Cosmetology School?

[LisaR]

DD has a friend that seems lost. He is 17 and has a lot of family problems. He also has many learning disabilities that were never addressed as he was growing up. He has tried dual enrollment classes at the local community college and has failed almost every class. He is a smart kid but not overly motivated.

DD and I went to a cosmetology school today to get haircuts. She felt this place would be a perfect fit for her friend. He LOVES to do hair, makeup and nails on all of his friends. DD and I looked the place up tonight and they don't offer any information on their classes at all. You have to call them to get any details.

Since they won't be open until Monday, I was wondering if anyone could answer a few questions?
1. Do you have to be 18 to attend these schools?
2. Is the tuition generally comparable to a community college?
3. How long does it take to graduate?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

 

[NikiM20]

1) this varies by state but in Louisiana you have to be at least 16 but must have a high school diploma or GED before you get your license.

2)Way more expensive than community college. It was $8000 a year when I went 11 years ago.

3) It took me 1 year to graduate but it is based on clock hours not semesters. I don't remember they exact number of hours, but I hardly missed a day.

This was 11 years ago so my info may be out of date and I no longer do hair professionally so I am out of the loop on new laws.

 

[luvmyfam444]

I don't know much info - but I know @ the school here takes about 1 year to graduate. They have to complete a certain amount hours there & its flexible - day or night (no weekends) and most of the girls I've talked to hold other jobs.

 

[Buckalew11]

Try looking up your state's cosmetololy website. It will have requirements (age etc.) there.

Not sure of costs. Mine was free with my HS public education. I have to buy my "kit" but paid nothing for the rest until I actually went to take my state board test.

Back then, it was 1500 hours.

If he's really interested, perhaps you know of an established cosmetologist that might take him under their wing. After X amount of hours you can assist in a salon where you will learn soooo much more! School give you some great basics but being in a working salon is invaluable. Make sure he can hook-up with a really good designer--someone who has talent, is responsible, and has a good reputation. Hooking up with the wrong person/salon can make the difference between making it and failing in this industry for sure.

 

[Belle0101]

Our neighbor finished school just a couple years back. All I know about the cost is that her parents took out a loan for the school.

Time-wise, she was there just about every minute they were open. She had all her classes and hours completed in 9 months. Another girl finished the classes but went in very minimally after that. She was projected to graduate in 2 years time.

 

[LisaR]

Thanks for all the great info! I am so stupid. I didn't even think about this being regulated by state. Duh! I looked it up and you only need to be 16 in our state and 1200 hours are required. I will have to see if they will give me a price on Monday over the phone.

I know nothing about this stuff but the school we went to was huge. They had classrooms upstairs and the main floor had to have 50 salon chairs or more. They also did facials, massages, mani & pedis, and waxing. I don't know if you learn it all or just the hair styling and the other things are extra. I will make some phone calls this week and see if I can get him more info.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Is he still in high school? You might check and see if your school offers a cosmetology program. That could help with the cost quite a bit.

 

[barkley]

those that have studied in this field would know more, but i think there is a good portion of academic work in these kinds of programs (at least in some states). people i've known that went through them have talked about the amount of studying they've had to do in science oriented classes (chemistry and anatomy). depending on the young man's learning disabilities it might be more difficult than your dd realizes.

if he's interested he might check if the local community college has an office for students with disabilities, they often offer career and academic testing to assist student's in determining if they have the skills necessary for a particular program. you don't want him to committ to a large financial obligation if it's not feasable for him to complete the program.


btw-the idea of having work with an existing cosmetologist is great, but check your state's laws. not sure what the law is where i live now, but in my previous state unless you had your license you could'nt so much as touch a client (in the high end places the assistants that were just washing client's hair and doing the grunt work were all fully licensed and just putting in their time to either move up or have a prestigious place listed on their resume).

 

[Christine]

Since they won't be open until Monday, I was wondering if anyone could answer a few questions?
1. Do you have to be 18 to attend these schools?
2. Is the tuition generally comparable to a community college?
3. How long does it take to graduate?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

My cousin attended one of these and my DD looked into it.

1. I believe you can be younger than 18 but don't know the minimum age. Probably 16.

2. Tuition varies by the rep of the school. The "good" school for our area runs about $18,000 right now and this is for "start to finish" which can take a year to 18 months depending on how many hours you put into it. There are also sub-specialties that spin off of the main curriculum (nails, makeup). The okay schools are cheaper than this, maybe $10,000-$12,000 but you won't necessarily come out of them and end up at a better salon. Doesn't mean you won't get to a better salon one day it just might take longer.
3. Full time attendance takes about a year to graduate. The part time attendance is around 18 months.

 

[Buckalew11]

those that have studied in this field would know more, but i think there is a good portion of academic work in these kinds of programs (at least in some states). people i've known that went through them have talked about the amount of studying they've had to do in science oriented classes (chemistry and anatomy). depending on the young man's learning disabilities it might be more difficult than your dd realizes.

if he's interested he might check if the local community college has an office for students with disabilities, they often offer career and academic testing to assist student's in determining if they have the skills necessary for a particular program. you don't want him to committ to a large financial obligation if it's not feasable for him to complete the program.


btw-the idea of having work with an existing cosmetologist is great, but check your state's laws. not sure what the law is where i live now, but in my previous state unless you had your license you could'nt so much as touch a client (in the high end places the assistants that were just washing client's hair and doing the grunt work were all fully licensed and just putting in their time to either move up or have a prestigious place listed on their resume).

Oh yes, I didn't make myself very clear. I said X amount of hours, lol, but after X amount of hours you canget a shampoo license and after X amount you can get a manicure license. People who just do nails for a living do not have a full license to be able to do hair.

And yes, there is anatomy and chemistry. During state boards you do both--several hours of regular testing and several hours of practical. You learn it all, for the most part. I think all the skincare might be extra these days(?) but when I went, you got licensed for everything. State testing was all day long, pass or fail.

If he is really interested, the academic part of it might not be the problem that regular school is. The interest, drive, and desire to see the goal he is going for might really help him through that part. I wish him the best of luck. Many really good hairdressers have been in the same boat as your DD's friend. My first and only boss never received her diploma or GED. But I'd put her up to any hairdresser alive--famous or not. It is a gift.

 

[powellrj]

My DDIL is an instructor at a school and her school cost around $18,000 to complete, but that includes the cost of your supplies.

They also offer aesthetics which is things like facials and waxing at an extra cost.

You can apply and use student loans at most schools.

They have several guys that attend and also offer barber school.

 

[golfgal]

A friend of mine's husband is a hairstylist and has done VERY well for himself. He owns his own shop in a smaller town and has for over 25 years. It can be a very lucrative career if done right. It's kind of cute when their girls go to Dad to fix their hair for prom .

 

[LisaR]

those that have studied in this field would know more, but i think there is a good portion of academic work in these kinds of programs (at least in some states). people i've known that went through them have talked about the amount of studying they've had to do in science oriented classes (chemistry and anatomy). depending on the young man's learning disabilities it might be more difficult than your dd realizes.

if he's interested he might check if the local community college has an office for students with disabilities, they often offer career and academic testing to assist student's in determining if they have the skills necessary for a particular program. you don't want him to committ to a large financial obligation if it's not feasable for him to complete the program.


btw-the idea of having work with an existing cosmetologist is great, but check your state's laws. not sure what the law is where i live now, but in my previous state unless you had your license you could'nt so much as touch a client (in the high end places the assistants that were just washing client's hair and doing the grunt work were all fully licensed and just putting in their time to either move up or have a prestigious place listed on their resume).

That is good info to know. Honestly, I don't get this kid. I think he is smart but just isn't motivated due to all of his learning disabilities that haven't been addressed. But at 17, I think it is time to recognize that people have failed you but you have control now and it is now time to pull yourself up and move on with your life. Of course, maybe that is asking too much of a 17 y/o.

I just checked the community college that he is dual enrolled at and they offer a cosmetology certificate. My DD is going to talk to him today. I hope he pursues something because right now he is like a lost little puppy.

I spend more time trying to help this kid than I do my own kids but I can only do so much. He needs to want it.

 

[PlutoPony]

Some of the better salons offer their own programs around here - PR@ Partners is one that comes to mind. They take a good 18 months to complete and you progress as it's determined you have mastered the concepts. During that time students spend a lot of time working in the salon, shampooing, cleaning up, and doing things like mixing color under the direct supervision of the more experienced stylists. No idea what the cost is how or that works. They do receive a full cosmetology license upon completion and are typically placed at one of the salon locations. Competition is stiff to get into these programs I hear.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

1) this varies by state but in Louisiana you have to be at least 16 but must have a high school diploma or GED before you get your license.

2)Way more expensive than community college. It was $8000 a year when I went 11 years ago.

3) It took me 1 year to graduate but it is based on clock hours not semesters. I don't remember they exact number of hours, but I hardly missed a day.

This was 11 years ago so my info may be out of date and I no longer do hair professionally so I am out of the loop on new laws.

I agree. When I went you had to have 1000 hours completed. They have since raised it and I believe it is now 1200 hours but I could be off on the exact number.
It is not cheap. You have to really work hard. It is not simply playing spa with your friends. We had to know science and math as well. There are many written tests. The state test for your license is also pretty involved. You need to check schools though. The one I went to had the highest success rate for passing the state test. You want that because then you know that they really prepare you.
Once you get your license then you usually get a job as an assistant so you can really learn how to cut, color, and blow dry. You do learn in school but not advanced techniques. You learn what you need to have a great foundation and to pass the state test. Better salons will not hire you as a stylist right out of school. You will be an assistant/shampoo person for 2+ years.
I think it is a great career but you really have to research and make sure you want to make that commitment. I went after I graduated college because I was always interested in hair and figured it would give me a trade so I could always get a job. Good luck!