The ARRL will cover the one-time $35 application fee for new license candidates younger than 18-years old for tests taken with the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC). The $35 FCC application fee will be reimbursed after the ARRL VEC receives the completed grant reimbursement form and the new license has been issued by the FCC. The reimbursement check will be mailed to the fee payer listed on the form.

The applicant or individual paying the $35 application fee on behalf of the applicant will pay the FCC directly by using the CORES FRN Registration system (CORES - Login).  CORES payment system information.  

When the FCC receives the candidate’s examination information from the ARRL VEC, they will email a link with payment instructions to each qualifying candidate and issue an application file number. The candidate will have 10 calendar days, from the date of the application file number being issued, to pay the $35 FCC application fee.

After the fee is paid, and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a second email from the FCC with a link to their new official license or, in very rare instances, an explanation for why the application was dismissed or denied. The link will be valid for 30 days.

The $35 FCC application fee will be reimbursed after the ARRL receives the completed grant reimbursement form and the new license has been issued by the FCC. The reimbursement check will be mailed to the fee payer.

Visit the ARRL’s FCC application fees webpage for additional instructions and information about the $35 FCC fee.

Multiple Fee Reimbursements
Unfortunately, the FCC does not offer batch or multiple payments. The payer will have to login to each youth’s CORES/FRN record with each youth’s password and FRN and pay each application fee separately. See payment instructions above.

However, the payer can request multiple reimbursements on one reimbursement form.

The completed grant reimbursement form can be uploaded by the ARRL VE team with their e-filed exam session or mailed with their exam session package. The form can also be faxed (860-594-0339) or emailed to the ARRL VEC department by the candidate, the payer, or the team.

 
Youth Licensing Grant Program Reimbursement Form (2022 version) interactive version
 
Youth Licensing Grant Program Reimbursement Form (2022 version) not interactive
 
The completed grant reimbursement form can be uploaded by the ARRL VE team with their e-filed exam session or mailed with their exam session package. The form can also be faxed (860-594-0339) or emailed to the ARRL VEC department by the candidate, the payer, or the team.

Candidates younger than 18-years old pay a reduced exam session fee of $5 to the ARRL VEC VE team when taking an exam. Proper identification must be presented to and verified by the team, per the procedures for all exam candidates (what to bring to an exam session).  The $5 fee is for all candidates under the age of 18 regardless of the exam level taken. Please indicate the number of youth candidates in the notes section of the test report or the notes section of the session upload page (eg: 2 youth out of 10 candidates). 

A new ARRL VEC Test Report and Candidate Roster displaying the youth fee information are available. Interactive versions of the forms are also offered:  Test Report (interactive) and Candidate Roster (interactive)
All session documents are located on the VE Resources page.

VE teams may continue to retain up to $7 per candidate for necessary and prudent expenses specifically related to exam administration. Only the amount needed to offset out-of-pocket expenses incurred can be retained. Fees may not be kept if no expenses were incurred.

Additionally, ARRL will cover the one-time $35 application fee for new license candidates younger than 18-years old for tests administered under the ARRL VEC. The $35 FCC application fee will be reimbursed after the ARRL receives the completed grant reimbursement form and the new license has been issued by the FCC. The reimbursement check will be mailed to the fee payer listed on the form.

The completed grant reimbursement form can be uploaded by the VE team with their e-filed exam session or mailed with their exam session package. The form can also be faxed (860-594-0339) or emailed to the ARRL VEC department by the candidate, the payer, or the team.

Visit the ARRL’s FCC application fees webpage for additional instructions and information about the $35 FCC fee.
 

ARRL Board Establishes Program to Cover Initial FCC License Fee for Young Applicants

The ARRL Board of Directors has formally endorsed a program announcing ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® will cover the $35 application fee for license candidates younger than 18 years old who take their test at an ARRL VEC sponsored exam session. The FCC implemented the $35 application fee schedule on April 19, 2022. The Board approved the “Youth Licensing Grant Program” at its July 2021 meeting in Hartford, Connecticut. The program concept, first raised at the Board’s annual meeting in January 2021, was reviewed by an ad-hoc committee, which expanded the scope of the original motion by ARRL Southeastern Division Director Mickey Baker, N4MB.

Goals of the program include expanding the reservoir of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts within the amateur radio community, and removing a financial obstacle to young people who wish to acquire an amateur radio license, as a means of encouraging potential careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Under the program, ARRL would cover the one-time $35 application fee for each qualified candidate who passes one or more amateur radio exams taken for a new license on the same day at a single examination session. Tests would have to be administered by a Volunteer Examiner (VE) team working under the auspices of the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC). Qualified candidates also would pay a reduced exam session fee of $5 to the ARRL VEC.

The program also would “enhance ARRL’s position as the leader in volunteer testing,” the Board motion said. “The Board believes that the recruitment and training of young amateur radio operators is a necessary and proper mission of the ARRL, and that ARRL's subsidization of the $35 fee will reduce the number of new amateurs that otherwise would be lost from these groups,” the Board said.

The new program initially would serve up to 1,000 new license applicants younger than 18 years old.

The motion gave ARRL staff “complete latitude” to determine how to reimburse eligible applicants. This program length is indefinite; it may be renewed or terminated by the Administration and Finance Committee or by the Board of Directors. The motion carried with applause from Board members.