Cosmetology

Full time is 41 weeks at 30 hours a week and part time is 80 weeks at 16 hours a week. Shifts start at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm: full-time morning students cannot sign in after 10:00 am, full-time evening students after 3:00 pm, and part-time students after 6:30 pm. Satisfactory progress is checked at 450, 900 and 1,050 hours, and you need a cumulative 85% grade average and 85% attendance; a student who falls short is placed on warning, may appeal within 7 business days and continue on probation with an academic plan. The maximum time frame is 117% of the course hours (normally 10 months, at most 12).

Cost of the course. The September 2026 catalog prices the Cosmetology course at $24,017: $20,662 tuition, $3,155 for books and equipment and the $200 registration fee due when you sign. Books and equipment must be bought from the Academy, at cost plus shipping and packing, and are non-refundable. Students receive an iPad with Pivot Point LAB, the Prosper U modules and the Pivot Point Fundamentals textbook and study guide, plus a tool bag, shears, thinning shears, razors, a clipper set, blow dryer, curling and flat irons, a manicure and pedicure set, brushes, combs, five mannequins and a stand.

Federal aid. The school says it is approved by the Department of Education to offer financial aid to those who qualify at South Plainfield and Brick, and its catalog lists Title IV aid among the ways to pay for all courses; the return-of-funds policy covers Federal Pell Grants and Direct subsidized, unsubsidized and PLUS loans. File the FAFSA with school code 042185. No aid is disbursed during a leave of absence, and a student who stops making satisfactory progress can lose federal aid after a warning period. The school's net price calculator is based on the 2022-2023 academic year.

Other charges. Hours still needed after your contract graduation date cost $17.21 an hour and cannot be paid with federal funds. Students who withdraw and come back more than 30 days later pay a $200 re-entry fee, and after 180 days re-enter at the hourly rate. New Jersey charges its own fees, paid separately from the school: a $5 student registration fee, a $5 student permit fee, a $53 written exam fee, $50 to apply for the examination and licensure, and a $90 license fee every two years, plus $20 for a work permit. Students also supply their own pens, paper and similar class supplies. Payment can be made by cash, check, money order or credit card, through a non-federal agency, Title IV aid or consumer loan programs, and the school offers scholarships when available.

Cancelling and refunds. Cancel in person or in writing within three business days of signing and everything is refunded, including the registration fee; cancel after that but before classes start and everything but the $200 registration fee is refunded. Once you start, the school keeps a share of total tuition based on scheduled hours: 20% up to 4.9% of the course, 30% to 9.9%, 40% to 14.9%, 45% to 24.9%, 70% to 49.9%, and all of it from 50%. A student who starts but does not finish is also charged a $150 administrative fee, and books and equipment are non-refundable once classes begin. Refunds are paid within 45 days, after any return of Title IV funds is calculated.

The catalog lists cosmetologist, color specialist, product sales, nail technician, esthetician and salon owner or manager as career opportunities, and the website adds makeup artist, beauty product distributor, salon sales consultant and beauty school educator.

Licensing. New Jersey requires you to finish its required hours and pass both the written and practical state exams; you must be at least 17 and hold a high school diploma or GED. Cosmetology students can apply for a student permit to work after 600 hours, and must schedule the written exam by 970 hours or their hours are stopped. A doctor's physical is required for the permit and the exam application, and your diploma is released at the exit interview once your written exam scores, licence application and state fees are submitted.

Published outcomes. The catalog's most recent rates reported to NACCAS, for 2024, give Cosmetology South Plainfield 96.80%, 97.36% and 100% and Brick 92.10%, 100% and 100% (graduation, placement and licensure). Across all programmes and campuses, the school reports 93.45% graduation, 97.62% placement and 100% licensure to NACCAS for 2024. In 2024 South Plainfield placed 74 graduates as cosmetologists or hairstylists, 97 as estheticians, 19 as barbers and 1 as an educator, and Brick placed 32, 72, 27 and 7. Employment is not guaranteed; openings are posted in the student lounge and on the Academy's placement site, and the courses teach résumé writing, interviewing and where to look for work.

The campuses. Innovate Salon Academy is owned and operated by The SHS Group LLC, formed in 2009, whose owners also run salons. The South Plainfield campus is 8,900 square feet at 4985 Stelton Road in the Hadley Center; Brick, the newest campus, is 10,901 square feet at 712 Route 70 in Brick Commons, with five classrooms and a spa. Both are laid out like a working salon, spa and barber shop, with stations, classrooms, offices and a student lounge. You attend only the campus where you enrolled. South Plainfield is open Monday to Thursday 9:00 am to 9:30 pm and Friday 9:00 am to 3:30 pm; Brick is open Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. The catalog cover still lists a third campus in Ewing, but the website, the financial aid page and the security reports now cover only South Plainfield and Brick, and the catalog lists no Ewing start dates after April 2026.

Attendance. You attend the shifts in your enrollment agreement, signing in and out on New Jersey State Board sign-in sheets. Call at least 30 minutes before class if you will be absent; the school does not distinguish excused from unexcused absences, missed hours must be made up before your contract end date (New Jersey allows no more than 8 make-up hours a week), and 14 consecutive days away ends your enrollment. You may arrive late or leave early up to five times a month: 1 to 10 minutes late keeps the hour, and later than that costs an hour.

Dress and conduct. Uniforms are bought from the Innovate store with the Academy logo, worn with clean sneakers, socks and a name badge; hats, head coverings and anything over the scrub top are not allowed. Each student gets a locker and padlock. Phones stay silenced and are used only on breaks unless an educator approves, food stays in the break room, and the Academy has zero tolerance for violence, harassment, drugs or weapons. Students may book services with senior students at half price, or pay for product used in classroom practice.

Closures. Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas Eve through New Year's Day. Leaves of absence are approved in writing for reasons such as medical issues, military duty or jury duty, may total up to 180 days in 12 months, and add no charges.

Spanish-language course. The catalog also describes a separate Cosmetology course taught only in Spanish at Ewing and South Plainfield, and NACCAS lists it; it has no start dates in the catalog and its web page offers only Ewing, so it is not listed here.