Drone Pilot Ground School, a leading remote test prep course for the FAA’s Part 107 exam, recently launched the High School STEM Scholarship for Aspiring Commercial Drone Pilots to support high school students who want to become certified commercial drone pilots.
The scholarship provides free access to Drone Pilot Ground School, and will also pay for Part 107 test fees (up to $150) for the first 100 students to take the test.
The idea for the scholarship first came from an informal relationship between Alan Perlman, CEO and founder of Drone Pilot Ground School, and Matt Ernst, founder of the drone club at the Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Perlman has known Matt Ernst since he first became interested in using drones for education. Over the years Perlman has donated drones to the Taft Drone Club, and also provided free access to DPGS for Matt’s older students to help them prepare for the Part 107 exam. Recently, Ernst received a grant for $100,000 from the state of Ohio to support his efforts in STEM education using drones.
Out of this relationship has grown a new, first of its kind scholarship for high school students, which aims to support young people trying to break into the drone industry, and also to help spread the use of drones in STEM education.
“We know the drone industry has the potential for creating new jobs for young people, and can help students get excited about STEM subjects,” said Perlman. “Providing a scholarship to interested, qualified high school students just seemed like a natural outgrowth of the support we’ve given the students at Taft High.”
One of the primary motivators for Matt Ernst in forming his club was to offer his students opportunities for making a good living. As drones get cheaper and drone applications proliferate, the potential for high school students to create a foundation for future careers in the drone industry seems strong to him.
“The research I’ve done indicates that commercial drone pilots can make anywhere from $40 to $75 an hour, and I want our students to have the opportunity to work in this emerging field,” Matt Ernst said recently regarding his motivations for starting the Taft Drone Club.
More and more, drones are being used to help students learn—and get excited about—STEM subjects in middle, high, and even elementary school (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Across the U.S. drones have become a part of robotics classes, coding classes, and even lessons on longitude and latitude. New platforms like DroneBlocks actually provide curricula materials for educators who want to use drones in the classroom.
The drone industry itself is growing, and there promise to be many new jobs on the horizon for drone pilots who hold a remote pilot license, from aerial cinematography to work in agriculture, forestry, mapping, and much more. And even broader than the drone industry, jobs in STEM have been forecasted to grow at an exponential rate over the next several years.
About the Scholarship
The High School STEM Scholarship for Aspiring Commercial Drone Pilots was launched to support high school students ages 16 and up who are serious about becoming certified drone pilots by helping them prepare for the FAA’s Part 107 test.
An additional goal is to help further the use of drones in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. Drones have been used in the classroom in a variety of STEM settings over the last several years, and one aim of the scholarship is to support that usage in growing even further.
Scholarship recipients get free access to Drone Pilot Ground School’s remote test prep course for the FAA’s Part 107 test (value of $299), and the first 100 students to take the test will have their test fee covered (up to $150), for a total value of approximately $450.
Who’s Eligible?
Eligible students must:
- Be at least 16 years old
- Be currently enrolled in high school
- Live in the U.S.
How Many Students Can Apply?
There are an unlimited number of scholarships available, but only the first 100 students accepted will also have their Part 107 testing fee covered.
What Is the Deadline?
There is no deadline—applicants will be accepted on a rolling, case-by-case basis.
About Drone Pilot Ground School
Drone Pilot Ground School is UAV Coach’s flagship remote course. The course was designed to help drone pilots prepare for the FAA’s Part 107 Aeronautical Knowledge Test (the Part 107 test) to gain a remote pilot license.
Over 7,000 commercial drone pilots from companies like Intel, NBC, and GoPro have been trained by Drone Pilot Ground School, and over 99% of Drone Pilot Ground School students pass the Part 107 test on their first try.
To learn more about the scholarship, go to https://www.dronepilotgroundschool.com/scholarship/