Enhanced AT-CTI Program: Skip the FAA Academy?

The Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (Enhanced AT-CTI, or E-CTI) lets approved colleges teach training the FAA considers equivalent to its Academy in Oklahoma City. Graduates who earn the school's endorsement and are hired go straight to an FAA facility for on-the-job training instead of attending the Academy. They still have to pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, meet medical and security requirements and meet the usual eligibility rules, including the under-31 age limit.

That makes E-CTI a genuine shortcut past one stage of the pipeline, not a way around the ATSA or a guarantee of a job. Here is how it works, based on the FAA's program pages, press releases and the E-CTI hiring notice on USAJOBS.

Standard AT-CTI vs Enhanced AT-CTI

The Collegiate Training Initiative has existed for years as what the FAA calls "a non-funded partnership" with colleges that offer non-engineering aviation degrees with air traffic coursework. There are now two tiers.

	Standard AT-CTI	Enhanced AT-CTI
What the school teaches	Air traffic basics objectives mapped to the curriculum	Air traffic basics plus Tower and/or En Route initial qualification objectives
Path after graduation	FAA Academy for option-specific initial training, skipping Air Traffic Basics	Directly to an FAA facility, if hired
ATSA, medical and security	Required to be hired	Required to be hired

The FAA's CTI schools page says standard graduates "are eligible to bypass the Air Traffic Basics Course, which is the first five weeks of qualification training at the FAA Academy." Enhanced graduates skip the Academy altogether. The Enhanced requirements are correspondingly stricter: faculty teaching the Tower or En Route qualification curriculum need at least three years as an FAA certified professional controller, a military controller with FAA credentials, an ICAO controller or a CTO controller, and the school must run "high-fidelity ATC simulation equipment that meets FAA Academy Standards." The FAA's program page adds that classroom content may be virtual, but "simulations will not be conducted virtually," and that schools sign non-disclosure agreements to protect the curriculum and evaluations.

How the program developed

• February 2024: the FAA announced the Enhanced AT-CTI program as a way to get new hires into facilities sooner, with colleges applying from April 2024.
• October 2024: Tulsa Community College and the University of Oklahoma became the first two schools.
• May 2025: with SUNY Schenectady County Community College joining, the FAA said it had authorized "seven programs at six schools," and that Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach had added an En Route program, making it the first to offer both Tower and En Route.
• January 2026: the FAA announced Sacramento City College, for its En Route program, describing it as "the 10th new CTI program to be announced."

The list keeps changing, so we don't reproduce it here as a complete roster. Check the FAA's Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiatives page and the CTI schools map for current partners, and ask any school directly whether its program is Standard or Enhanced, and whether it covers Tower, En Route or both.

What an E-CTI student still has to do

Pass the program and earn the endorsement

According to the FAA's January 2026 announcement, E-CTI students "who pass final performance and written assessments receive an official endorsement certificate." Earlier FAA releases describe students passing the ATSA, meeting medical and security requirements and passing performance verifications before receiving that certificate. The exact order may vary by school and over time, so follow your program's guidance.

Pass the ATSA with a top result

Every FAA description of the program says graduates must pass the ATSA. The E-CTI hiring notice on USAJOBS is more specific: "only best and well qualified results will be considered." It also tells students to contact their school's E-CTI point of contact to request the test, and notes that "travel to & from testing locations, as well as test administration costs will be at the expense of the applicant." For what the result bands mean, see ATSA score bands.

The ATSA measures aptitude, not coursework, so an aviation degree doesn't replace preparing for the test format. Our guide on how to prepare for the ATSA covers that, and you can try a section such as the ATC Simulation demo or the Logical Reasoning demo for free. Practice helps with familiarity; it can't guarantee a result.

Meet the standard eligibility rules

The E-CTI notice keeps the usual requirements: U.S. citizenship, medical clearance "including medical exam and psychological screening," a security investigation, drug testing, clear spoken English, and one of the standard qualification routes such as a bachelor's degree or a year of work experience. The age rule is written as "you must be under the age of 31 on the date of application submission." If you are starting a two- or four-year program in your late twenties, do the math before you enroll. Our age limit guide explains the rule.

How E-CTI graduates are hired

E-CTI graduates have their own route. The FAA posted a public notice, FAA-ATO-26-PUBNOT-96438, open from October 3, 2025 to October 2, 2026, for "direct hiring authority for Enhanced Collegiate Training Initiative (E-CTI) program graduates only, or E-CTI students who are within 12 months of graduation." It works as a resume repository rather than a one-day window. Key points from the notice:

• Applicants submit a resume and transcripts, and provide a pre-endorsement (while enrolled) or endorsement (after graduation) letter, plus their Best or Well-Qualified ATSA result, before entering on duty.
• "On-the-Spot will be used to fill this position," and "the 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy."
• "Applicant geographic area preferences may be used in determining facility placement offers," but "the type and location of positions offered to each selectee will be based upon the needs of the FAA."
• Selectees receive a permanent appointment at a facility, with pay set under the ATCS collective bargaining agreement and raises as they complete training phases.

Public notices are replaced periodically, so look for the current one on USAJOBS rather than relying on these dates.

CTI graduates on regular trainee announcements: Pool 1

CTI graduates, Standard or Enhanced, can also apply through the general trainee announcements, where they fall into Pool 1. The April 2026 announcement lists "CTI Graduate - You graduated from an FAA Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program and have an official CTI endorsement letter" as one of the Pool 1 categories. To be considered, you must submit transcripts showing your degree conferral and the endorsement letter, which must be on the school's CTI letterhead, signed by the CTI program contact and confirm that all program requirements were completed. The announcement stresses that the letter "is not a personal recommendation." Spring 2026 graduates could submit current transcripts at application, but needed final transcripts and the endorsement letter before any firm job offer.

See Pool 1 vs Pool 2 for how the pools are used.

Is an Enhanced CTI program worth it?

It depends on your situation. Things to weigh:

• What you skip. The Academy is a demanding stage where a significant share of trainees don't make it through. E-CTI moves equivalent training to your college. You still have to pass the school's performance assessments, and you still face facility training afterward. Our FAA Academy guide covers what Academy trainees go through.
• Cost and time. The program is non-funded by the FAA, so tuition and living costs are yours, along with ATSA travel and test costs under the E-CTI notice.
• No job guarantee. The FAA's CTI page is explicit: "there is no guarantee of employment." Hiring still depends on the ATSA, clearances and FAA needs.
• Option fit. Programs are approved for Tower, En Route or both. Make sure the option matches the kind of facility you want to work in, while remembering placement follows FAA needs.
• Age. Enrolling late can leave you over the age limit by graduation.

If you are weighing college against applying off the street in the next window, both routes run through the ATSA. See pricing for full practice across all seven sections.

Frequently asked questions

Do Enhanced CTI graduates have to take the ATSA?

Yes. Every FAA description of the program requires it, and the E-CTI hiring notice considers only Best and Well-Qualified results.

Do Enhanced CTI graduates go to the FAA Academy?

No. Graduates who receive the endorsement and are hired go directly to an FAA facility to begin facility training. Standard CTI graduates still attend the Academy but can skip Air Traffic Basics.

Which schools offer Enhanced AT-CTI?

The roster keeps growing. FAA announcements have named Tulsa Community College, the University of Oklahoma, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach), SUNY Schenectady County Community College and Sacramento City College, among others. The FAA described Sacramento City College's program as the 10th in January 2026. Check the FAA's CTI pages for the current list.

Does an Enhanced CTI degree guarantee an FAA job?

No. The FAA says there is no guarantee of employment. You still need a qualifying ATSA result, medical and security clearance, and selection based on FAA needs.