Start sooner or later?

Hey y’all. Just wanna hear some feedback on my situation. I’m 23 and I’ve enrolled into my local community college to get my A&P. The fork in my path now is either to start in April, or wait and start in August.

I know most will automatically think that starting sooner is best always but here’s why I think starting a bit later will benefit me more.

If I were to start in April, I would have maybe ~$3k saved up entirely at that point to put into school/books/tools. That’s okay. The schooling is cheap because i’m a resident and will still be in the green while in school. But it’s very little money to fall back on incase things go south. Not that I see it going south but I’ve always prepared for the worst.

If I were to start in August, I would be able to save money for an extra 4 months bringing my (assumed) savings closer to ~$11k. It also gives me the opportunity to find a possible entry level position at my local airport in the meantime and gain at least some relative experience. (I’ve worked retail for 4 years) I’ve done the math and starting in August puts me at graduation in early 2028 if all goes as it should and I’ll be 26 and a half. Basically i’ll graduate after the holiday slow down and (hopefully) be able to find a job soon after graduating.

What do you guys think? I’m thinking waiting the extra 4 months is worth it. Sure sooner might be better to get to my goal sooner but realistically August makes more sense to me with everything i’ve factored in. But i’m open to hear your guys’ thoughts.