| Type | Campus-based aviation maintenance school; a few campuses also teach trades |
|---|---|
| Campuses | 15 in 13 states (AZ, CA, FL, GA, IL, IN, MO, NC, NJ, NV, PA, TX, VA); corporate office in Virginia Beach, VA |
| Credentials | Certificates and diplomas; associate degrees in aviation maintenance at Atlanta Metro (AOS) and Indianapolis (AAS) |
| Program length | A&P certificate about 91 weeks (21 months); trades 8–15 months |
| Accreditation | ACCSC (institutional); every campus is an FAA-certificated Part 147 aviation maintenance technician school |
| Federal aid | Yes (Pell, FSEOG, Direct and PLUS loans); GI Bill and military Tuition Assistance |
| Owner | Cotulla Education; change of ownership announced 11 September 2026 and pending (see below). History dates to 1969 in Norfolk, VA |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Who runs AIM and what changes in December 2026
Aviation Institute of Maintenance trains aircraft mechanics for the FAA’s mechanic certificate with Airframe and Powerplant ratings, usually called the A&P. All 15 campuses teach the same 21-month A&P certificate, and each is certificated by the FAA under Part 147 as an aviation maintenance technician school. Some campuses add an associate degree, an avionics program, or a trade such as welding, electrical, manufacturing or industrial maintenance.
AIM dates its history to 1969, when founder Jerry Yagen started Employment Services, Inc. in Norfolk, Virginia, the business that later led to AIM. It is one of the schools owned by Cotulla Education, alongside Centura College and Tidewater Tech in Virginia and American Lineman College, which Cotulla bought in October 2025. In a notice dated 11 September 2026, AIM announced a pending change of ownership: Maverick Tech LLC is to join as a new investor alongside current management and some existing investors, on or after 10 December 2026 and subject to regulatory approvals. AIM says the change is not expected to alter its programs, student services, financial aid or day-to-day operations.
Programs and where they are taught
Hours, credits and lengths are from AIM’s catalog (volume 14, July 2024), checked against AIM’s program pages in October 2026. AIM’s consumer-information page has no tuition sheet and its current catalog could not be read, so the costs shown come from state filings for two campuses.
| Program | Credential | Clock hours (length) | Campuses | Prepares for | Sample total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) | Certificate | 2,040 (91 weeks) | All 15 | FAA A&P written, oral and practical exams | $53,087 (Fremont, CA, 2024 cohort); $53,447 (Phoenix, AZ, Sept 2026) |
| Aviation Maintenance Technology | AOS (Atlanta Metro) or AAS (Indianapolis) | 2,265 (91 weeks) | Atlanta Metro, Indianapolis | FAA A&P exams, plus 15 general-education credits | – |
| Aviation Maintenance Technical Engineer (AMTE) | Certificate | 2,640 (116 weeks) | Atlanta Metro, Orlando Metro | FAA A&P exams; Aircraft Electronics Technician (AET) | – |
| Professional Aviation Maintenance Certification (PAMC) | Avocational course (not accredited) | 4 credits (6 weeks, blended) | 10 | FAA A&P exams, for applicants with prior experience | – |
| Combination Welding | Certificate | 1,080 (33 weeks) | Atlanta Metro | AWS 3G and 4G tests; OSHA 10 | – |
| Electrical Technician | Diploma | 1,080 (48 weeks) | Las Vegas, Northern Virginia, Phoenix | NCCER Core and Electrical Levels I–IV; helper or apprentice roles | – |
| Industrial Manufacturing Technician | Diploma | 1,440 (65 weeks) | Charlotte | Assembler, machine operator, machinist; OSHA 10 | – |
| Maintenance Technician | Diploma | 1,440 (65 weeks) | Fremont | Maintenance mechanic, machine repairer; OSHA 10 | $35,767 (Fremont, CA, 2024 cohort) |
The 2024 catalog also lists A&P variants with avionics, helicopter or internship add-ons and a post-A&P Avionics Technician certificate. None of these appear on AIM’s current program pages, so ask an admissions rep before relying on older listings that show them.
What the main programs cover
Aviation Maintenance Technician (A&P)
The certificate is 17 blocks of 120 clock hours (2,040 hours, 78 credits). Four General blocks cover math and physics, tools and corrosion control, maintenance records, and basic electricity. Seven Airframe blocks cover metallic and non-metallic structures, electrical and navigation systems, three aircraft-systems blocks, and assembly and inspection. Five Powerplant blocks cover reciprocating and turbine engines, two powerplant-systems blocks, and propellers and inspections. A final capstone block prepares students for the FAA exams. The associate degree versions at Atlanta Metro (AOS) and Indianapolis (AAS) add five general-education courses (225 hours) in the same 91 weeks.
Aviation Maintenance Technical Engineer
This 2,640-hour certificate, taught at Atlanta Metro and Orlando Metro, takes about 27 months: the full 17-block A&P curriculum plus five avionics courses covering math, physics and basic electronics, electronic fundamentals, digital techniques, and electronic cables and connectors, ending in an avionics capstone. AIM says it prepares students for the Aircraft Electronics Technician (AET) exam as well as the A&P. AIM’s program page calls it a degree, but its catalog and campus pages call it a certificate.
Professional Aviation Maintenance Certification (PAMC)
PAMC is a six-week, four-credit blended course built around about 97 video lessons, offered at 10 campuses. It is not an entry route into aviation maintenance: applicants need at least six months’ relevant work experience, an existing A&P certificate, or a completed General section at a Part 147 school. Because it is avocational, it falls outside AIM’s ACCSC accreditation. Older listings describe it simply as an online course; AIM describes it as blended and open only to applicants with prior experience.
Combination Welding
Taught only at Atlanta Metro, the 1,080-hour certificate (about 33 weeks) has six courses: fundamentals of modern welding; stick (SMAW) welding flat and horizontal, then vertical, then overhead; MIG and flux-cored welding (GMAW and FCAW); and special cutting processes with TIG (GTAW). The program carries 24 credits. Students prepare for AWS 3G and 4G certification tests and complete OSHA 10.
Electrical Technician
The 12-month diploma starts with NCCER’s Core module on introductory craft skills, followed by a series of electrical courses in the 2024 catalog; AIM’s current program page says the program covers NCCER Electrical Levels I to IV (the catalog said I to III). The catalog also includes OSHA 30. It is taught at Las Vegas, Northern Virginia and Phoenix. Graduates qualify for helper or apprentice roles, not an electrician’s licence.
Industrial Manufacturing and Maintenance Technician
Both are 1,440-hour, 15-month diplomas taught at one campus each. Charlotte’s Industrial Manufacturing Technician program covers math and physics, communication, mechanical drawing and CAD/CAM, precision tooling, electrical fundamentals, wire harness fabrication, sheet metal, composites, industrial welding, machining and plastics. Fremont’s Maintenance Technician program has 11 core blocks plus one elective, chosen from pneumatics and hydraulics, structural and pipe welding, PLCs, air conditioning, motors and controls, 3D printing, communication systems, sustainability, wind energy, powerplant systems and aircraft systems. Both include OSHA 10.
Cost and paying for it
AIM’s consumer-information page has no tuition sheet, so the figures below come from state filings. California’s program performance fact sheet for Fremont lists total charges of $53,087 for A&P students in the 2024 cohort and $35,767 for Maintenance Technician students. Arizona’s training-provider listing for Phoenix, updated 8 September 2026, gives $53,447 for the A&P program: $47,410 tuition, $3,687 fees, $1,050 books, $1,275 supplies and tools, and a $25 registration fee. Costs at other campuses may differ. Per-year figures on federal and college-search sites (around $16,700 in published tuition and fees for 2024–25 at Indianapolis and Chicago) cover only part of the 21-month program. The 2024 catalog lists a $25 application fee ($100 for international applicants, who also pay a $500 orientation fee). AIM also has a net price calculator.
All campuses take part in federal student aid: Pell Grants, FSEOG, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and PLUS loans, plus the PA State Grant for Pennsylvania residents and an extended payment plan. At Fremont, 78% of 2024 A&P students took out loans, with average debt of $25,319. AIM accepts GI Bill chapters 30, 33, 35, 31 and 1606 and military Tuition Assistance; its aid guide lists Yellow Ribbon at Indianapolis and Atlanta. Its Scholarship Match pays dollar for dollar up to 10% of total program charges, for students who keep a 2.0 GPA and 70% attendance. Employer-backed scholarships include a United Airlines scholarship (AMX students only), Republic Airways and AAR (Indianapolis) and FEAM Aero (Charlotte); Safran funded five $1,000 scholarships at the Dallas Metro campus in October 2025.
Admissions and schedule
Applicants need a high school diploma, GED or equivalent and a government photo ID; foreign transcripts must be evaluated. Applicants must be past compulsory school age, and those under 18 need a parent to cosign. The 2024 catalog lists no entrance test. Admission is open to applicants who meet these requirements, except for PAMC, which requires prior aviation training or experience. International applicants need TOEFL iBT 55 or IELTS 5.5. To be issued the FAA mechanic certificate itself, graduates must be at least 18 and able to read, write and speak English.
Classes run in day and evening shifts at every campus except Hasbrouck Heights, whose page lists day classes only. Dallas Metro, Kansas City and Las Vegas also run weekend classes. AIM’s program pages showed a next start date of 2 November in October 2026.
Accreditation and results
AIM’s campuses are institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), which renewed eight campuses’ accreditation between 2023 and 2025. No ACCSC warning, probation or show-cause action against AIM appears in the 2024–25 notices we checked. Each campus is FAA-certificated under Part 147, and campuses hold their own state approvals, such as California’s BPPE for Fremont and SCHEV for the Virginia campuses.
In AIM’s 2025 report to ACCSC, A&P students who started between September 2021 and August 2022 graduated within 150% of program length at rates from 51% (Philadelphia) to 78% (Las Vegas). Employment in the field among available graduates ranged from 50% (Chicago) to 88% (Norfolk). California’s state disclosure for Fremont uses a different definition and calendar-year cohorts: 73% of 2024 A&P students finished on time and 50% of graduates (56 of 111) were placed, about half of them earning $60,001 to $95,000. AIM’s official cohort default rate for FY2022 was 0.0% at every campus.
AIM does not publish independently verified FAA exam pass rates; the Fremont state disclosure says the school is not required to track them. In October 2023 and January 2024, the advocacy group Veterans Education Success wrote to ACCSC relaying complaints from three student veterans who said they had been told the GI Bill would cover all their costs. These were allegations, not findings, and ACCSC renewed the Chicago and Norfolk campuses.
Housing and career help
AIM has no campus housing. Chicago refers students to EDUrent for housing help, and Dallas Metro links to Apartment List. Career services offer one-on-one mentoring, résumé and interview help, employer connections and alumni support, but do not guarantee jobs. AIM’s careers page shows American, Southwest, SkyWest, JetBlue and GE Aerospace among employers, and Safran held employer events at the Dallas Metro campus in 2025.
Before you enroll
- Graduating does not give you a licence. You still have to pass three FAA written tests and an oral and practical exam with an FAA-designated examiner, and AIM’s materials don’t say whether exam fees are covered.
- The A&P program costs about $53,000 in total at the two campuses with state filings. Older listings quoting $20,000 to $30,000 match federal figures for one year’s average net price, not the full 21 months.
- Between about a fifth and a half of A&P starters did not graduate within 150% of program length in AIM’s 2025 accreditor report, depending on the campus.
- Trades and degrees are taught at only a few campuses, and PAMC is exam prep for people who already have aviation experience. AIM’s Virginia Beach address is a corporate office, not a campus.
- AIM announced on 11 September 2026 that Maverick Tech LLC will join its owners as a new investor. The change is pending regulatory approval and would take effect on or after 10 December 2026, so ask how it affects your enrollment agreement.
What students say
AIM has no school-wide review page with enough reviews, so we looked at its Niche campus pages. Five have 25 or more reviews (checked October 2026): Northern Virginia (Manassas) 4.5 out of 5 from 76 reviews, Atlanta Metro 3.65 from 63, Orlando Metro 4.16 from 37, Dallas Metro 3.93 from 27 and Houston 3.84 from 25. Treat the Manassas score with caution: at least 14 five-star reviews were posted there between 22 and 25 November 2024, many labelled “Graduate Student” although AIM has no graduate programs, which suggests a solicited campaign.
- Praised: hands-on work on real aircraft and engines, instructors with industry experience, and supportive staff with small classes; Orlando reviewers value the evening schedule.
- Criticized: limited or outdated shop equipment and teaching aimed at passing the test (Norfolk, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas), cost and billing issues including refunds, make-up fees and GI Bill payment delays, and inconsistent instructors and administration.
Sources
AIM campuses · AIM programs · AIM catalog vol. 14 (2024, via California BPPE) · ACCSC outcome disclosures (2025) · Fremont performance fact sheet · Arizona training-provider listing (Phoenix) · Change of ownership notice (Sept 2026) · Niche (Manassas)
Programs & Courses
Aviation maintenance
- Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT), A&P certificate
- AOS in Aviation Maintenance Technology (Atlanta Metro)
- AAS in Aviation Maintenance Technology (Indianapolis)
- Aviation Maintenance Technical Engineer (AMTE), with avionics
- Professional Aviation Maintenance Certification (PAMC), A&P exam prep for experienced mechanics
Skilled trades
- Combination Welding (Atlanta Metro)
- Electrical Technician (Las Vegas, Northern Virginia, Phoenix)
- Industrial Manufacturing Technician (Charlotte)
- Maintenance Technician (Fremont)
Campus Locations
Phoenix, AZ 4025 S 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85040
Fremont, CA 420 Whitney Pl, Fremont, CA 94539
Casselberry, FL 2725 S US Hwy 17-92, Casselberry, FL 32707
Duluth, GA 2025 Satellite Pointe, Duluth, GA 30096
Chicago, IL 3711 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60609
Indianapolis, IN 7251 W McCarty St, Indianapolis, IN 46241
Kansas City, MO 4100 Raytown Rd, Kansas City, MO 64129
Charlotte, NC 7421 E Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28227
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 459 NJ-17, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
Las Vegas, NV 5870 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Philadelphia, PA 3001 Grant Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19114
Irving, TX 400 E Airport Fwy, Irving, TX 75062
Houston, TX 7651 Airport Blvd, Houston, TX 77061
Manassas, VA 10640 Davidson Pl, Manassas, VA 20109
Norfolk, VA 2329 E Little Creek Rd, Norfolk, VA 23518