A cosmetology school can teach you the skills needed to launch your career in the beauty industry. As part of preparing for beauty school, you should research different financing options available. Cost and eligibility for financial aid options for beauty school varies from individual to individual and will depend largely on tuition costs and financial need.
Scholarships and Grants
Prospective cosmetology students can apply for federal and state grants to assist with tuition costs. Like scholarships, grants are monetary awards that don’t need to be repaid. To qualify for grants, students typically must not have previously earned a professional or college degree. For the Federal Pell Grant, award amounts are calculated on tuition costs, full-time or part-time status, and financial need. Besides federally funded programs, you can look at grants and scholarships offered exclusively to beauty school students. One example is the ACE Grant—an industry-wide award to help assuage the cost of cosmetology tuition.
Loans
The U.S. Department of Education endorses low-cost loan programs to help students pay for a higher education, including career colleges like cosmetology schools. The federal government will calculate loan eligibility for both their subsidized and unsubsidized programs. For students demonstrating financial need, they may be eligible for a subsidized loan with interest paid by the U.S. Department of Education. Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to eligible students with loan amounts calculated by cost of attendance and any additional financial aid awards. The student is responsible for interest payments on unsubsidized loans. PLUS loans are offered by the U.S. Department of Education to parents of students enrolled in an eligible program, based on the eligibility of the parent. As part of the application process, a credit check is performed before PLUS loans are disbursed. The maximum PLUS loan amount allotted is attendance cost minus any other financial aid awards.
Veteran Benefits
Veterans may be eligible for financial aid packages to help pay cosmetology school tuition. For instance, the Post-9/11 GI Bill provides educational support to individuals who have a minimum of 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001. Individuals discharged with a service-related disability are eligible after only 30 days of service. Current military members may receive educational funding through the Department of Defense’s tuition aid program. Spouses and children of active duty military and veterans could also receive educational benefits for cosmetology programs.
The Long Island Beauty School is here to help review your financial aid options. Our counselors can assist you with the applications to apply for loans and grants from various agencies.
