Yesterday, the Elevate Part 107 Scholarship was unveiled at AUSVI’s Xponential Show during the “Bridging the Workforce Gap Through Industry Collaboration: Elevate Scholarship” session. 

This scholarship will cover the $175 test fee required for the Part 107 license, and there will be 300 scholarships awarded to aspiring young pilots. Applications open on June 1st and will be ongoing. Each application will take 1-3 weeks to be reviewed. If selected, winners will be notified through email. To qualify, students must be currently enrolled in a program or course that is focused on aviation or uncrewed systems. Applicants must be aged between the of 16-24 .

The Elevate Scholarship Program is designed to equip students with the skills and credentials needed for the future workforce. By eliminating financial barriers to obtaining a remote pilot license, the program connects students to real-world job opportunities and provides education on the evolving landscape of drone technology, robotics, and AI.

Created by the teams at DroneDeploy and PrimeAir, this scholarship serves as a call to action to reinforce the workforce in the drone industry, and to remove the cost barriers involved in getting training and licensing.

Rebecca Lehman, Senior ESG & Social Impact Program Manager at DroneDeploy, spoke on the importance and value of this scholarship during the session.

“When we think about UAS industry at this event, it's easy to look at specific industries where drones are used but, there’s more out there for the next generation. When we have graduates who have a certificate in Part 107, that can allow them to apply that skill anywhere” explained Lehman.

“That's really a big reason for us to start this scholarship program. We wanted to do that cross collaboratively. We've worked with a lot of different companies, including NCAT, and received support from Diana Robinson at the FAA as well to make it easier for students to leave their programs with a certificate and something that can help them when they get to that job.”

Joined by Lehman on stage was Wing Cheung, Professor of Geography and GIS at Palomar College. As an educator with UAS programs focused on surveying, mapping, and photography, Cheung is urging policymakers to see the growing need for drone operators.

“We have been working with the UAS CGI group, and with Department of Labor to try to gain federal recognition for UAS as its own occupation in the federal government's Standard Occupational Classification System. And to that end, we have submitted a public comment to try to get the SOC policy committee to consider that.

While there is still a lot of work to do to accomplish that goal, this scholarship will propel the younger generation into this workforce, solidifying the notion that there is a need for it to be recognized as its own occupation. 

To apply, please go to elevatescholarship.org

Read the full press release here