Advanced Practice Esthetics

Paying for school. Nova Academy takes part in federal aid, and its FAFSA school code is 041576, but the catalog’s federal disbursement schedule names only the Cosmetology, Esthiology and Nail Technology programs, so ask the financial aid office whether this program qualifies for federal or Minnesota state aid before you enroll. A net price calculator is published.

Where the prices come from. These are the catalog’s tuition and fees for classes starting July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the same at all three campuses; the kit fee is tax inclusive and covers all books, supplies and equipment. The program pages on the website do not print tuition and say the most current rates are given on request, so the catalog governs.

Cancellation and refunds. Students who cancel within five business days of the enrollment agreement taking effect receive a full refund. Cancelling later but before the program starts returns everything except 15 percent of the total cost, up to $50. After the program starts, the refund is prorated on the clock hours actually attended, less the application fee and the lesser of 25 percent of tuition or $100, and students who withdraw after completing 75 percent of the program receive no refund. Kits returned unopened within 10 days may be credited. Refunds are paid within 30 business days.

Graduates may take the Minnesota State Licensing Exam to become advanced practice estheticians. The catalog lists careers as an advanced practice esthetician in a medical spa or clinic, skin care specialist, lymphatic drainage or skin needling technician, salon, spa or med spa owner, sales representative, platform artist, instructor, director of education or spa manager.

The catalog reports Nova Academy’s NACCAS annual-report rates for the school as a whole rather than by program. For 2024 they are a completion rate of 92.55 percent, a placement rate of 79.03 percent and a licensure rate of 98.42 percent; the three-year averages for 2022 to 2024 are 87.85, 80.41 and 97.18 percent. The school offers resume and interview preparation and job placement referrals but does not guarantee employment.

The catalog classifies the program as CIP 12.0414.

Nova Academy of Cosmetology was established in 2006 and runs three Minnesota campuses under one catalog and one price list: Rochester, the main campus, is a 9,800-square-foot building off Highway 52 with clinic areas, classrooms, a dispensary, private coaching offices and a student lounge; Mankato is a 10,317-square-foot campus just west of River Hills Mall; and Woodbury occupies more than 12,000 square feet inside the Valley Creek Mall off I-94. Every campus has a clinic floor where students serve paying guests under licensed instructors, beginner and advanced classrooms, audio-visual equipment and a library of DVDs, books and trend releases.

Instruction mixes theory, demonstrations, guest educators and supervised clinic work, with Milady textbooks and the CIMA digital learning platform; students need a laptop or tablet. Beyond technique, Nova builds in business training: Prosper U’s Money Habits financial-literacy course (now with a booth and suite rental module), Nova’s own Beauty Industry + Social Media Mindset program on branding, short-form video, photography, Google reviews and content planning, and hands-on use of Phorest salon software for booking, client records and retail. Every chapter ends in theory and practical exams that must be passed at 75 percent or higher.

Students keep at least 67 percent cumulative attendance to stay in satisfactory academic progress, and a leave of absence (at least 10 days, no more than 180 days in any 12 months) extends the contract period. Students absent 14 consecutive days without contacting the school are withdrawn. Graduates must finish the documented Minnesota hours, all quotas and exams at 75 percent or higher, the School Certification Exam, an exit interview and their tuition obligations; they then apply to the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners for their license. Nova Academy belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools.