Our schools, and the students and employers who rely on us, are facing a serious present threat in the U.S. Congress from ideologically driven, punitive language contained in the College Affordability Act, a House bill recently approved in Committee on October 31 by the Democrat leadership of the House Education and Labor Committee. The bill is the most comprehensive legislative attack we have seen on the cosmetology sector due to multiple damaging provisions directed at for-profit colleges. AACS has launched the #IncludeBeauty campaign to draw attention to these harmful provisions in the House bill and their impact on cosmetology schools. Members of Congress need to hear from schools, students and employers who care about the future of cosmetology schools as they determine their position on this bill. 

You can help by communicating directly with Members of Congress to oppose the House College Affordability Act, and ask your employees and students to do so too. Letter templates and instructions are available here.

Join our webinar tomorrow, Friday, November 22 (2 p.m. ET) hosted by AACS that will review the Call to Action and answer questions. Register for the webinar here.

SAVE THE DATE!
2020 School Leader Summit & Hill Day
April 28-30, 2020 (new date!)
Washington Hilton
Washington, D.C. 

More details to come!

School Members

As an appreciation of your early renewal, all renewals received prior to December 31, 2019 will receive 50% off of your first registration to AACS’ 2020 Annual Convention & Expo on October 23-26th at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Houston, Texas. 

Partner Members

As AACS restructures our association to prepare for the future, we are also adjusting our membership rates to reflect the cost of economic inflation to operate in this new landscape. We are offering a special one-time offer to all of our current AACS partners. If you renew and pay your 2020 membership of $900 by December 31, 2019. This represents a $300 savings in 2020.

This special one-time membership renewal offer is also good news if you also have a sponsorship agreement. If you renew your $900 partner membership rate prior to December 31, 2019, this rate will be credited back in your overall  final sponsorship agreement. 

Note for both memberships

Rates for both memberships increase after December 31, 2019. Support the beauty industry and the work AACS does every day to advocate for our students, educators and professionals. For more information, email Cristina@beautyschools.org. 

OfficeMax member benefit
We have partnered with OfficeMax to provide AACS members a special benefit. Businesses using the Office Depot discount program see significant savings. Take advantage of the program today and you could save thousands of dollars per year! Learn more at bit.ly/AACSportal.

Your Government Relations Committee is working hard to advocate for your school and students. Show your gratitude by purchasing one of these stylish t-shirts. Proceeds support the AACS GRC. Contact AACS at info@beautyschools.org to request an order form.

Scholarship opportunity for your students 

If your school counts Beauty Changes Lives recipients among its students or alum, let them know they  can enter to win an all-expense paid trip for two to Chicago for the 9th Beauty Changes Lives Experience in Chicago on April 19! Details are here. The deadline to enter is December 3.

The AACS office will be closed next Thursday and Friday, November 28 and 29, in celebration of Thanksgiving. We are thankful for you, our members and those that support AACS and the beauty school industry. Happy Thanksgiving!

U.S. Department of Education

November 14, 2019 – The Department proposed an extension of the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program Repayment Plan Selection Form information collection system. The Repayment Plan Request form serves as the means by which Direct Loan borrowers notify the Department of their choice of an initial repayment plan under the Standard, Extended or Graduated options before their loans enter repayment. The form may also be used by borrowers to request a change in the Standard, Extended or Graduated repayment plans options after their loans have entered repayment. If a borrower does not select an initial repayment plan, the borrower is placed on the Standard Repayment Plan in accordance with 34 CFR 685.210(a)(2).

November 19, 2019 – The Department published a notice in the Federal Register submitting the Lender's Interest and Special Allowance Request & Report, ED Form 799 for approval. The information collected on the ED Form 799 is needed to pay interest and special allowance to holders of Federal Family Education Loans, for internal financial reporting, budgetary projections, and for audit and lender reviews by the Department, Servicers, External Auditors and General Accounting Office (GAO).

The Department published a notice in the Federal Register requesting an extension to the current information collection system pertaining to the recordkeeping requirements contained in the regulations related to the administration of the Subpart K—Cash Management section of the Student Assistance General Provisions. These program regulations are designed to provide benefits to Title IV, HEA applicants, and protect the taxpayers' interest. The information collection requirements in these regulations are necessary to provide students with required information about their eligibility to receive funding under the federal student financial aid programs and to prevent fraud and abuse of program funds by allowing students to reduce or reject aid being offered as well as being made aware of when such funding can be expected to be available.

December 2, 2019 – The Federal Student Aid’s New Financial Aid Administrators Pre-Conference Training will take place on December 2, 2019 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

December 13, 2019 – Deadline for every organization enrolled for a Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) account to review and validate its assigned TG numbers and Electronic Services user accounts.

Looking Ahead – 2019 FSA Training Conference. The Federal Student Aid Office has opened registration for the 2019 FSA Training Conference scheduled for December 3 to 6 in Reno, Nevada. The FSA Training Conference is training provided for financial aid professionals by the government for those institutions receiving Title IV funds and is the largest training program in the United States serving the financial aid community. In 2018 more than 2,000 unique schools registered for the conference. Registration is free.

U.S. Congress

AACS #IncludeBeauty Campaign Launch: On November 19, 2019, AACS announced the launch of the #IncludeBeauty grassroots campaign to reach every Member of the U.S. House of Representatives to oppose the College Affordability Act. A “Call to Action” has been distributed to AACS Members via an eblast with specific instructions on how to contact their local representative. Tomorrow, join the webinar to review the Call to Action and ask your questions about the campaign. A link to the webinar will be shared in tomorrow's eblast from AACS. 

We are asking that all AACS Members take the time to engage in this campaign by communicating with their House Member and getting students and employers involved!

Newly Introduced Legislation of Note

H.R. 5148- To improve program integrity through State evaluation of institutions of higher education, requirements for student complaint submissions, and the establishment of policies and procedures to address closure of institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.

a. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, 11/18/19
b. Sponsor: Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) 2 Cosponsors

H.R. 5098- To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to transitional services for separating members of the Armed Forces and educational assistance under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

a. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 11/14/19
b. Sponsor: Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) 2 Cosponsors

S. 2868- A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans may attend pre-apprenticeship programs using certain educational assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

a. Status: Referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 11/14/19
b. Sponsor: Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) 0 Cosponsors

S. 2857- A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to count military and veterans education benefits as Federal educational assistance, and for other purposes.

a. Status: Referred to the Senate HELP Committee, 11/14/19
b. Sponsor: Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) 3 Cosponsors

Cosmetology Hour Reduction Bill Introduced in Ohio

Earlier this month, Ohio Representative Jena Powell (R) introduced a bill that would reduce the course of instruction for cosmetology in the Buckeye State from 1,500 to 1,000 hours. The measure – HB 399 – has 16 co-sponsors and proposes other notable changes to the state’s cosmetology and barbering act, including:

· Reducing the course of instruction for hair design from 1,200 to 800 hours;

· Providing for early testing;

· Permitting school administration of the practical licensure exam;

· Increasing school surety bonds from $10,000 to an amount “equal to ten per cent of the school's gross income from tuition, fees, and other required institutional charges during the preceding calendar year, provided that the required amount of the bond shall be not less than ten thousand dollars and not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars;”

· Allowing cosmetology and barber schools to offer distance education in accordance with Board rules, and;

· Establishing apprenticeship programs. These programs must pay at least a minimum wage and cannot be longer than 150% of the course of instruction at a school.

The bill has been referred to the House State and Local Government Committee.

Please do not hesitate to contact Brian Newman at bnewman@abingdonstrategies.com or by phone at 202-491-5254 with any questions.

This course emphasizes teaching strategies that can be implemented within different types of lessons to promote teacher proficiency, student motivation, and achievable outcomes. Topics relating to teaching methods include direct, indirect, interactive and independent instruction. By utilizing various teaching strategies and methods, an instructor can approach teaching topics in a variety of ways.

ED405 – Essential Teaching Strategies is listed under the “Instructional Planning & Design” tab in the “Campus Faculty” section.

AACS is working with Plus Communications to better position AACS members to achieve our legislative and regulatory objectives at the federal level, ensuring lawmakers don’t pass misguided legislation that could severely harm our industry.

We need your help to tell the industry’s compelling story and save our industry from the negative consequences of harmful legislation. You can help by donating to help us fund this important public relations campaign, and by sharing stories and testimonials.

To submit a donation, please click here.

To submit a story, please click here.