NJ College Leads in Drone Education With New Federal Grant
Warren County Community College (WCCC), located on Rt. 57 in Washington Township, NJ, is a truly unique public community college. Surrounded by rolling hills, acres of agricultural fields, and idyllic rural communities, WCCC offers a peaceful yet innovative learning environment. A relatively young institution, the college was founded in 1981 with the goal of bettering the lives of people in Northwestern New Jersey through quality, affordable post-secondary education. Tuition for in-state students is around $5,600 per year. Being just a few miles from the Pennsylvania border, WCCC also attracts a significant number of out-of-state students, with tuition for those students at approximately $5,900 annually.
Approximately 2,000 students attend WCCC, where they have access to a wide variety of career-building educational opportunities. Uniquely immersed in an agricultural region, many of the programs offered at WCCC are geared toward preparing students for careers in agriculture and related industries. However, what truly sets the school apart is its top-of-the-line drone programs.
In 2003, Dr. William Austin became President of WCCC while continuing to teach. Known affectionately as “Dr. Will,” he introduced the college’s drone program in 2018, starting with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 Remote Pilot Training Course. The popularity of the course quickly made it apparent to Dr. Will that students were excited about the possibilities drones could offer for their futures. The program soon expanded to include courses in data collection, search and rescue, coding, design, maintenance and repair, and more.
The college upgraded its facilities to include indoor drone simulators and a large outdoor training field. In 2020, WCCC became the first community college in the United States to receive an FAA Part 107.39 waiver to fly drones over people. WCCC is now the only college in the world to simultaneously hold accredited status as an Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Certified Training Provider, an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Approved Training Provider, and a member of the FAA Collegiate Training Initiative.
Thanks to Dr. Will’s leadership, growing student interest, and FAA support, WCCC now offers an associate degree in Unmanned Systems. Recently, Dr. Will secured additional funding to expand drone-related opportunities, particularly in agriculture, which is a major career path for many residents of rural Warren County. Precision agriculture is currently one of the fastest growing sectors in the drone industry. Drones help farmers manage nearly every aspect of farm life, from monitoring crop and livestock health, applying chemicals, to collecting biometric data from animals. In 2023, the U.S. agricultural drone market was valued at $562.4 million, and it’s projected to grow to $1.58 billion by 2030.
The latest funding Dr. Will secured was part of a program initially launched in 2022 by former New Jersey Representative Tom Malinowski under the Biden administration, which brought $750,000 into the school’s drone program. Dr. Will recently announced that the college will be receiving an additional $699,000 federal grant to enhance its precision agriculture drone training initiatives. According to Dr. Will, the grant will fund the development of an accelerator lab focused on integrating drones and robotics into precision agriculture. The funding will also support partnerships with institutions such as Rutgers University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, benefitting all three schools through collaborative innovation. As Dr. Will stated, “Our goal is to not be experts in a vacuum.”
“The demand is outpacing the supply of professionals like nothing I’ve ever seen before in education,” Dr. Will said. “The biggest use for drones right now is in precision agriculture,” he continued. “You’re going to find that we are going to teach you not only about drones, but about the science behind it.” With this forward-thinking approach, Dr. Will and WCCC are not just preparing students to operate drones, they’re equipping them with the knowledge and skills to lead in a rapidly evolving industry. By integrating science, technology, and agriculture, the college is helping shape the next generation of innovators who will meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in precision agriculture and beyond.
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