The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 Requires The Establishment Of A Collegiate Training Initiative Program

As the FAA continued its participation in the annual FAA-UAS Symposium (virtually, this year), it announced that 26 schools have been selected so far to participate in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS-CTI).

The FAA’s Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program allows educational institutions to collaborate with the FAA to help students pursue their aviation career goals. The UAS-CTI program recognizes institutions that prepare students for careers in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones.

The following schools meet the eligibility guidelines and have been selected to participate in the program:

• Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton, Oregon
• Central Oregon Community College, Bend, Oregon
• Dakota College, Bottineau, North Dakota
• Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL and Prescott, AZ
• Green River College, Auburn, Washington
• Gulf Coast Community College, Panama City, Florida
• Hazard Community and Technical College, Hazard, Kentucky
• Hinds Community College, Bolton, Mississippi
• Idaho State University, Poncatello, Idaho
• Indiana State University, Terra Haute, Indiana
• MiraCosta College, Carlsbad, California
• Mountain Empire Community College, Big Stone Gap, Virginia
• Mountwest Community and Technical College, Huntington, West Virginia
• Niagara Community College, Sanborn, New York
• North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
• Northeastern Technical College, Cheraw, South Carolina
• Northland Community and Technical College, Thief River Falls, Minnesota
• Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse, Michigan
• Oklahoma City Community College, Stillwater, Oklahoma
• Palomar College District, San Marcos, California
• Santa Rosa Junior College, Windsor, California
• Southwestern College, Chula Vista, California
• Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, Florida
• University of Maine at Augusta, August, Maine
• University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
• WSU Tech, Wichita, Kansas

The FAA launched the UAS-CTI program in April. Participating institutions will engage with the FAA, other participants, general industry, local governments, law enforcement, and regional economic development entities to address labor force needs. This collaboration will ensure that UAS-CTI school graduates have the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a successful career in a UAS-related field.

Post-secondary institutions with UAS curriculums seeking recognition as UAS-CTI partners may still apply for this distinction. Program guidelines are posted on the FAA website.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-254) required the FAA to establish a collegiate training initiative program relating to unmanned aircraft and to establish a process to designate consortia of public, two-year institutions of higher education as Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training.

FMI: www.faa.gov/uas/educational_users/collegiate_training_initiative