As every college student knows, FAFSA is an important part of finding the funds for an education by determining what students can and cannot receive federal grants and loans for.
This can be difficult for beauty schools. Schools may be approved at the state level to provide the education necessary for licensing, but being approved for FAFSA can be a different story alltogether. Even schools that meet FAFSA’s standards will have to go through a process that can take as long as 2 years for an evaluation.
Amy Menzies, owner and CEO of Beyond the Basics School of Cosmetology in Marshfield, Missouri, knows this first hand. Her school was recently approved for Title IV funding by FAFSA, though her approval process started in 2013. She was told that it would take only 90 days, but funding issues and delays at the state level extended the process.
Menzies’ school is small, accommodating 34 students with programs offered Tuesday through friday. Menzies lamented that students over the past several years could have benefited extensively from federal aid as tuition over the nine month program ads up to $12,000.
Now, students can use financial aid to take courses to become cosmetologists, estheticians, manicurists, and even instructors. The school is also approved to take in veterans under the GI bill. Menzies projected that her school will reach capacity as a result.
Classes start at Beyond the Basics in October, along with classes at a variety of other beauty schools across the country. While there are some additional hurdles to jump through, students seeking an education in beauty should not have issues using federal financial aid at any Beyond the Basics location.