Georgia Aviation Mechanic Schools 2026-27: Costs, HOPE & FAA Pass Rates

Updated September 30, 2026. Verified against 2026-27 school catalogs, FAA pass-rate data and Georgia HOPE rules. How we verify.

Georgia has nine schools with FAA-certificated aviation maintenance programs that train you for the Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic exams, plus one private academy that reports FAA approval. Universal Technical Institute added aviation maintenance at its new Atlanta campus in Smyrna in 2026. Seven are public technical colleges where tuition runs $107 per credit hour and the HOPE Grant can cover all of it for Georgia residents. The other options are a public university (Middle Georgia State) and three private schools in metro Atlanta that cost several times more but start new classes more often.

Key takeaways

Cheapest route: a public technical college A&P certificate costs about $11,000 in tuition and fees before aid. With the HOPE Grant, most Georgia residents pay mainly fees, books and tools.
Fastest start: Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Duluth starts classes about every five weeks. Most public programs start only in fall and spring.
Highest FAA pass rates: South Georgia Tech (97.1%), Augusta Tech (93.1%) and Georgia Northwestern (92.3%) for Aug 2023–Dec 2024.
New in metro Atlanta: Chattahoochee Tech opened an FAA-certificated A&P program at the Paulding County airport in 2025, with day and night cohorts.
Watch the fine print: the HOPE Grant covers certificates and diplomas, not associate degrees.
New in 2026: Universal Technical Institute’s Atlanta campus in Smyrna lists aviation starts on October 26 and December 7, 2026, for a 78-week associate degree with books included.

Compare A&P schools in the Atlanta area

Georgia A&P schools compared

Costs are in-state tuition plus mandatory fees for each school’s full A&P credential. Technical college tuition is shown before the 15-credit-per-term cap, so your actual bill can be slightly lower. Books, tools and FAA exam fees are extra.

School	Full A&P credential	Length	Tuition + fees (in-state)	Starts	HOPE eligible	FAA pass rate*
Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Atlanta Metro Duluth	AMT certificate (78 credits)	21 months	$16,657 per year (federal data); program total not published	About every 5 weeks	No (federal aid and GI Bill)	77.4%
Universal Technical Institute – Atlanta Smyrna	Aviation Maintenance Technology associate degree (69 credits)	78 weeks (about 18 months)	$53,095, books included	Oct 26 and Dec 7, 2026	No (federal aid)	New program, no data yet
Chattahoochee Technical College Dallas (Paulding Co. airport)	AMT certificate (81 credits)	5 semesters day, 6 night	$9,492–$11,097	Fall, spring	Yes	New program, no data yet
Atlanta Technical College Atlanta	Separate Airframe (54 cr) and Powerplant (48 cr) certificates	3 semesters each	Airframe $6,999; Powerplant $6,357 (school estimates $9,626 / $8,626)	Fall, spring	Yes	81.8%
U.S. Aviation Academy Forest Park	A&P program	8–16 months	About $36,000 all-in (school-reported)	Not published	No	Not in FAA report
Central Georgia Technical College Macon	AMT certificate	Not published	$107/credit + $450/semester; total not published	Not published	Yes	83.7%
Middle Georgia State University Eastman	AMT certificate (~64 credits)	5 terms, about 20 months	$12,793	Fall, spring	HOPE Scholarship	89.6%
Augusta Technical College Thomson	AMT certificate (81 credits)	6 semesters, about 24 months	$11,883	Fall	Yes	93.1%
Savannah Technical College Savannah	AMT certificate (81 credits)	6 terms minimum, about 24 months	$11,223	Not published	Yes	80.6%
South Georgia Technical College Americus	AMT certificate (81 credits)	About 6 terms	$11,163	Every semester	Yes	97.1%
Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome	AMT certificate (81 credits)	6 AVMT terms, about 24 months	$12,003 (includes $180 supply fee each term)	Fall, spring	Yes	92.3%

*Combined General, Airframe and Powerplant written-test pass rate for each school’s graduates, Aug 1, 2023–Dec 31, 2024. The FAA labels this data preliminary. AIM Atlanta appears in FAA data under its operating company, Technical Education Services Inc.

What A&P school costs in Georgia

Public technical colleges (TCSG)

All seven Technical College System of Georgia schools with aviation programs charge $107 per credit hour in 2026-27 for Georgia residents and $214 for most out-of-state students. Tuition is capped at 15 credits per term ($1,605). Mandatory fees vary by college, from $376 per semester at Georgia Northwestern to $536 at Augusta Tech.

The standard full A&P credential is the 81-credit Aviation Maintenance Technician certificate. At $107 per credit that is $8,667 in tuition before the cap, plus about $2,300–$3,200 in fees over the program.

How the HOPE Grant changes the math

The HOPE Grant pays $107 per credit hour, which covers 100% of technical college tuition for eligible Georgia residents, up to 15 hours per term. Aviation maintenance certificates and diplomas are also on the 2026-27 HOPE Career Grant list, which adds a flat award each term. HOPE does not cover mandatory fees, books or tools.

Example: a Georgia resident in Augusta Tech’s 81-credit certificate would have the $8,667 tuition covered by the HOPE Grant, leaving about $3,216 in fees over six semesters, plus books and tools. The HOPE Career Grant award can offset part of that.

The exception: associate of applied science (AAS) degrees are not eligible for the HOPE Grant or HOPE Career Grant. If cost matters most, the certificate or diploma is the better value. Both prepare you for the same FAA exams.

Middle Georgia State University

As a University System of Georgia school, Middle Georgia State charges $176 per credit hour in-state (capped at 15 hours), plus $341 per semester in Eastman campus fees. The A&P certificate comes to about $12,793. Out-of-state students pay $680 per credit hour, and the border-state tuition waiver does not apply at the Eastman campus. HOPE Scholarship and Zell Miller apply here instead of the HOPE Grant.

Private schools

Aviation Institute of Maintenance does not publish program tuition by campus. Federal College Navigator data lists $16,657 per year in tuition and fees for the Duluth campus (2024-25) and an average net price of $27,982 per year after grants (2023-24). U.S. Aviation Academy advertises about $36,000 all-in, including tool use, digital textbooks and first attempts at the FAA exams. Universal Technical Institute’s new Atlanta campus in Smyrna lists $53,095 for its 78-week Aviation Maintenance Technology degree for students enrolling from August 2026, including books. UTI covers up to $2,000 in FAA written-test fees for graduates who meet its study criteria and test within 120 days. All three accept students on a rolling basis and run more intensive schedules.

FAA exam fees

Most programs do not include FAA testing costs. Budget roughly $500–$600 for the three written tests and $1,000–$1,600 or more for the oral and practical exam with a Designated Mechanic Examiner. These are typical national ranges, not official FAA fees.

Georgia A&P schools by region

Metro Atlanta

Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Atlanta Metro (Duluth)

AIM’s Duluth campus is the largest A&P school in the state by FAA test volume. It offers a 21-month Aviation Maintenance Technician certificate, a 21-month Associate of Occupational Studies (the only AIM campus that awards the AOS), and a 27-month Aviation Maintenance Technical Engineer certificate that adds avionics credentials (offered only here and in Orlando).

Best for: students who want to start soon. Classes begin about every five weeks, with day and evening options.
Accreditation: ACCSC. Eligible for federal financial aid and the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Outcomes: 53% completion and 70% employment for the 2021-22 AMT certificate cohort (school’s 2025 ACCSC disclosure).

Universal Technical Institute – Atlanta (Smyrna)

UTI, a national technical school best known for automotive and diesel training, added aviation maintenance at its new Atlanta campus at 7100 Highlands Pkwy SE in Smyrna. Its Aviation Maintenance Technology associate degree covers 1,950 clock hours (69 credits) over 78 weeks, combining hands-on labs with instructor-led online coursework.

Best for: students who want a structured, all-inclusive program. Books, uniforms and safety gear are included, and uTI covers up to $2,000 in FAA written-test fees for graduates who meet its study criteria and test within 120 days.
Cost: $53,095 for students enrolling from August 2026.
Starts: October 26 and December 7, 2026.
Track record: the program is too new for FAA pass-rate or graduation data. Ask the campus for its first-cohort results.

Chattahoochee Technical College (Dallas, GA)

Chattahoochee Tech received FAA certification for its A&P program in April 2025. Training takes place at the Aviation Training Academy next to Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport, a 55,000-square-foot facility with a 12,000-square-foot hangar.

Programs: 81-credit AMT certificate (1,695 contact hours), 90-credit diploma and 96-credit AAS.
Schedule: day cohorts Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., finishing in five semesters; a night cohort takes six. It is the only public program in Georgia we found with a published night option.
Cost: about $9,492 in tuition and fees for the fall day cohort after the 15-credit cap. Fees are $486 per semester plus a $50 AVMT supply fee.
Next deadline: October 16, 2026, with a required information session.

Atlanta Technical College

Atlanta Tech restarted its FAA-certificated program in 2022. It offers only separate Airframe (54 credits) and Powerplant (48 credits) certificates, each three semesters, rather than a single combined A&P credential.

Schedule: full-time days, Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Admission in fall and spring, ranked, with 25 seats per cohort.
Cost: the school estimates $9,626 for Airframe and $8,626 for Powerplant. Tuition and mandatory fees alone come to $6,999 and $6,357.
Aid: HOPE Career Grant and GI Bill, per the school.

U.S. Aviation Academy (Forest Park)

This Texas-based private academy opened a Georgia A&P campus in Forest Park in 2024, about 10 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. It advertises an 8-month full-time schedule and longer evening and weekend options for about $36,000 all-in.

Note: we could not independently confirm the Forest Park campus’s FAA Part 147 certificate, accreditation, federal aid eligibility or VA approval. The school’s own pages give conflicting information on several of these. Confirm directly before enrolling.

Middle Georgia

Central Georgia Technical College (Macon)

CGTC trains A&P students at its Aerospace Training and Sustainment Center in Macon, a joint effort with Robins Air Force Base. It has held FAA Part 147 certification since 1998 and is one of 47 Delta TechOps partner schools nationwide.

Programs: AAS degree, diploma, AMT certificate, and Airframe-only and Powerplant-only certificates.
Cost: $107 per credit and $450 per semester in fees. Credit totals and program length for 2026-27 are not clearly stated in public sources; confirm with the program.

Middle Georgia State University (Eastman)

Middle Georgia State’s School of Aviation in Eastman is the only university A&P option in Georgia and the only one with on-site aviation housing and a path to a bachelor’s degree.

Programs: AMT certificate (about 20 months, including one summer), AAS in Aviation Maintenance Technology (about 2.5 years) and an online BAS in Technical Management for completers.
Housing: Aviation Hall, $4,360 per semester for a single room on a 12-month lease.
Admission: separate School of Aviation application after admission to the university. Fall or spring start.

East and coastal Georgia

Augusta Technical College (Thomson)

Augusta Tech’s program runs at the Thomson-McDuffie Regional Airport, in a 16,000-square-foot center with six labs and four complete aircraft. It has an FAA written-test center in the airport terminal.

Programs: AAS (99 credits) and diploma (89) start in summer; the 81-credit AMT certificate and the Airframe and Powerplant certificates start in fall. Day classes only.
South Carolina students: residents of qualifying SC border counties pay the in-state rate.
Pass rate: 93.1% combined, one of the highest in the state.

Savannah Technical College

Savannah Tech’s Aviation Training Center at its Crossroads campus has a 5,000-square-foot hangar, and the school partners with Gulfstream.

Programs: AAS (96 credits, competitive admission), diploma, AMT certificate, Airframe and Powerplant certificates, and short avionics certificates.
Experienced mechanics: Advanced Aviation Maintenance certificates prepare people who already qualify through work experience for the FAA exams.
South Carolina students: Beaufort and Jasper County residents receive a tuition waiver and pay a $150 per semester reciprocity fee.

South Georgia

South Georgia Technical College (Americus)

South Georgia Tech has trained aviation mechanics since 1948 and posted Georgia’s highest combined FAA pass rate (97.1%) for Aug 2023–Dec 2024.

Programs: AMT diploma and certificate, Airframe and Powerplant certificates, avionics, aircraft structures, assembly and composites.
Starts: certificates start every semester; the diploma starts in fall and spring.
Housing: on-campus housing with meals, $3,300 per term from fall 2026.
Loans: the college does not participate in federal student loans.

Northwest Georgia

Georgia Northwestern Technical College (Rome)

GNTC’s Aviation Training Center sits at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport in Rome.

Out-of-state students: Alabama and Tennessee residents pay the in-state rate.
Admission: a Program Familiarization session and a Mechanical Comprehension Assessment. Deadlines are May 1 for fall and October 1 for spring.
Pass rate: 92.3% combined.

Already have aviation experience?

If you have 30 months of documented aircraft maintenance experience, you can qualify for the FAA A&P exams without a Part 147 school. Global School of Aeronautics in Gainesville runs a 10-day test-prep course for these candidates ($3,400, including the written tests and oral and practical exam). It is not an FAA Part 147 school, and you need signed FAA Form 8610-2 approval before enrolling. Savannah Tech’s Advanced Aviation Maintenance certificates serve the same group at public college rates.

How to become an A&P mechanic in Georgia

Choose a Part 147 program. Complete an FAA-certificated A&P program (about 18–24 months at most Georgia schools) or document 30 months of hands-on experience.
Pass three written tests. General, Airframe and Powerplant knowledge tests at an FAA-approved testing center.
Pass the oral and practical exams. Taken with a Designated Mechanic Examiner.
Receive your certificate. The FAA issues a Mechanic Certificate with Airframe and/or Powerplant ratings. You must be at least 18.

Georgia does not issue a separate state license. The FAA certificate is valid nationwide.

Frequently asked questions

Is A&P school free in Georgia?

Tuition can be. The HOPE Grant covers 100% of tuition for eligible Georgia residents in technical college A&P certificates and diplomas. You still pay mandatory fees ($376–$536 per semester depending on the college), books and tools.

What is the fastest A&P program in Georgia?

U.S. Aviation Academy advertises an 8-month full-time schedule. Among FAA-verified programs, Chattahoochee Tech’s day cohort finishes in five semesters, and Middle Georgia State’s certificate takes about 20 months.

Which Georgia A&P school has the best pass rate?

South Georgia Tech had the highest combined FAA pass rate (97.1%) for Aug 2023–Dec 2024, followed by Augusta Tech (93.1%) and Georgia Northwestern (92.3%). Small schools test fewer students, so one result can move their rate more.

Can I study A&P at night in Georgia?

Yes. Chattahoochee Tech runs a night cohort, and AIM Atlanta and U.S. Aviation Academy offer evening schedules. Most other public programs are day-only.

How we verify this information

We check every figure on this page against primary sources: each school’s 2026-27 catalog, tuition and fee schedules and program maps; the FAA’s Aviation Maintenance Technician School pass-rate reports; the Georgia Student Finance Commission’s 2026-27 HOPE Grant and HOPE Career Grant rules; and federal College Navigator data for private schools. Where a school does not publish a figure, we say so rather than estimate. Totals are tuition plus mandatory fees at the minimum program length and exclude books, tools, housing and FAA exam fees. Verified September 30, 2026.