ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Students have been told their beauty school will close after nearly 40 years, following the loss of its accreditation.
The Georgia Career Institute sent a notice to students and staff this week that its last day will be Oct. 1.
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The institute said the Council on Occupational Education dropped its accredited status on Sept. 16, citing the school’s failure to meet financial resource standards.
The school had until Oct. 6 to appeal. Georgia Career Institute said it reviewed its options but decided it could not appeal the decision and would have to shut down.
“Although this is not the outcome we hoped for, our commitment to our students remains our highest priority. Our focus now is to make the closure and transfer process as organized and supportive as possible,” officials said.
Students can continue attending classes and earning applicable clock hours through Oct. 1, though schedules may change depending on instructor availability.
Oct. 2 will be the final reporting day for faculty. No student instruction will take place that day as faculty members finalize grades, completed clock hours, credits, practical requirements and academic records.
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WHAT OPTIONS ARE THERE FOR STUDENTS?
GCI said it has established teach-out arrangements with several schools to help students continue their education.
Current teach-out providers include:
- Empire Beauty School, which offers cosmetology programs at campuses in Morrow, Atlanta and Lawrenceville.
- Elaine Sterling Institute, which offers all GCI programs at campuses in Atlanta-Buckhead and Dunwoody.
- Proway Hair School, which offers cosmetology programs.
Students who transfer under the teach-out agreements will not pay additional tuition beyond what they already owe for the rest of their training. The receiving schools will determine remaining federal financial aid eligibility.
The institute said students are not required to choose one of the designated teach-out providers and can transfer to another school, but other schools may set their own policies on accepting hours, tuition, and financial aid.
Every student must complete either a Student Teach Out Election Form or a Decline Teach Out Form. Students who do not complete either form will be automatically withdrawn on Oct. 2 and their records will be processed based on their status and completed hours.
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WHAT ABOUT TUTITION?
Georgia Career Institute said it will provide academic and financial documents at no cost for students who take part in a teach out. The school will also complete required federal financial aid closure steps and process any applicable refunds.
The institute said it will not block a student’s transfer because of an unpaid balance and will not pursue collection efforts for any remaining student account balance after closure. Students may also receive information about federal closed school loan discharge.
Georgia Career Institute said it is scheduling on-site visits with teach-out providers before the final date of instruction and will share more information as it becomes available.