Well I did not expect so much replies! Went to bed early due to my appointment this afternoon. Anywho, neither me or my boyfriend have credit history. All of our utilties and what not required no check. And we’d tried for credit cards. That did not go very well. Any who. As stated I have had training. I was a stylists apprentice for 2 years. I learned a lot. I know it’s competitive. I know it’s gruesome. I know of all the long hours. I’ve done it and have had no problem doing it. Its still what I’ve wanted to do. It has not put a dent with anything. And yeah, a CC is a good idea. But. Why settle for “just enough to pass the state exam?” that does not work for me. I want to know every trick. Learn as much as I can to be the best I can be. If I had it my way I’d be doing the 25k tuition at Aveda. It took a lot to settle for this school owned by Redkin. And it’s not like my plans are as soon as I graduate, to quit my full time job and pick a salon. I’d be doing part time salon part time current job just to make sure I can pay everything back. And I do have plans to get a bachelors in art and in business eventually, but see I want my cosmetology license first so I can work while getting those so I can learn the life, how the business goes so I can learn all the trade to getting my own salon.
Too bad you didn’t do it the other way ad get the Bachelors first so you could make decent money to finance your dream yourself. Any hoo, I guess that’s water under the bridge, that ship has sailed, you catch my drift…
Why not consider a compromise with your parents? It seems like they would be willing to support you if you went to college to do something they considered a career. Hair stylists need to have considerable business skills, and you can increase your earning potential if you also managed a business - many hair stylists start their own product line or also manage a beauty product store attached to their salon. So why not go to a four-year college and study business administration - and then after that work and use your own money to go to cosmetology school and learn to do hair? Then you’d be over 24 so you wouldn’t have to worry about your parents, and you’d have a degree to fall back on.
Sometimes you have to compromise a bit to get what you really want.
“Why settle for “just enough to pass the state exam?” that does not work for me. I want to know every trick. Learn as much as I can to be the best I can be. If I had it my way I’d be doing the 25k tuition at Aveda. It took a lot to settle for this school owned by Redkin.”
Do you have solid evidence that people who graduate from the Aveda or Redkin programs really do start their careers knowing more than what the people who have attended a bare-bones program have? Do some more investigation about that. If you can pass the state exam after a less expensive course, once you are working and have some money set by, how hard would it be for you to enroll in a workshop or continuing education class that includes some of the extras that the more expensive options include?
The top stylists at the Aveda salon in my town get SENT to the continuing education programs run by Aveda (tuition, travel expenses, etc.), they don’t pay for it.
You are looking at the model backwards. Once you are licensed and have a portfolio of work, you can get hired by the best salon in your area. And then the real education begins- continuing ed, professional development, training programs, etc. Which THEY pay for.
There are no guarantees coming out of the pricey programs- none. Only difference between your bare bones license and theirs is what they paid to get it.
I attended a Redken school before Aveda was a company.
It was a good school, and it was close.
Most training that is really worth anything is AFTER you have your license.
Instruction in the schools, is geared to pass boards. Not much innovation or creativity, that’s not what it’s for.
After you have your license, you can attend the workshops and shows and get models.
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Instruction in the schools, is geared to pass boards. Not much innovation or creativity, that's not what it's for. After you have your license, you can attend the workshops and shows and get models.
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This makes total sense. The schools’ job is to teach the essentials to get license. It makes sense that specializations, becoming a color expert, etc, would come afterwards.
In fact if you try to be creative, your supervising instructor will shoot you down & make you adhere to the textbook.
For example, I wanted to give my boyfriend( now H) a body wave, to give his fine blond hair more oomph.
I was using a lavender (large)rod with larger partings than normal. She made me take it out, using blue(tiny) rods with narrow sections.
He looked like Art Garfunkle afterwards, where he had looked like Nick Nolte before.
Google them. 
I knew what was going to happen, but he was a much better sport about it than I would have been.
^^
Interesting. I wonder what would have happened if the “customer” (your BF) had insisted on the large rods?
I go to an Aveda salon in Colorado, and I’ve had a number of different stylists. We always get into conversations about where they first got trained, and probably half of them originally trained through our school district (or the adjoining school district’s) vocational education program, which is even less expensive than community college.
You’re not like to convince your parents or the financial aid system to change in the way you like. Why not investigate the options that are available to you that you can afford, and go that way? If you’re in Denver, check out Emily Griffith, a public vocational college – their cosmetology program only cost $8K including books, and you can get federal student loans if you need them. (Even if your parents are unwilling to provide data, you can get an unsubsidized student loan.)
OP, I wish you luck in whatever you do. However, I have my doubts from what you wrote (and life experience) that your parents would pay for your college even if you went back to study a major they approved. You should proceed in whatever you decide knowing that they will NOT pay anything for your education…
. I wonder what would have happened if the “customer” (your BF) had insisted on the large rods?
Mrs H was pretty experienced. I’m sure she would have convinced him she knew best.
If it had been one of the other instructors , like Edith, I may have been able to convince her to leave them be.
Her personality was more Edith Bunker than Edith Head.
OP one thing you might want to do is look at the student loan default rates for various schools you are considering/or are around. I took a quick gander at our local Aveda school (#187) on the government’s three year list. Our state 4 year university is around 4 percent, Carsten Aveda is 8 % default in 2 years -13% default in three. Obviously the less debt you incur the more options you have later.
Start a credit history.
Best.
I was in a similar situation many years ago. No parental support,living with boyfriend, but being counted as a dependent for financial aid purposes. I solved the problem by getting married. It was a good decision, still married to the same guy 28 years later.
Look into community college for a cosmetology program which will lead to your getting your license. Then after you are licensed and have some experience continue your training at beauty school/trade shows.
My cousin has an AA in cosmetology from a community college and has continued her studies and kept skills up to date by attending trade shows in the US and Europe. Throughout the years she’s owned her own shop as well as rented a station in salon. She makes way more than 30K and loves her work.