Instructor Trainee is a Diploma program offered by Arkansas Beauty College in Russellville, AR. The program takes 600 clock hours; 20 weeks full time or 27 weeks part time to complete, with a total tuition of $6,000.
Program Overview
Instructor Trainee is a 600 clock hour programme which, as the catalog puts it, "will prepare student Instructors in the art of teaching all phases of Cosmetology to students entering a cosmetology course programme".
It is the college's route for licensed professionals who want to teach, and it is taught inside a working school where every instructor holds a licence issued by the Arkansas Department of Health Cosmetology Section. It carries the lowest total price of the three programmes and, unlike the other two, no supplies and equipment charge — only educational materials.
What sets this Program apart
The college's philosophy. "Arkansas Beauty College is dedicated to the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to acquire quality, career-oriented education that will allow them to attain fulfilling and productive careers in the cosmetology field. The College is committed to providing programs that deliver quality training within a convenient time frame."
Who it answers to. "Arkansas Beauty College feels a deep responsibility to the students, parents, and business community that they serve. The College attempts to instill a similar sense of responsibility in our staff, students," and graduates.
How long it has been here. "Arkansas Beauty College was established in 1962 to provide the necessary training and instruction to create qualified cosmetologists." It began upstairs on Main Street in downtown Russellville, moved to 201 North Commerce, and moved again in 1986 to the North Commerce Avenue address it occupies today.
Admission Requirements and Process
The catalog sets one list of admission requirements for every programme. An applicant provides a copy of state or federal issued identification, a copy of a high school diploma or its equivalent, and a copy of their Social Security card, plus a birth certificate if they are under eighteen and a 2x2 facial picture. A $150.00 registration fee is payable and becomes non-refundable after three business days; reinstatement also costs $150.00.
The college is explicit that it does not accept students without proof of high school completion or its equivalent, so there is no ability-to-benefit route here. Self-pay students carry two further requirements: they must be at least 16 years old and hold an official high school transcript showing they completed 10th grade.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited school means its training has been reviewed against independent standards that protect students.
This school: Arkansas Beauty College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, which the U.S. Department of Education records as ACCSC school #M070721, and its federal record is active. The college is licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health, Cosmetology Section, which also issues every instructor's licence, and it participates in the federal Title IV aid programmes.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Reviewed against independent standards
- Recognized by employers and licensing boards
Accreditations
General Requirements
- EducationA copy of a high school diploma or its equivalent. The college does not accept students without proof of high school completion.
- IdentificationA copy of state or federal issued identification, a copy of your Social Security card, and a birth certificate if you are under eighteen.
- PhotographA 2x2 facial picture for your student file.
- Registration feeA $150.00 registration fee, non-refundable after three business days. Reinstatement after a break also costs $150.00.
Application Process
- 1Get in touchUse the contact form on arkansasbeautycollege.us or call the college on (479) 968-3075 to ask about a start date.
- 2Choose a start dateNew classes begin each month provided there is an opening; the catalog asks you to pick a date that leaves enough time to prepare.
- 3Bring your documentsState or federal photo identification, a copy of your high school diploma or equivalent, your Social Security card, a 2x2 facial picture, and a birth certificate if you are under eighteen.
- 4Pay the registration feeThe $150.00 registration fee holds your place and becomes non-refundable after three business days.
- 5Attend orientationOrientation is mandatory and takes place on the first day or before classes begin.
Program Schedule
The catalog publishes two schedules for this programme. Full time runs Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, which it counts as 32.5 instructional hours a week. Part time runs Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 12:30 pm, counted as 22.5 hours a week.
At 32.5 hours a week the 600 hours take 20 weeks; at 22.5 hours a week they take 27 weeks.
Starts. Arkansas Beauty College runs a revolving enrollment and new classes start each month, provided there is an opening, so there is no fixed start-date calendar to work around.
Curriculum
The catalog describes this programme in a single sentence and publishes neither a subject list with hours nor a course outline for it. What it does state is listed below, without hours. The only hour figure published is the 600-hour total. Ask the college for the teaching syllabus before enrolling.
How progress is judged. Alongside the 70% attendance standard the college grades academic work, and a student must meet both the attendance and the academic standard at each evaluation to be making satisfactory progress. Students using veterans' benefits are evaluated on the same schedule, and the catalog notes a VA student at 70% attendance is considered to be making satisfactory progress until the next scheduled evaluation.
Required Courses
| Name |
|---|
| Instructor Trainee focus (the catalog publishes no hour split) |
| The art of teaching all phases of cosmetology |
| Preparing students entering a cosmetology course programme |
| Subtotal |
| Program Total |
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
What it costs. The catalog prices Instructor Trainee at $6,900.00 in total, itemised as:
- Tuition: $6,000.00
- Registration fee: $150.00
- Educational materials: $750.00
The catalog marks tuition with a note that it "includes all cosmetics, materials, and supplies used on the public and in class as determined by the owner", so the consumables a student works with are inside the price. Four other charges sit outside it, and are listed below.
Paying for school. The catalog describes two kinds of federal student aid available to those who qualify: grants, which do not have to be repaid unless the student withdraws and owes a refund, and loans, which must be repaid with interest. It sets out the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Direct Loan, subsidised and unsubsidised. The college is also approved for veterans' educational benefits, including for eligible dependents of deceased or disabled veterans and for active National Guard and reserve personnel, and it is approved for rehabilitation services. No FAFSA school code is printed in the catalog, so ask the college for it. A financial aid advisor is available during opening hours, in person or by email.
Paying it yourself. Self-pay students sign a promissory note with the enrollment agreement and pay 20% down at enrolment. The balance is divided into equal monthly instalments running to the end date on the agreement, carrying interest at 5% a year until paid, with a $25.00 late charge on any payment received after the 5th of the month. Self-pay students must be at least 16 and hold an official high school transcript showing they completed 10th grade. The college may withhold funds received from any source of student financial assistance against an outstanding balance.
Charges outside tuition. Four fees sit outside the programme price: the Arkansas Cosmetology Permit at $20.00, paid to the Arkansas Department of Health and not refundable; a Change of Contract fee of $200.00; a Withdrawal fee of $100.00; and a Termination fee of $100.00. Examination fees are set by the examining agencies on completion. Days missed are charged at $12.00 an hour, a rate the catalog says is subject to change. The college may withhold certification of a student's hours until everything owed is paid.
Career Outcomes
Licensing. The programme prepares licensed professionals for the Arkansas instructor credential, with examination fees set by the examining agencies on completion. The Arkansas Department of Health, Cosmetology Section is the licensing body, and it issues the licences held by every instructor at the college.
Published outcomes. The catalog publishes no completion, placement or licensure rates. Arkansas Beauty College is accredited by ACCSC, which requires its schools to report those rates annually, so ask the college for its current figures.
What to expect as a Arkansas Beauty College student
Hours and starts. The college is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and runs a revolving enrollment, with new classes starting each month provided there is an opening. Students take a thirty-minute lunch break every day, and the catalog is explicit that the time is docked whether or not the student clocks out.
Orientation. Orientation is mandatory and happens on the first day or before classes begin. The college uses it to set out mutual rights and responsibilities, tour the school, introduce fellow students and instructors, and explain the format of the programme, how a student progresses through it and how performance is measured.
Progress. Satisfactory academic progress is measured on attendance and on grades. A student must attend at least 70% of the hours possible on their schedule, calculated as hours accrued divided by hours scheduled, measured cumulatively from the start of the course. For a 600-hour programme the evaluation falls at 300 actual hours.
Transferring in. Transfer students from other licensed Arkansas schools may be accepted at the director's discretion. Only hours certified by the Arkansas Department of Health Cosmetology Section within the three years before the permit application count, a practical exam determines placement, and a transfer student must enrol for at least 400 hours. The college does not adjust or recognise prior education once a student has started, and transfer hours must be for the same programme.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited school means its training has been reviewed against independent standards that protect students.
This school: Arkansas Beauty College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, which the U.S. Department of Education records as ACCSC school #M070721, and its federal record is active. The college is licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health, Cosmetology Section, which also issues every instructor's licence, and it participates in the federal Title IV aid programmes.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Reviewed against independent standards
- Recognized by employers and licensing boards