USA Scholarships
Tiffin University Dragon Flight Fellowship 2027
The Tiffin University Dragon Flight Fellowship trains students to lead in drone technology across four years on campus in Tiffin, Ohio. You start with FAA Part 107 certification and basic flight operations, move into GIS, mapping and thermal imaging, then run research projects for agencies that actually need the data: the Ohio EPA, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Seneca County Sheriff and Tiffin Fire/Rescue. Be clear about the money before you apply. Dragon Flight is an honors experience rather than a cash award, and Tiffin publishes no stipend for it. Eligibility runs through the university merit scholarship: you need a 3.0 GPA or better and a merit award already in hand, which for 2027-2028 is worth $13,000 to $20,000 a year against tuition. Applications close February 1 and weekly in-person participation is required.
What is the Tiffin University Dragon Flight Fellowship?
The Tiffin University Dragon Flight Fellowship is a four-year drone technology track for students who want flight hours and real missions rather than a certificate and a simulator. It runs out of Tiffin, a small city in northwest Ohio, and it is built almost entirely on partnerships with people who need aerial data for their day jobs. The Tiffin Police Department, the Seneca County Sheriff, the county emergency management agency, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio EPA and Tiffin Fire/Rescue all bring work to the fellows. Year one is Part 107 certification and learning to fly safely. By year three you are leading teams on research projects for the BCI, running thermal imaging for fire crews, and preparing compliance material with the FAA.
The money question deserves a straight answer, because the fellowship does not work the way most awards on this site do. Dragon Flight pays no stipend and Tiffin publishes no dollar figure attached to it. What it does is sit on top of the university merit scholarship, and you have to already hold one of those to get in. The rule is that students with a 3.0 GPA or better who receive a merit award are eligible to apply. For 2027-2028 the domestic tiers run $20,000 a year at a 3.80 GPA, $19,000 from 3.50 to 3.79, and $17,000 from 3.00 to 3.49, all applied against tuition. International students see the same ladder about $1,000 lower, plus a $1,000 supplementary grant. Whichever tier you enter at is the one you keep, because Tiffin does not raise award amounts after the first year.
Two conditions catch people out. The first is weekly in-person attendance, required of online and on-campus students alike, which rules the fellowship out if you were planning to study from a distance. The second is that Tiffin permits one institutional award per student, so a merit scholarship cannot be combined with an athletic or arts award. Domestic students also have to file the FAFSA before any Tiffin money is released. None of this is buried; it just sits on a different page from the one describing the drones.
The next intake closes on February 1. Tiffin prints that date without a year on both the programme page and the fellowship requirements page, so treat it as the annual cutoff and confirm it with the office rather than assuming. Before then, the university is holding a Fellowship Exploration Day on campus on Friday 20 November 2026, from 10am to 1pm Eastern at the Gillmor Student Center, where you can meet the directors in person. If you are seriously considering this, go to that. Ryan Gillmor directs Dragon Flight and doubles as Assistant Director of the Drone Academy, and a half hour with him will tell you more about what the cohort is actually flying than any page will.
Eligibility
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✓A 3.0 GPA or higherTiffin sets the bar at a 3.0 cumulative GPA to apply, and you have to hold that 3.0 college GPA throughout to stay in the programme. Your GPA also decides which merit tier you land in, so it does double duty here.
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✓A Tiffin merit award already in handThe rule is specific. Students with a 3.0 or higher GPA who receive a Merit Award are eligible to apply for fellowship programs. Merit awards are decided during the academic review of your admission file, so the fellowship sits on top of an admission decision rather than replacing it.
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✓Admission to Tiffin as an undergraduate or graduate studentBoth online and on-campus undergraduate and graduate students can apply. The application route Tiffin points you at is the Undergraduate Student Application, where you tick yes to the question about Fellowships.
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✓Weekly in-person participation in Tiffin, OhioTiffin states this plainly and it is the gate that catches most people. Even online students have to show up weekly and in person. The partnerships with local police, fire and state agencies only work if you are physically there to fly.
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✓An interview with the programme directorEvery applicant interviews with the fellowship director as part of admissions. Interviews are usually virtual and cover your interests, your experience and whether you fit the cohort. Ryan Gillmor runs Dragon Flight and also serves as Assistant Director of the Drone Academy.
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✓A signed fellowship agreementAccepted students sign an agreement to keep meeting the GPA requirement, stay active in all fellowship activities and follow fellowship policies. Drift out of any of those and you are out of the programme.
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✓One institutional award onlyTiffin allows students just one institutional scholarship or discount, so a merit award cannot be stacked with an athletic or arts scholarship. Domestic students must also file the FAFSA before any Tiffin aid is released.
Benefits
- Trustee Scholarship, GPA 3.80 and above $20,000 a year
- President Scholarship, GPA 3.50 to 3.79 $19,000 a year
- Dean Grant, GPA 3.00 to 3.49 $17,000 a year
- Applied against tuition Yes, tuition only
- Held at the same level all four years Yes, it does not move up
- Extra stipend for being a fellow None published
- Housing, meals or travel Not covered by the merit award
- Stacking with another Tiffin award Not allowed, one award only
- Trustee Scholarship, GPA 3.8 and above $19,000 a year
- President Scholarship, GPA 3.5 to 3.79 $18,000 a year
- Dean Grant, GPA 3.0 to 3.49 $16,000 a year
- Supplementary international grant $1,000 a year if you qualify for merit
- Considered automatically at admission Yes, during academic review
- Prorated if you drop below full time Yes, watch your credit load
- Bookstore charges Cannot be paid from the scholarship
- Full cost of attendance Not covered, tuition alone is $37,080
- FAA Part 107 certification in year one Included
- Missions with Ohio EPA, BCI and the Highway Patrol Included
- Thermal imaging and photogrammetry certifications Year three
- Internships with state and local agencies Year three
- Capstone project and mentoring first-year fellows Year four
- Conference travel and industry immersion Year two onward
- A guaranteed job at the end Not promised
- Remote or online participation No, weekly in-person attendance required
Document checklist
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✓The Undergraduate Student ApplicationThis is the entry point. When the form asks whether you are interested in Fellowships, select yes. There is no separate standalone Dragon Flight application form published by Tiffin.
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✓Transcripts showing your cumulative GPAMerit tiers are assigned from your cumulative high school GPA, or your college GPA if you transfer in. That number sets both your eligibility for the fellowship and the size of the award, so send final official transcripts early.
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✓Your FAFSA, if you are a domestic studentTiffin policy requires all eligible undergraduates to file the FAFSA before any Tiffin aid is disbursed, and that covers academic scholarships. Financial aid will not release funds until every required document is on file.
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✓Visa and admission paperwork, if you are internationalInternational applicants go through the international admissions route and work with a Designated School Official on the I-20 and visa. International admission deadlines are July 15 for August entry and November 15 for January entry.
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✓Availability for the interviewKeep some calendar space in the weeks after you apply. The interview with the programme director is part of the admissions process rather than an optional extra step.
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✓A reason you want to flyThere is no published essay prompt, but the interview is where you explain why drone work interests you. Come with something concrete: agriculture, public safety, mapping, film, disaster response or research all sit inside the programme.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Tiffin University Dragon Flight Fellowship?
It is a four-year drone technology honors track at Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio. Fellows earn FAA Part 107 certification, train on mapping, imaging and environmental monitoring equipment, and run applied projects with public agencies across Seneca County and the state. The programme covers eleven engagement areas, from agriculture and real estate imaging to disaster relief, public safety and autonomous systems research.
How much money does the Dragon Flight Fellowship pay?
The fellowship publishes no stipend of its own. It is an honors experience rather than a cash award, and the money comes from the Tiffin merit scholarship you have to hold to be eligible. For 2027-2028 those run from $13,000 to $20,000 a year for domestic students and $12,000 to $19,000 for international students, applied against tuition. A student entering at the 3.0 minimum lands in the Dean Grant tier, worth $17,000 a year domestically and $16,000 internationally.
What GPA do you need for a Tiffin fellowship?
A 3.0 or higher. Tiffin words it as students with a 3.0 or higher GPA who receive a Merit Award being eligible to apply, so the GPA and the merit award are two conditions rather than one. You then have to keep a 3.0 college GPA to remain in the programme.
When is the Dragon Flight Fellowship deadline?
February 1. Tiffin prints the date without a year on both the Dragon Flight page and the fellowship requirements page, which means it recurs annually, so the next cutoff is 1 February 2027 for entry that autumn. Confirm with the fellowship office before you rely on it, since Tiffin does not year-stamp the date.
Can international students join the Dragon Flight Fellowship?
Yes. International applicants are considered for merit scholarships automatically during the academic review of their admission, and anyone who qualifies for a merit award also gets a supplementary grant of $1,000 a year. The international merit tiers sit about $1,000 below the domestic ones at every level. International admission deadlines are July 15 for August entry and November 15 for January entry, and the scholarship is prorated if you drop below full-time status.
Can I do the Dragon Flight Fellowship online?
No. Online students are welcome to apply, but Tiffin requires weekly in-person participation from everyone in the programme. The fellowship runs on flying time with the Tiffin Police Department, Seneca County Sheriff, Seneca County EMA, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio BCI, Ohio EPA and Tiffin Fire/Rescue, none of which works remotely.
What certifications do Dragon Flight fellows earn?
FAA Part 107 comes first, in year one, alongside training on drone hardware, software and maintenance. Year three adds specialised certifications such as thermal imaging and photogrammetry. Fellows also work directly with the FAA on compliance reports, safety initiatives and regulatory reviews, which is unusual exposure for an undergraduate.
What does Tiffin University cost after the merit award?
Undergraduate on-campus tuition for 2027-2028 is $1,236 per credit hour, listed as $37,080 a year. Tiffin's cost of attendance table on the same page gives tuition as $38,180, so the two figures do not match. Housing runs $6,400 to $8,200 and meal plans $1,550 to $6,360 on top, and the merit award applies to tuition only. Ask the Financial Aid Office to confirm your own numbers before you commit.
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