Do you want to become a barber, makeup artist, or hairstylist but cannot afford the cost of cosmetology school? Here is a well-detailed guide on how to go to cosmetology school for free to help you achieve your dream without spending a dime.
A cosmetology school is an educational institution that teaches, trains, and equips students with beauty skills in hairstyling, makeup, nail care, and skin care. It is also called a beauty school. You can only be enrolled in the courses one at a time then graduate and earn your license when you complete the training hours and meet other licensing requirements set by your state.
When you earn your license, you can then go on to pursue a professional career in the beauty industry. If you love everything hair, nails, skin, and makeup then a career in the beauty industry may be a suitable career path for you, and should consider going to a beauty school.
And if you don’t want to attend in person, you can learn online. Just as there is a wide range of online courses across various sectors, some cosmetology schools also offer their courses online, and yes, you will still participate in hands-on training and get equipped with the relevant skills all from the comfort of your home. When you pay your fees and make every other necessary payment, you will be sent a complete set of training kits to learn and train from home.
Talking about fees, the cost of cosmetology school is not a walk in the park, they are quite expensive. According to Milady.com, the average cost of attending cosmetology school in the US is around $16,251. This includes tuition, books, and training kit.
But Cosmetology Guru says courses like esthetician, nail technician, and massage therapy are usually much less, averaging between $3,000 and $5,000 for a 300-hour program.
Attending a cosmetology school is expensive therefore not everyone who wants to pursue a career in the beauty industry can afford the outrageous fees which means that the dreams of such people are cut off forever. Some who cannot afford it but don’t want to give up on their dreams would have no option but to get a student loan which they will spend years paying back plus, it is a huge gamble because the beauty industry is super competitive.
That is also a challenge and a setback in your career but there is a much better way out all of which I have described in this blog, so, stay with me.
With the aid of this guide, you will find out how to go to cosmetology school for free. Yes, that’s right! You can go to cosmetology school for free and I will show you how that can be in this article. Another alternative is to take free online beauty courses with certificates and/or free online natural skin care courses to start acquiring cosmetology skills from the comfort of your home free of charge.
However, the best approach to becoming a cosmetologist is to attend on-site classes and take physical hands-on practical training. Now, let’s go ahead to see ways you can go to cosmetology school for free.
How To Go To Cosmetology School For Free
If you want to go to cosmetology school but cannot afford it, here are available options to cut down on the cost or even attend for free:
1. Apply for Scholarships and Grants
There are scholarships and grants that are specific to beauty school and then there are others that are general which, when you receive them, can then be applied to your cosmetology education. However, the latter are usually very competitive because it is for everyone therefore a lot of students are applying for them so your chances of getting such a scholarship or grant are lower.
You should instead focus more on beauty scholarships and grants, these are specifically for those in beauty schools and since you want to attend a cosmetology school, you have higher chances of winning such scholarships because the requirements will be tuned to your educational path.
Applying for scholarships and grants is your best option to go to cosmetology school for free because scholarships and grants are “free money” and you will not be paying them back. Another advantage of scholarships is that you can apply for as many as you can. There is no limit to the number of scholarships you can apply for and win, and you can direct all to your cosmetology education.
Here are available scholarships and grant options for cosmetology school:
FAFSA
Whether you are a current or prospective student, you should never forget to apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for federal aid. This is not competitive as scholarships are rewarded independently and you may also qualify for awards that are not offered by federal agencies.
To learn more about FAFSA, click here.
Beauty Changes Lives Scholarship
This is one of the most popular beauty school scholarships, it has been around since 2013 and continues to support students who want to pursue an education in cosmetology. The Beauty Changes Lives Scholarship is one of those scholarships that are solely for those studying a beauty or cosmetology program.
The Beauty Changes Lives Scholarship awards over $500,000 in scholarships in each year. This is your opportunity to go to cosmetology school for free.
Great Clips Scholarship
Great Clips offer more than $100,000 in scholarships each year to students in cosmetology programs specifically in hair stylist or barbering programs across the US and Canada. Each selected student will receive $5,000 to help them launch their dream.
This is another way to go to cosmetology school for free by applying for the Great Clips scholarship and receiving the $5K.
Beauty Schools Directory Beauty & Wellness Professionals Scholarship
This scholarship from the Beauty Schools Directory is offered to students and professionals pursuing an education or a career in the beauty industry. The scholarship is for US residents, DACA recipients, and international students. You must be enrolled in an eligible cosmetology or beauty program to receive the scholarship, and it is open to students of all ages.
The scholarship award is $2,500 awarded twice per year, one student is selected for the award.
Keller Tuition Giveaway
The Keller Tuition Giveaway is an annual scholarship of $1,500 offered by Keller International to one cosmetology, barber, nail, or esthetician student to support their educational journey. You can apply for this scholarship to alleviate your financial burden of cosmetology school.
Massage Envy Scholarship
Students in massage therapy programs can apply for the Massage Envy Scholarship to win $2,500 to help with the cost of their education in massage therapy. 128 students will receive $2,500 each.
Just so you know, you can apply for all of these scholarships and even more and direct the funding to your cosmetology education when you receive the award. Also, don’t forget to look into state grants, there is always a state grant to support your education.
2. Find a Cheap Cosmetology School Near You
As someone who cannot afford the cost of cosmetology school nothing should concern you with going to a “big-name” cosmetology school, because, of course, they are expensive. So, it is best you find a cheap one near you, of course, you will still get the same quality of education here. Going to one near you will save you cost of commuting to a far place.
Finding a cheap cosmetology school near you is one of the options to cut down on the cost of getting a cosmetology education. When you find a cheap cosmetology school, ensure to visit their financial aid department to discuss various payment options and explore grants and scholarships that you can apply for.
Conclusion
This concludes the guide on how to go to cosmetology school for free. I recommend that you combine both options, you will see that your cosmetology education can be completely free. But then, the main point here is applying for scholarships or grants, so, find every available resource, in addition to the ones I provided, to get scholarships and grants to apply for.
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