No need to presume. The article clearly states that the pilot is a
student at Embry-Riddle, not that he is a student pilot.

While journalists often get aviation facts wrong, this is plainly a
case of the reader not being able to comprehend what was written.

Dan Truesdell wrote in message ...
I presume that he meant student at ERAU. The "student" could be a
junior or senior with a commercial ticket.

Jim Fisher wrote:
A student towing a banner?

One of them thangs that make you (and the FAA) go, "Hmmm."