CA - California Beauty Schools

California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology www.barbercosmo.ca.gov/

2420 Del Paso Road Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95834
1-800-952-5210
Fax (916) 575-7281

Practice for your State Board Exam at the websites below!

Cosmetology Exam Practice for State Board Test

Barber Exam Practice for State Board Test

Esthetician Exam Practice for State Board Test

Nail Tech Exam Practice for State Board Test

Instructor - Educator Cosmetology Exam Advice and Books to Study for State Board Test!

What To Ask the Beauty School Recruiters
or Admissions Directors

(1) Is your college accredited?

(1) Why you should ask this question: Accredited colleges follow high standards and keep track of important statistics such as how many students pass their state board exams; how many of their students actually finish college; and how many students get jobs within 6 months after graduating.

(2) How many students who complete your course pass the State Licensure exam?

(2) Why you should ask this question: A high percentage would mean that the college in question will focus on helping you not only to graduate, but to pass the licensure exam in your state as well.

(3) How many of your graduates who pass their Licensure exam obtain employment?

(3) Why you should ask this question: Many cosmetology colleges don't place individuals with an employer. However, if it is an accredited college, they still have to keep statistics on how many graduates find employment. A high average indicates that the college in question has a great reputation among employers in the area. A high average would also indicate that graduates were trained well in interviewing and people skills.

(4) What are your enrollment requirements?

(4) Why you should ask this question: There may be different enrollment and entrance requirements for many schools. Some will require that you have your high school diploma or GED, while others will require that you have completed a certain amount of your high school education. Some colleges will require an enrollment fee up front, while others will not. Even if you have all ready made up your mind as to which college to attend it is good to have a list of these requirements so that you will be prepared on the date of your enrollment.

(5) Can I come for a tour of your college?

(5) Why you should ask this question: You can find out many things over the telephone about a college. But don't make up your mind until you have toured 2 or 3 colleges that you have narrowed your choices down to. A simple 10 to 20 minute visit will give you knowledge a telephone conversation could never offer. Such as: is the college in a good location (easy access, crime rate, etc) Do the students there look busy - content - professional - ethnically diverse? Is there a display of the books you'll be studying, and equipment you'll be using? How old or new is the facility and equipment? Is the clinic floor busy with customers? As you can see, this list could go on and on. The visual information you will acquire on a tour is incredibly valuable. A tour could change your mind.

client getting a service at a beauty school

client getting a service at a beauty school

More Questions You May Want to Ask

Are all costs included in the tuition?

Is there financial aid available?

Are there any up-front fees I need to know about?

Is there an entrance exam?

What grade average do I need to maintain to graduate?

Do you have an attendance policy?

What would be my weekly schedule?

How large are the classes?

What can you tell me about the instructors?

When was the college established?

What curriculum do you teach?

Can you mail me information on your school?

Do you have a website?

Do you have part time and evening classes?

Choose an accredited beauty school!

(Question) Who Else Can Provide You
With Crucial Information?

(Answer) Local Salons and Day Spas. Call Salons, Day Spas, and Beauty Corporations and ask:

Which cosmetology schools do they recommend?

Which cosmetology schools do they prefer to hire from?

Why do they prefer to hire from specific schools?

Where did they attend school?

Did they feel they received sufficient training?

Choose an accredited beauty school!

Beauty School Financial Aid
A school must have accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education to be qualified to take part in the administration of federal student aid programs. Many of the schools on this website are accredited and therefore many of these beauty schools do participate in Federal Financial Aid. Not all Beauty Schools participate in the same financial aid programs, however � so be sure to ask the beauty school recruiter what type of financial aid they participate in. Beauty School Financial Aid does exsit

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PELL Grant: Some Beauty Schools participate in the federal PELL grant. PELL grants are the base of federal student financial aid. Other federal and nonfederal sources might be added. PELL grants are normally awarded to students who haven�t earned a bachelor�s or graduate degree. The award amount of the grant can change annually. To find out if you qualify for a PELL grant, you would need to complete a FAFSA application. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, so never let anyone charge you for submitting one! The government uses a formula that includes household income, number of family members, how many family members are attending college, the cost of attendance, whether you are a full or part time student, whether you attend school for a full academic year or less � and several other factors to determine who qualifies for the PELL grant and how much PELL grant they receive.

Some Beauty Schools participate in Federal student loan programs. Student loans, unlike grants, must be repaid, with interest. You cannot have these loans canceled because you didn�t like the education you received, didn�t get a job in your field of study or because you are going through financial hardships. Loans are legal obligations, so before you take out a student loan, think about the amount you�ll have to repay over the years. You may want to ask your beauty school recruiter if they participate in any of the following federal loan programs:

Federal Perkins Loans: Federal Perkins loans are made through participating schools to undergraduate, graduate and professional degree students. They are offered by participating schools to students who can show they have financial need. Students must be enrolled either full-time or part-time. The federal Perkins Loans are repaid by the student to the school.

Stafford Loans: (subsidized and unsubsidized) Stafford Loans are for undergraduate, graduate and professional degree students. A student must be enrolled as at least a half-time student to be eligible for a Stafford loan. There are two types of Stafford loans: subsidized and unsubsidized. Students must show a financial need in order to obtain a subsidized Stafford loan. Financial need is not a condition needed to obtain an unsubsidized Stafford loan. The U.S. Department of Education will subsidize the interest that accrues on subsidized Stafford loans during certain periods. These loans are made through one of two U.S. Department of Education programs: The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (the student borrows directly from the U.S. Department of Education), or the Federal Family Education Loan program (where private lenders provide the funds that are guaranteed by the Federal Government). The maximum Stafford Loan amount a student can borrow each academic year depends on the academic level in school and whether the student is a dependent or an independent student.

PLUS loans: Parents of dependent students and students pursuing a graduate or professional degree can borrow from the PLUS Loan program. The terms and conditions relevant to parent PLUS Loans also apply to PLUS Loans made to graduate and professional degree students. These terms and conditions include: a requirement that the applicant not have a bad credit history; a repayment period that starts on the date of the last disbursement of the loan; and a fixed interest rate. As with PLUS Loans made to parent borrowers, eligible graduate and professional degree students may borrow under the PLUS program up to their cost of attendance, minus other financial aid received. The PLUS applicant and the student must be a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen, cannot be in default on a federal student loan, and cannot owe any refund on a federal education grant.

Advice regarding your Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA )

Be wary of organizations that charge a fee to submit your application, or to find you money for school. FAFSA literally stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You can receive free support completing the FAFSA from the FAFSA website www.fafsa.ed.gov , and many times the school that you apply to is willing to help you with the FAFSA application for free.

Filling out the FAFSA, is the first step in the financial aid process. Use it to apply for federal student financial aid, such as the Pell Grant, student loans, and college work-study. In addition, most states and schools use FAFSA information to award their financial aid.

Many questions on the FAFSA are clear-cut, like your Social Security Number. But many questions are asked specifically for purposes of student financial aid. Common words like household, investments, and legal guardianship may have special meaning. Read instructions carefully.

You (and your parents if you are a dependent student) should complete your tax return before filling out your FAFSA. Federal Student Aid will process your FAFSA if it is received on or before the deadline. However, in order for you to actually receive aid, your school must have correct, complete FAFSA information before your last day of enrollment.

Your FAFSA responses are used in a formula (known as the Federal Methodology), which is regulated by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The result is your Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. The EFC is a preliminary estimate that measures your family�s financial strength. It is subtracted from the Cost of Attendance at the school(s) you plan to attend to determine your eligibility for federal student aid.

Once your award has been calculated, Your Student Aid Report (SAR) will be sent to you by e-mail or by postal mail. The SAR lists the information you reported on your FAFSA. At the upper right of the front page of the SAR, you�ll find a figure called the EFC. Schools use your EFC to prepare a financial aid package (grants, loans, and/or work-study) to help you meet your financial need. Financial need is the difference between your EFC and your school�s cost of attendance.

Your financial aid will be paid to you through your school. Typically, your school will first use the aid to pay tuition, fees, and room and board (if provided by the school). Any remaining aid is given to you for your other expenses.

Other types of financial aid available to Beauty School Students include the following:

ACE GRANTS: ACE Grants are designed to help you begin your career in cosmetology. Sponsored by three major beauty industry associations: the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), the Cosmetology Advancement Foundation (CAF), and the Beauty and Barber Supply Institute (BBSI), ACE Grants are the first ever industry-wide effort to encourage highly motivated and qualified individuals to join the world of cosmetology.

Joe Francis Haircare Scholarship Foundation: The Joe Francis Haircare Scholarship Foundation is dedicated to helping support deserving students receive the professional training necessary to build successful, long-term careers in hairstyling. Applicants are evaluated for their potential to successfully complete school, their financial need, and their commitment to a long-term career in cosmetology.

NCA Sally Beauty Scholarship: NCA Sally Beauty Scholarship - Download an application for the 2010 NCA Sally Beauty Scholarship here! Ten $1,000 scholarships will be awarded.

Supercuts: If you become employed with Supercuts they may split your student loan payments with you. Their 'Pay Back the Future' program, offered at most Supercuts stores, pays up to 50% of your monthly payment on a federally guaranteed or other approved student loan for cosmetology training. All you do is show verification of your loan and repayment schedule, and they will send the first payment on approval.

Great Clips for hair: A leader in the salon business world wants to encourage others to join in the exciting profession of cosmetology. Small scholarships are available in some areas for a few lucky individuals. You will be required to complete an application, essay, and a letter of recommendation. If you are not selected for a scholarship sponsored by Great Clips, your name and related information may be passed on to other organizations or schools that may be able to provide additional information to you on the field of cosmetology.

GI Bill: The GI Bill is financial assistance with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many cosmetology schools participate in the GI Bill. If you qualify, be certain to find out if your prospective school is accredited and if they participate in this program. http://www.gibill.va.gov

Vocational Rehabilitation Programs: Check your local yellow pages for the nearest Vocational Rehabilitation Program near you. Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a Federal/State-funded program providing services to help individuals with disabilities enter or return to employment. It is designed to help individuals of work age with disabling physical and/or mental disabilities compete successfully with others in earning a livelihood. Vocational Rehabilitation programs take an active leadership role in advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities, removing the physical and attitudinal barriers which often confront them, and publicizing their abilities and accomplishments to society at large.

Many beauty schools include your books and equipment in the total fee, some do not - be sure to ask if your kit is included

Many beauty schools include your books and equipment in the total fee, some do not - be sure to ask if your kit is included

Motivating Quotes

Charles C. Noble: You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures.

Pablo Picasso: I am always doing things I can't do, that's how I get to do them.

Jim Rohn : We all have two choices; We can make a living or we can design a life.

Anonymous: Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goals.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Hitch your wagon to a star.

You Tube - European Facial Demonstration Video

You Tube Video - Beauty School Student Testimonials

You Tube - CIDESCO (International Esthetics Training) Video

You Tube - How to Sew in Hair Weave Video

Find Accredited Beauty Schools and take a tour of the facility before making a decision

You have a need for something in your life to be better, and you are ready to accept the guidance you must have in order to make a new start! The Beauty School Admissions representative is there to take care of addressing that need. The admissions representative will give you a tour of the facility, and offer you the opportunity to enroll in one of their well established, accredited programs, as well as address all of your burning questions regarding cosmetology training.

There are so many things you can experience when you actually visit a Beauty School facility. You may be able to view the books, tools, and equipment that you will use in the Student Salon. Entering the building you may hear the sounds of students greeting their clients, hair-dryers blowing through the locks of hair of numerous visitors in the student salon, a receptionist, calling new students to the front desk for their first salon assignments, and a few customers who are familiar with one another exchanging stories in the waiting area.

You may smell permanent solution wafting through the air or notice someone�s hair being bleached, and then looking throughout the student salon, view a young girl getting foils in her hair, while her mother stands nearby. You may see a student styling a man�s hair with clippers and realize � that could be you. Then you think -- If she can do this then I�m pretty sure I can too! A bride-to-be with a veil all ready set nicely atop her new updo may be getting a make-up application by a student, and then you might notice her whole wedding party is there too, getting the finishing touches to their updos, or receiving a manicure at another part of the student salon. All this will give you a feel for what it will be like when you begin your career as a cosmetologist!

You will probably be guided around the facility where you will view the classrooms. There you may see students at the tables and chairs absorbing a theory subject, or if you visit them during hands-on training in the classroom, they could be performing one of many different esthetician or massage procedures. Perhaps students will be giving one another cellulite treatments; or they could be enjoying the procedures of practical training for body massage on one another; maybe they are learning microdermabrasion while the instructor, supervises. The Hairdressing students may be giving their mannequins finger waves, or roller sets, or a 4 strand braid.

In a Student Spa you may visit a facial room. This room is where students work with actual clients giving them a variety of skin care treatments. You may observe students providing one-hour facials and notice mist flowing from a facial machine; there could be a couple more clients resting serenely with product absorbing into their skin; or a student could be performing an extraction or glycolic wash for a client. At that moment, while the soft, relaxing spa music wafts through the room like a soothing mist of spa air - you realize � that could be you sitting in the esthetician�s chair. More than likely you will also see the manicure and pedicure area for clients, and perhaps a waxing room for hair removal. This part of the tour will always stay in the back of your mind as you recollect what it will be like to work as a licensed cosmetologist, barber, esthetician or massage therapist.

As you stroll with the admissions representative across the Student Salon, you may notice several students receiving services. Many beauty schools allow students to receive services at an extreme discount, or even free services, in order to give other students more practice. You may see one student with foils, while across a few stations, there is a student giving a haircut to another student. At a massage chair, yet another student helps a peer practice chair massage by volunteering for the treatment. You are thinking � boy it�s rough to come to a school like this and have to be pampered as a part of my education � with a smile!

The admissions representative may remind you that it is still hard work to be a cosmetologist � and students must show up for school on a daily basis because the curriculum is intense � not easy. You will have to apply yourself in school and participate faithfully if you expect to pass your state board exam once you have completed your requirements.

You will be proud of the knowledge and skill you attain in cosmetology college. An admissions representative is waiting to hear from you. Just fill out the form provided when you click on the Beauty Schools that most interest you. I know you are ready for a change in your life. You would like to be in the business of fashion, glamour and beauty! Choose an accredited beauty school!

THE BUSINESS OF BEAUTY

One of the benefits of being in the cosmetology industry � a career of fashion, glamour and beauty - is that you are in charge of your own success. Yes, you may work in a salon, you might answer to an owner or a supervisor and deal with other beauticians, estheticians, and hairstylists - but the truth is, YOU are in control of your own success.

Essentially you are really an entrepreneur, and with that there is the responsibility of taking ownership of your own successes and failures. Need help? Ask for guidance from those who are all ready successful in the industry. Also, read Industry magazines, research the Internet and use all these tools to help you start marketing yourself. The power is in your hands to make your business successful.

Network with everyone around you: clients, co-workers, educators, managers, family, clubs, people in line with you at the grocery store! Be sure to vary your own look on a regular basis. This will encourage your clients to try new, innovative styles. You are your own walking billboard, and your clients are your walking AND talking billboards. There is no better advertisement than word-of-mouth; now add the visual effect of gorgeous hairstyles to word-of-mouth recommendations and that places your client/billboard at the top of the world for all to see and hear!

Remember technology can also help you spread the word about your career. Do not ignore the power of Facebook, Twitter and other networking sites.

The last word of advice on this article is to get started building your business WHILE YOU ARE STILL IN BEAUTY SCHOOL. Build your clientele - in beauty school. Collect all the innovative business ideas you can from likeminded students around you. Pay CLOSE attention to your instructors, and especially the school owners (who are obviously successful - or you wouldn't be there). So, here's to you aspiring entrepreneur! Seize the day.

Will You Choose the Best Beauty School - Quiz

This quiz has 8 questions worth 100 total points. Once you have completed the quiz, you may review the answers and take it again. The information for this quiz was taken from www.finallywhatyouneed.com/admissions.html