14, Code of 
Federal Regulations; and 
‘‘(2) is actively working to accrue the aero-
nautical experience required to apply for an airline 
transport pilot certificate. 
‘‘(c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than one year after 
the date of enactment of the Pilot Act of 2018, the Sec-
retary shall, in consultation with the Administrator of the 
Federal Aviation Administration, develop guidelines— 
‘‘(1) for determining for the purposes of this 
section when a borrower has completed the aero-
nautical experience requirements imposed under sec-
tion 44703 of title 49, United States Code, for the 
airline transport pilot certificate sought; 
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‘‘(2) for determining for the purposes of this 
section whether a borrower is actively working to ac-
crue the aeronautical experience requirements re-
quired to apply for an airline transport pilot certifi-
cate; and 
‘‘(3) for reporting to the Secretary the progress 
a qualified borrower is making towards completion 
of such aeronautical experience requirements, includ-
ing the frequency of such reporting. 
‘‘(d) OTHER DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE.—The term 
‘aeronautical experience’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 61.1 of title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations. 
‘‘(2) AIRLINE
TRANSPORT
PILOT
CERTIFI-
CATE.—The term ‘airline transport pilot certificate’ 
means an airman certificate described in section 
44703(b)(2) of title 49, United States Code.’’. 
Æ 
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