Class A Barber to Operator 300 is a Certificate program (Hybrid) offered by New Image Beauty and Barber School in Harlingen, TX. The program takes 300 clock hours — hybrid, up to 50% theory at a distance to complete, with a total tuition of $4,500.
Program Overview
Class A Barber to Operator 300 is a 300 clock hour crossover for someone who already holds a Class A Barber licence and wants to add the operator (cosmetology) licence.
It costs $4,500 in tuition against $15,000 for the full 1,000-hour Operator course, because a licensed barber has already completed the shared ground.
It teaches what barbering does not. The catalog says the main focus is "the cosmetology subjects students didn't get to learn while enrolled in a Class A Barber" course — and the hours bear that out: facials 75, manicuring 50 and hair colouring 50 are the three largest subjects.
This crossover is not on the NACCAS programme list — NACCAS accredits the school's Operator, Class A Barber, Esthetician and Eyelash Extension programmes. This course is state-approved rather than separately NACCAS-accredited; ask the school what that means for you before enrolling.
What sets this Program apart
Half the theory can be done from home, and the school says exactly how much. Its Distance Education Policy states the programmes "will be considered to be hybrid classes", that a maximum of 50% of the programme may be completed at a distance, and that distance education will only be for the theory part of the training. NACCAS accredits all four of its listed programmes specifically as Hybrid Distance Education.
Its curriculum tables show you the split subject by subject. Rather than one figure per subject, the catalog prints Distance Education, Lecture and Hands On hours for each one — so you can see before enrolling that Operator hair care is 200 distance, 180 lecture and 420 hands-on hours.
Two short crossover courses between barbering and cosmetology. A licensed barber can add the operator licence in 300 hours for $4,500, and an operator can add barbering on the same terms — against 1,000 hours and $15,000 for either licence from scratch.
It teaches on Milady and tests you against the state. Courses use Milady textbooks with the Milady CIMA software system, and students sit State Board Mock Exams before licensure — three for the operator, barber and esthetician courses.
Read its teach-out policy before you enrol. The school sets out what happens if it closes, and is explicit that "The Institution will not participate in Teach-Out Agreements". It would determine a completion date and remain open until it, satisfy financial obligations and notify NACCAS — but it will not arrange for another school to finish your training. That is an unusual thing to state, and worth weighing.
Everything is bought from the school. The catalog states "All supplies, textbooks, uniforms, and any other kit item must be purchased through the institution", and that fees marked non-refundable include the kit, the electronic device and the uniform.
Admission Requirements and Process
Thinking of enrolling in cosmetology or barber school or becoming a licensed Lash technician? New Image Beauty and Barber School can help, so contact us to schedule a tour and enroll. Students enrolling in all programs must be at least 16 years of age and provide proof of high school completion or its equivalent, or demonstrate the Ability to Benefit.
General Requirements
- Minimum Age 16Students enrolling in all programs must be at least 16 years of age and have documented proof.
- High School Diploma or EquivalentProvide either a high school diploma or its equivalent, a transcript showing high school completion, a certificate of attainment, or a state-issued credential for secondary school…
- Ability to Benefit TestApplicants admitted on the basis of ability to benefit must complete, prior to admission, a nationally recognized, standardized, or industry developed test that measures the…
- Enrollment DocumentsDocuments needed to enroll are: High School Diploma, GED or Transcript; Social Security Card; Valid Photo ID.
- Minimum DepositA minimum deposit of $1,000 is needed to enroll.
Application Process
- 1Contact AdmissionsThinking of enrolling? Contact New Image Beauty and Barber School to ask about our programs and schedule a tour.
- 2Tour the SchoolVisit the school in Harlingen for a tour before you enroll.
- 3Bring Your Enrollment DocumentsBring your High School Diploma, GED or Transcript, your Social Security Card and a valid photo ID.
- 4Enroll and Pay Your DepositComplete your enrollment with the minimum deposit of $1,000. Classes start monthly.
Program Schedule
Class A Barber to Operator 300 is 300 clock hours, taught on the school's hybrid timetable.
The timetable is built around the hybrid model. The catalog publishes a hybrid schedule of 4 days a week — full-time 9:00am–3:15pm, or part-time 9:00am–12:45pm or 2:00–5:45pm — alongside in-school patterns of 25 hours weekly (2:00–7:00pm) and 15 hours weekly (2:00–5:00pm and 5:30–8:30pm).
Distance hours are theory only, and capped. No more than 50% of a programme may be completed at a distance, and the catalog is clear that distance education covers the theory portion of training only — the practical work happens at the school.
Missed hours must be made up. Hours missed through absence, lateness, suspension or leaving early must be made up before the student's contract expires. Hours missed through school closures, holidays or an approved leave of absence do not. If the school closes for weather it notifies students by phone, text or social media, and those hours must be made up.
How you are graded. The published scale is 90–100 excellent, 80–89 very good, 70–79 satisfactory and 0–69 below standards. Students must maintain a written grade average of 70% before graduation, and must make up failed or missed tests. Practical assignments only count when rated satisfactory or better; at least three comprehensive practical skills evaluations are conducted during the course.
Campus Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited school means its training has been reviewed against independent standards that protect students.
This school: New Image Beauty and Barber School is accredited by NACCAS (school 053242-00, Accredited, status last changed 28 May 2026, first accredited 2022, next renewal September 2027) and regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). NACCAS accredits four of its programmes — Operator, Class A Barber, Esthetician and Eyelash Extension — each as Hybrid Distance Education.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Reviewed against independent standards
- Recognized by employers and licensing boards
Accreditations
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
What this programme costs. The catalog gives Class A Barber to Operator 300 as $4,500 tuition plus a $100 registration fee, a $25 student permit fee, a $375 student kit, $399.95 textbook and digital textbook, a $350 electronic device, $36.00 uniform t-shirts, and the state examination and licence fees — $5,966.95 in total, and it adds up exactly.
Three of those lines are not paid to the school. The $55 written exam, $76 practical exam and $50 licence go to the testing service and to TDLR, and the $25 student permit fee is a TDLR permit. They are inside the school's printed total, which is why the figure above is higher than what the school itself receives. The $100 registration fee is the school's own, and it is what appears in the application fee box on this page.
The distance-education identity verification fee is $0.00. The catalog lists it as a line item and prices it at nothing — worth knowing, because hybrid programmes elsewhere often charge for proctoring.
The kit is the cheapest the school sells, at $375 — a licensed barber already owns most of the tools.
What is refundable and what is not. The catalog marks the student kit, the electronic device, the uniform t-shirts, the distance-education identity verification and the state examination and licence fees as non-refundable. The registration and student permit fees carry a separate note directing veteran benefit recipients to the veterans' refund policy. There is a $100 processing fee for anyone who needs it, and all supplies, textbooks, uniforms and kit items must be purchased through the school.
No net price calculator is published that works. The school links one at /netprice/, but that page renders completely empty — no calculator, no form, and the words "net price" appear nowhere on it. No link is stored here rather than sending you to a blank page; ask the school for a written cost estimate instead.
No federal school code is published in the catalog or on the site, so none is shown here. Ask the school, or look it up at studentaid.gov, before filing a FAFSA.
Curriculum
The catalog publishes a Curriculum Outline of ten subjects with Distance Education, Lecture and Hands On hours each, summing to exactly 300.
Facials and related theory — 75 hours, the largest subject, and precisely the ground a barber licence does not cover.
Manicuring and related theory — 50 hours and hair colouring and related theory — 50 hours, the other two big gaps.
Hair work — 60 hours: haircutting, styling and related theory (30) and permanent waving, chemical relaxing and related theory (30).
The remaining 65 hours cover orientation, rules and laws (20), chemistry (20), shampooing and related theory (10), salon management and practices (10), and hair and scalp treatment and related theory (5).
Taught from the Milady Standard Cosmetology, 13th Edition textbook with the Milady CIMA software system.
The required courses below are from New Image Beauty and Barber School's published catalog.
Required Courses
| Name | Lecture | Lab | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haircutting, styling and related theory | 3.75 | 18.75 | 30 |
| Hair coloring, and related theory | 5.75 | 31.75 | 50 |
| Permanent waving, chemical relaxing and related theory | 3.75 | 18.75 | 30 |
| Orientation, rules and laws | 2.5 | 12.5 | 20 |
| Manicuring and related theory | 5.75 | 31.75 | 50 |
| Shampoo and related theory | 0.75 | 6.75 | 10 |
| Chemistry | 2.5 | 12.5 | 20 |
| Salon Management and practices | 0.75 | 6.75 | 10 |
| Hair and scalp treatment and related theory | 0.375 | 3.375 | 5 |
| Facials and related theory | 9.625 | 46.625 | 75 |
| Totals | 35.5 | 189.5 | 300 |
Required Courses
| Name |
|---|
| Haircutting, styling and related theory |
| Hair coloring, and related theory |
| Permanent waving, chemical relaxing and related theory |
| Orientation, rules and laws |
| Manicuring and related theory |
| Shampoo and related theory |
| Chemistry |
| Salon Management and practices |
| Hair and scalp treatment and related theory |
| Facials and related theory |
| Totals |
Career Outcomes
Licensing. The programme prepares students for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation examinations. Students sit State Board Mock Exams during the course, and the catalog builds the written exam ($55), practical exam ($76) and licence ($50) into its published cost so you are not surprised by them at the end.
The course teaches the commercial side explicitly. Each curriculum includes business content — Texas laws and rules, customer service, salon or shop management, professional ethics and image, and hygiene and good grooming — and the school states students "will become familiar with selling retail items, upselling service tickets, telephone and soft skills".
No outcome rates are published in this catalog. It carries no graduation, licensure or placement rate. NACCAS-accredited schools report those annually, so the school will have them — ask the admissions office for its most recent NACCAS annual report rates, in writing, before you enrol. This listing does not estimate them.
One thing to ask about directly: the teach-out policy. The catalog states that if the school closes it "will not participate in Teach-Out Agreements" — it would set a completion date and stay open until it, but it would not arrange for another school to finish your training.
What to expect as a New Image Beauty and Barber School student
Where you learn. The school is at 502 North Expressway 77, Harlingen, Texas, and teaches on a hybrid model: theory can be taken at a distance up to 50% of the programme, and all practical work is done at the school.
What you buy. The student kit is $375, the cheapest the school charges, with textbooks at $399.95, the electronic device $350 and uniform t-shirts $36. All supplies, textbooks, uniforms and kit items must be purchased through the school, and the kit, device and uniform are non-refundable.
How you are taught. Courses use Milady textbooks with the Milady CIMA software system, combining lecture, demonstrations and practical work, with written and practical exams testing progress.
How you are assessed. Written and practical exams at the end of each chapter, State Board Mock Exams to prepare for licensure, and at least three comprehensive practical skills evaluations. A practical assignment only counts once rated satisfactory or better; if it does not meet the standard it must be repeated. A 70% written average is required before graduation.
If the school closes. Its teach-out policy says it would determine the date the last student should finish and remain open until then, satisfy financial obligations to aid providers, and notify NACCAS — but that it will not participate in Teach-Out Agreements.