CPL Stage
Terms relevant to CPL training and commercial pilot operations — hour-building, instrument rating, multi-engine, and the path to airline-track careers.
Operational(20)
Actual Instrument Time
Actual instrument time is flight time during which the pilot operates the aircraft solely by reference to instruments because outside visual reference is genuinely unavailable — i.e., flight in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
ATC (Air Traffic Control)
Air Traffic Control (ATC) is the ground-based service provided by qualified controllers to direct aircraft on the ground and through controlled airspace for the primary purposes of preventing collisions, organising and expediting the flow of air traffic, and providing advisory information and assistance, governed internationally by ICAO Annex 11 (Air Traffic Services) and ICAO Doc 4444 (PANS-ATM), and in the United States by FAA Order JO 7110.65 (Air Traffic Control) and 14 CFR Part 65 (controller certification).
ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service)
ATIS is a continuous broadcast of essential non-control aerodrome information — current weather, active runway, NOTAMs, and special conditions — issued under ICAO Annex 11 §4.3 and FAA Order 7110.65, identified by a sequential phonetic letter that pilots are required to confirm on first ATC contact, reducing frequency congestion by eliminating repetitive controller weather reads.
GPS, RNAV, RNP, LPV (Performance-Based Navigation)
Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) is an ICAO framework that specifies navigation accuracy, integrity, and continuity requirements in terms of on-board performance rather than specific equipment.
ILS (Instrument Landing System)
The Instrument Landing System (ILS) is a precision radio navigation approach system that provides aircraft with simultaneous lateral guidance via a localizer and vertical guidance via a glideslope, enabling landings in low-visibility or instrument meteorological conditions down to near-zero visibility in the most capable configurations.
Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)
Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) are the regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft solely by reference to instruments, with separation from other traffic and terrain provided by air traffic control rather than by visual reference.
LOC (Localizer)
A Localizer (LOC) is the lateral (azimuth) guidance component of an Instrument Landing System (ILS), broadcasting a directional VHF signal in the 108.10 to 111.95 MHz band that defines the extended runway centreline; while the LOC is one of the two ILS guidance elements (the other being the glideslope), it is also published as a standalone non-precision approach aid where no glideslope is installed or operational, giving rise to the distinct LOC and LOC BC (back course) approach procedure types.
METAR (Aviation Routine Weather Report)
A METAR is a standardized, coded surface aviation weather observation issued every hour — or more frequently as a SPECI when conditions change significantly — from certified reporting stations worldwide, governed by ICAO Annex 3 and WMO Technical Regulations 49.3, and required for operator preflight weather assessment under 14 CFR §121.97 and FAA Order 7900.5.
NDB (Non-Directional Beacon)
A Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) is a ground-based radio navigation transmitter operating in the Low Frequency (LF) and Medium Frequency (MF) bands (typically 190–535 kHz) that broadcasts a non-directional signal which the aircraft's Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) equipment uses to determine bearing to the station, supporting non-precision approaches, en-route navigation in regions with limited VOR coverage, and as a back-up navigation aid in primary VOR or GNSS-equipped aircraft.
Night Flight Time
Night flight time is the flight time logged between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight — defined in 14 CFR §1.1 (FAA) and EASA Part-FCL FCL.010 by reference to the sun's position rather than a fixed clock time — and is required as a distinct logbook column because specific certificate, rating, and currency requirements use night time as a separate qualifying criterion.
Pilot Currency Rules (FAA)
FAA pilot currency rules — primarily codified in 14 CFR §61.57 for recent flight experience and §61.56 for flight review — define the minimum recurrent flight activity a certificated pilot must maintain to legally exercise the privileges of their certificate, covering passenger-carrying recency, night recency, and instrument recency.
PIREP (Pilot Report)
A PIREP is a voluntary or solicited real-time weather observation made by a pilot in flight, reporting actual conditions encountered — turbulence, icing, cloud bases and tops, visibility, and temperature — under ICAO Annex 3 §5.6 and FAA AC 00-45H, with Urgent PIREPs (UUA) providing immediate input to SIGMET amendment decisions.
POH (Pilot's Operating Handbook)
The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) is the manufacturer-produced operating manual for a specific aircraft serial number, structured under the GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association) Specification No. 1 standard for FAA-certificated aircraft and required to be on board the aircraft during operation under 14 CFR 91.9 (FAA) and the equivalent operations regulations in other jurisdictions.
RNP (Required Navigation Performance)
Required Navigation Performance (RNP) is the ICAO Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) specification, defined in ICAO Doc 9613 (PBN Manual), that requires the aircraft to maintain a specified lateral navigation accuracy with onboard performance monitoring and alerting, distinguishing RNP from the related RNAV (Area Navigation) specification in which monitoring and alerting are not required.
SIGMET (Significant Meteorological Information)
A SIGMET is an in-flight weather advisory issued by a Meteorological Watch Office (MWO) for hazardous atmospheric conditions affecting the safety of all aircraft operations — including severe turbulence, severe icing, volcanic ash, tropical cyclones, and in the FAA system, convective hazards — governed by ICAO Annex 3 §6.4 and FAA Order 7900.5, with validities of 4 hours (6 hours for tropical cyclone or volcanic ash advisories).
TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast)
A TAF is a concise statement of expected meteorological conditions at an aerodrome over a defined validity period — 24 hours for standard FAA TAFs, 30 hours for ICAO-standard TAFs — issued by qualified meteorological offices under ICAO Annex 3 and WMO Tech Reg 49.3, and relied upon by operators to meet IFR alternate requirements under 14 CFR §91.169, §121.625, and §135.221.
Total Flight Time (Total Time)
Total flight time — colloquially "total time" on a pilot CV — is the aggregate of all flight time across all aircraft categories, all roles (PIC, SIC, dual, solo), and the entire career, defined under 14 CFR §1.1 (FAA) as pilot time commencing when the aircraft first moves under its own power for flight and ending when it comes to rest after landing, and under EASA Part-FCL FCL.010 with substantially equivalent language.
Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) are the regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going by visual reference to the ground and other aircraft.
VMC vs IMC (Visual vs Instrument Meteorological Conditions)
VMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions) and IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) are the two regulatory weather states that define whether VFR flight is permitted — VMC at or above the published cloud-clearance and visibility minimums in 14 CFR §91.155 (FAA) and SERA.5001 (EASA), IMC any conditions below.
VOR and DME (VHF Omnidirectional Range and Distance Measuring Equipment)
VOR is a VHF ground-based radio navigation aid that provides magnetic bearing information from the station to the aircraft; DME is a paired UHF transponder system that measures slant-range distance. Together, a VOR/DME co-location provides a complete two-dimensional position fix without GPS.
Regulatory(19)
Advisory Circular (AC)
An Advisory Circular (AC) is a non-regulatory guidance document published by the FAA — and analogously by EASA as Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and Guidance Material (GM), by Transport Canada as Advisory Circular, and by other national authorities under similar names — that describes a method of compliance with regulatory requirements, provides interpretive guidance, or makes recommendations on aviation safety topics, with numbering aligned to the regulatory subject area it addresses.
Airman Certification Standards (ACS)
The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) are FAA documents that define the knowledge, risk management, and skill standards an applicant must demonstrate to earn each pilot certificate or rating.
ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting)
Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) is the specialised airport emergency service responsible for responding to aircraft accidents, incidents, and emergencies on or in the immediate vicinity of an airport, with categorisation, equipment, and response standards governed by 14 CFR Part 139 in the FAA framework and ICAO Annex 14, Volume I, Chapter 9 internationally.
Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)
An Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) is a physician designated by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 183 §183.21 to examine applicants for FAA medical certificates and to issue First, Second, and Third-Class medical certificates on behalf of the FAA.
CFR (Code of Federal Regulations)
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codified body of general and permanent regulations issued by the executive departments and agencies of the US federal government, organised into 50 Titles by subject area, with aviation operating principally under Title 14 (Aeronautics and Space) and adjacent regulatory matter under Title 49 (Transportation, including TSA), Title 38 (Veterans Affairs, including GI Bill education benefits), and Title 10 (Armed Forces, including reserve component education programmes).
Class 1 Medical Certificate
A Class 1 medical certificate is the highest medical standard in both the FAA (14 CFR Part 67 Subpart B) and EASA (Part-MED) systems, required to exercise the privileges of an Airline Transport Pilot Licence and a Commercial Pilot Licence in many jurisdictions.
Class 2 Medical Certificate
A Class 2 medical certificate is the standard required for private pilot privileges in the EASA system (Part-MED) and for commercial pilot privileges in the FAA system (14 CFR Part 67 Subpart C, Second-Class), with validity periods and examination requirements less stringent than Class 1.
Declared Training Organization (DTO)
A Declared Training Organization (DTO) is a lighter-weight EASA flight training provider that operates by declaration rather than full certification, authorized to offer PPL and LAPL training courses.
EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency)
EASA is the EU aviation safety agency established by Regulation (EC) 1592/2002 and now governed by Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, responsible for setting airworthiness, licensing, operations, and UAS standards across 31 European Member States.
FAR Part 135 — Commuter and On-Demand Operations
14 CFR Part 135 is the FAA regulation governing U.S. commuter and on-demand air carrier operations — including air taxis, fractional ownership programs (NetJets, Wheels Up), helicopter EMS (HEMS), and regional commuters operating aircraft with 9 or fewer passenger seats.
FAR Part 137 — Agricultural Aircraft Operations
14 CFR Part 137 governs agricultural aircraft operations in the United States — aerial application of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and seed dispersal — establishing certificate requirements, pilot qualifications, operating limitations, and recordkeeping for both private and commercial ag operators.
FAR Part 142 — Training Centers
14 CFR Part 142 is the FAA regulation governing certificated training centers — organizations such as FlightSafety International, CAE Simuflite, Boeing Training & Professional Services, and Airbus Training that deliver type rating, recurrent, and Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) training primarily in full-flight simulators (FFS) and flight training devices (FTDs).
FAR Part 67 — Medical Standards and Certification
14 CFR Part 67 establishes the FAA's medical standards for pilot certification, defining three classes of medical certificate — First, Second, and Third — with progressively less stringent standards, and the certification procedures governing issuance, denial, and Special Issuance.
Flight Training Organisation (FTO)
A Flight Training Organization (FTO) is an ICAO and legacy EASA term for an approved organization that provides flight crew training under a structured and regulated curriculum.
IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application)
IACRA is the FAA's web-based system for submitting, tracking, and processing airman certification and rating applications, replacing the traditional paper-based FAA Form 8710-1.
Part 141
Part 141 refers to FAA-certificated flight schools that operate under 14 CFR Part 141, following an FAA-approved curriculum with structured syllabi, stage checks, and periodic oversight.
Part 61
Part 61 refers to flight training conducted under 14 CFR Part 61, where instructors set the curriculum and training pace without a formal FAA-approved syllabus.
POI (Principal Operations Inspector)
A Principal Operations Inspector (POI) is the FAA inspector assigned as the primary regulatory point of contact for a specific certificate holder — typically a Part 121 air carrier, Part 135 operator, Part 141 pilot school, or Part 142 training centre — responsible for certificate management, surveillance, programme approvals, and disposition of operating authorisation changes under FAA Order 8900.1 and the Safety Assurance System (SAS).
TSA Alien Flight Student Program (AFSP)
The TSA Alien Flight Student Program (AFSP) is a US Transportation Security Administration program that requires non-US citizens and non-resident aliens to undergo security vetting before beginning flight training at US flight schools.
Training(35)
Ab Initio
Ab initio is a Latin term meaning 'from the beginning,' used in aviation to describe training programs that take students with no prior flight experience through to a professional pilot qualification.
Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL)
The Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), known in the United States as the Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, is the highest level of pilot certification, required to serve as pilot in command of scheduled airline operations.
APS-MCC (Airline Pilot Standard Multi-Crew Cooperation)
The Airline Pilot Standard MCC (APS-MCC) is an enhanced EASA multi-crew cooperation course, defined in AMC1 FCL.735.A and the European Aviation Safety Agency's Decision 2015/021/R, that extends the standard 25-hour MCC syllabus with airline-style scenario training, jet-orientation handling, performance training, and competency-based assessment to bring frozen-ATPL graduates to the operational standard expected by airline cadet assessment programmes.
Certified Flight Instructor — Instrument (CFII)
A Certified Flight Instructor — Instrument (CFII) is a flight instructor who holds an instrument instructor rating, authorizing them to provide training for the instrument rating and to conduct instrument proficiency checks.
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
A Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) is a pilot who holds an FAA Flight Instructor Certificate, authorizing them to provide flight and ground training to student pilots and certificate holders seeking additional ratings.
Class Rating
A class rating is a regulatory authorization permitting a pilot to fly a specific class of aircraft, such as single-engine piston, multi-engine piston, or single-engine seaplane.
Class Rating Instructor (CRI)
A Class Rating Instructor (CRI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.CRI permitting delivery of class rating training on single-engine piston (SEP), multi-engine piston (MEP), single-engine turboprop (SET), and certain complex single-pilot aircraft — the intermediate instructor authorization for class-rated aircraft below the Type Rating Instructor (TRI) complexity threshold.
Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
A Commercial Pilot License (CPL), known in the United States as a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is an advanced pilot credential that authorizes the holder to act as pilot in command for compensation or hire.
Core Competencies (ICAO / IATA / EASA)
Core competencies are the finite set of pilot performance domains — typically nine, defined by ICAO and adopted by IATA and EASA — that together describe what a competent flight crew member does, and against which Competency-Based Training and Assessment is graded.
Cross-Country Flight
A cross-country flight is a flight between two points that exceeds a specified distance, typically 50 nautical miles, and is a required component of most pilot training programmes.
Cross-Country Time — FAA and EASA Variations
"Cross-country" flight time is not a single definition in aviation regulations — the FAA uses at least four distinct definitions under 14 CFR §61.1(b)(3) depending on the certificate sought, while EASA Part-FCL FCL.010 applies a single pre-planned-route standard; misapplying the wrong definition to logged hours causes certification failures.
Flight Examiner (FE / FIE / IRE / CRE / TRE)
Flight Examiners are a family of EASA examiner authorizations under Part-FCL FCL.1000–FCL.1025 — including the Flight Examiner (FE), Flight Instructor Examiner (FIE), Instrument Rating Examiner (IRE), Class Rating Examiner (CRE), and Type Rating Examiner (TRE) — each authorizing the conduct of specific skill tests, proficiency checks, and examiner assessments, with authority granted by and under oversight of the relevant national competent authority.
Frozen ATPL
"Frozen ATPL" is industry shorthand — not a regulatory term in EASA Part-FCL or FAA §61 — for the career stage of a pilot who has passed the full ATPL theoretical knowledge examinations and holds a CPL with Instrument Rating but has not yet accumulated the 1,500 hours of flight time required for ATPL issue under EASA FCL.510(a), with the theoretical knowledge credit remaining valid for 7 years from the last examination passed.
Instrument Approach
An instrument approach is a prescribed flight manoeuvre that guides a pilot from the en route phase to a point from which a landing can be made, using navigational aids when visual reference to the ground is not available.
Instrument Rating
An instrument rating is an additional qualification added to a pilot certificate or license that authorizes the holder to fly under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), navigating solely by reference to cockpit instruments in reduced visibility or cloud conditions.
Instrument Rating Instructor (IRI)
An Instrument Rating Instructor (IRI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.IRI permitting delivery of instrument rating training — including the full IR(A) syllabus under FCL.605 and Competency-Based IR training under FCL.605.A — in both aircraft and approved FSTDs, without requiring the full Flight Instructor (FI) certificate for the corresponding aircraft category.
Integrated vs Modular ATPL Training
The two structurally distinct paths to a frozen ATPL under EASA Part-FCL: the Integrated ATPL(A) program under FCL.510.A and Appendix 3.A — a single ab-initio course from zero flight hours to frozen ATPL at one Approved Training Organization — versus the Modular path under FCL.310, FCL.605, FCL.720.A, and FCL.735.A, which builds the frozen ATPL through sequential standalone courses that may be completed at different ATOs over an extended period.
JOC (Jet Orientation Course)
A Jet Orientation Course is a non-licence training programme — typically 10 to 20 hours of FSTD time supplemented by ground school — that introduces frozen-ATPL graduates to jet aircraft handling, high-altitude performance, swept-wing aerodynamics, and airline standard operating procedures, bridging the gap between piston-twin commercial training and airline type-rating entry.
KSA Grading (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes)
KSA grading is the legacy training-assessment model that graded pilot performance against three taxonomic categories — Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes — and which Competency-Based Training and Assessment has progressively replaced with competency- and observable-behavior-based grading.
Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL)
The Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL) is an EASA pilot license designed for recreational flying in light aircraft, offering a lower-cost and less complex pathway to piloting than the traditional PPL.
MEP (Multi-Engine Piston Class Rating)
The Multi-Engine Piston (MEP) class rating is the EASA Part-FCL class rating, defined under FCL.725 and the class rating structure in Appendix 9 to Part-FCL, that authorises the holder of a Private Pilot Licence (PPL), Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), or higher to operate single-pilot multi-engine piston aeroplanes — typically light twins in the under-5,700-kg MTOM range — with separate land (MEP(land)) and sea (MEP(sea)) variants.
Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC)
Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC) is the EASA-mandated course under Part-FCL FCL.735.A that prepares a single-pilot-trained CPL holder to operate as a flight crew member on a multi-pilot aircraft, focusing on the role split, communication, and CRM behaviors that single-pilot training cannot deliver.
Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI)
A Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) is a certified flight instructor who holds the additional multi-engine instructor rating, authorizing them to provide flight training in multi-engine aircraft and for the multi-engine class rating.
Multi-Engine Rating
A multi-engine rating is an additional class rating added to a pilot certificate or license that authorizes the holder to act as pilot in command of aircraft with more than one engine.
Multi-Pilot Licence (MPL)
The Multi-Pilot Licence (MPL) is an ab-initio pilot license introduced by ICAO in 2006 (ICAO Doc 9868, PANS-TRG) and codified in EASA regulation under Part-FCL FCL.405.A and FCL.410.A, together with Appendix 5 to Part-FCL, creating a competency-based pathway directly from zero flight hours to type-rated airline first officer on a specific multi-pilot aircraft type.
Pilot in Command Under Supervision (PICUS)
Pilot in Command Under Supervision (PICUS) is the EASA logbook convention — defined in Part-FCL FCL.010 and applied under AMC1 FCL.010 — for flight time during which a fully licensed pilot acts as PIC on a multi-pilot aircraft while a supervising captain carries the formal command authority; up to 500 hours of PICUS time may be credited toward the 1,500-hour PIC requirement for ATPL issue under FCL.510(a)(2).
Private Pilot License (PPL)
A Private Pilot License (PPL), known in the United States as a Private Pilot Certificate, is the foundational pilot credential that allows an individual to act as pilot in command of an aircraft for personal, non-commercial purposes.
Restricted ATP Certificate (R-ATP)
The Restricted Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (R-ATP), established under 14 CFR §61.160, allows qualifying pilots to act as second-in-command on Part 121 air carrier operations at reduced total flight hour minimums — as low as 750 hours for military pilots and 1,000 hours for graduates of approved four-year aviation degree programs.
Simulated Instrument Time
Simulated instrument time is flight time during which the pilot is solely controlling the aircraft by reference to instruments, with outside visual reference blocked by a view-limiting device — historically called "hood time."
Skill Test
A skill test is the EASA practical examination conducted by an authorized examiner to assess a pilot candidate's competency for the initial issue of a license, rating, or certificate, serving as the European equivalent of the FAA checkride.
Stall Awareness, Recovery, and Spin Training
Stall and spin training is the structured curriculum element — required under 14 CFR §61.107(b) / §61.127(b) for PPL/CPL stall awareness and §61.183(i) for FAA flight instructor spin training, and under EASA Part-FCL FCL.135.A for ATPL/MPL basic UPRT — that develops a pilot's recognition, prevention, and recovery from aerodynamic stall and aggravated-stall spin departure.
Student Pilot in Command (SPIC)
Student Pilot in Command (SPIC) is the EASA logging convention — defined under Part-FCL FCL.010 and applied through Part-FCL Subpart B and Subpart C — for flight time during which a student pilot acts as Pilot in Command on a flight that includes an instructor on board, with the instructor exercising supervision but not exercising command authority.
Synthetic Flight Instructor (SFI)
A Synthetic Flight Instructor (SFI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.SFI permitting delivery of type rating training and instrument rating training exclusively in qualifying Flight Simulation Training Devices (FFS, FTD, FNPT II) — without being required to hold the corresponding aircraft type rating or class rating for actual flight instruction.
Training Management System (TMS) in Aviation
A Training Management System (TMS) is the software that runs the training operation at a flight school, ATO, airline cadet program, or air training centre — holding the syllabus, scheduling lessons and instructors, capturing competencies and grades, and producing audit-ready training records for FAA, EASA, UK CAA, CASA, and other authorities.
Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT)
Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) is the specialized flight training mandated under EASA Part-FCL FCL.745.A and codified in ICAO Doc 10011 that prepares pilots to recognize, prevent, and recover from aeroplane upsets — large deviations in pitch, bank, or speed that can lead to Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I), the leading cause of fatal accidents in commercial aviation.
Business(6)
85/15 Rule (VA Education Benefits)
The 85/15 Rule, codified at 38 U.S. Code Section 3680A(d) and implemented at 38 CFR Section 21.4201, prohibits the US Department of Veterans Affairs from paying education benefits to a veteran enrolled in any course where more than 85 percent of the students in that course are receiving institutional aid, including VA education benefits, making it a structural ceiling on the proportion of VA-funded students in any single training programme.
Cadet Program and Bonded Training
A cadet program is an airline-sponsored ab-initio pilot training pipeline that recruits zero-time candidates and trains them to First Officer standard; bonded training is any arrangement in which the training cost is sponsored by an employer against a contractual service commitment, with liquidated damages provisions if the pilot leaves before the bond period expires.
Chapter 30 — Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty)
Chapter 30 of Title 38 U.S. Code, the Montgomery GI Bill — Active Duty (MGIB-AD), is a US Department of Veterans Affairs education benefit that pays the veteran a flat monthly stipend during enrolment in an approved education or flight training programme, in exchange for a $1,200 buy-in deduction taken from active-duty pay during the service member's first twelve months of service.
Dual Instruction
Dual instruction is flight time during which a student pilot flies with a certified flight instructor (CFI) who provides training, guidance, and oversight from the other seat.
Simulator Time
Simulator time is training time logged in a Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) — such as an AATD, BATD, or full-flight simulator — that may count toward the flight hour requirements for pilot certificates and ratings.
Yellow Ribbon Program
The Yellow Ribbon Program is a voluntary US Department of Veterans Affairs supplement to the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) under which a participating private or out-of-state institution agrees to waive a portion of tuition above the Chapter 33 tuition cap and the VA matches that institutional contribution dollar-for-dollar, allowing the qualifying veteran to attend an otherwise out-of-cap programme at little or no out-of-pocket cost.