06/24/2020 At this time we are placing on hold the admissions process and enrolling for the online program. An update to this status will be announced as soon as we receive guidance for higher education schools operating in the upcoming Fall. You can submit your information on our website and we will notify you by email and phone when we have more information. Thank you for your patience through these times.
Don’t wait for the storm to pass so you can follow your dreams. You might be confined to home right now, but you do not have to put your life on hold. Use the COVID-19 quarantine period to get a head-start in a new life with a career you are passionate about. Why not start your Cosmetology or Esthetics course from the comfort of your own home?
Accredited Cosmetology programs online
The spread of the COVID-19 virus has caused a great deal of uncertainty. With the safety of our students and staff in mind, we temporarily ceased operations in our physical location in late March, but we wanted to find ways to keep our students on their career paths. Fortunately, State and Federal agencies accommodated our students with the option to continue their education online, and, being a nationally accredited, federally funded institution, Design’s School of Cosmetology can offer our full-time beauty programs online.
You can start your Cosmetology classes or Esthetics classes online
Both our Cosmetology and Esthetics programs are nationally accredited, allowing the classes to be held online. The Esthetics course can be completed in 4-5 months, while Cosmetology will take 10-12 months. The online programs make use of the latest technology to keep you learning: they will ensure you are making progress in your studies, connect you to your instructors and peers, and give you the opportunity to take advanced classes from industry partners.
MindTap is our online learning platform
All of our students have access to MindMap, courtesy of Milady, our textbook manufacturer. MindTap is an online learning resource, and the place where you will have access to the lessons based on the subjects and topics for the week. The content includes reading material, highlighting concepts with short videos, and strengthening your understanding through quizzes. At the end of every week, the student takes an exam that contributes to their overall grade.
Virtual Classes use GoToMeeting
While everyone is keeping safe at home, it is great to see our students’ faces during our online class time. We are using GoToMeeting, an online video tool, as a way for students to video in to the day’s lesson with their phones or laptops. Through GoToMeeting, students can interact with their instructor, ask questions about the hands-on demonstration, or get clarification on how to complete a MindTap assignment they are struggling with.
Hands-on work with daily procedures
Every day, students are assigned practices they can complete at home. These include varied practical procedures, ranging from exercises such as a perm set on a manikin head, to an updo on a family member. These procedures underpin the lesson of the week and give the students an opportunity to apply the steps hands-on.
Advanced classes from our industry partners
The beauty industry is filled with excellent manufacturers who offer advanced classes for our students. Beauty partners (such as REDKEN, Wahl clippers, Barbicide, CND Nails, and more) provide courses every week that can improve your education and give you unique and cutting-edge skills.
Programs will resume on campus
After the COVID-19 shelter-in-place policy eases up, we will resume all programs on campus and you will need to attend classes at the school. This is important because if you enroll to start your education online, you must be prepared to attend classes Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 5pm. We are hopeful the businesses in San Luis Obispo County will get back to work soon, and at the moment we predict moving our courses back to our physical location towards the end of May (date subject to change according to COVID-19 government guidance).
Virtual Tour of our campus: you do not have to risk coming to our campus to get all the information you need
In normal conditions, one of the first steps for a student interested in one of our programs is to take a tour of campus. This is an opportunity for you to visualize your entrance into the career and your daily school environment for the next 5 to 11 months. We still would like to connect with you and show you around, so we would be happy to schedule a time for you to view the school virtually. We will walk you through our campus using an online meeting room, and you will be able to see our reception area, salon floor, treatment rooms, and classroom.
Is financial aid available to start the Cosmetology or Esthetics course online?
Yes. Our institution is nationally accredited – our Cosmetology and Esthetics programs are of high standard and have been approved by the Department of Education, allowing our students to qualify for federal tuition assistance.
How can I qualify for financial aid?
All students who want to qualify for tuition assistance need to complete a FAFSA application online. The application will ask about your personal information, household size, and income coming into the household – those are the main factors that the Department of Education takes into consideration to determine a student’s tuition assistance need. You may be required to input your parent’s information if you are a dependent student.
Completing an application does not mean you are enrolled in our school or obligated to attend in any way. It is just the first step a student must take in order to enquire about federal Pell grants and student loans.
What application year should I use?
When you log in to complete your financial aid application you will see tabs for two financial aid years. You will want to choose the 2019-2020 financial aid year. This application is relative to tuition assistance for attendance between July 1st, 2019 and June 30th, 2020.
What is the school’s code?
During the application process you will be asked if you have any schools of interest. Please input our school code: 036463. This guarantees that you will be able to find our school information quickly, and ensures the information is sent to the right school.
Can I transfer my Cosmetology hours from another school?
Yes. Our institution continues to follow the current transfer-in policy, outlined in our school catalog. We are able to transfer in 1000 Cosmetology hours and 150 Esthetics hours. We will need an official transcript, called Proof of Training, from your previous school.
We can enroll you electronically
Once you have made the decision to follow your passion and embrace a career in the beauty industry, you need to officially enroll at our school. We have new online Cosmetology classes and online Esthetics classes beginning every 3 weeks, so you can get started right now: the next class will be right around the corner. In order to save your seat for the next course, you will need to complete our enrollment procedure.
Have your documents ready
When you are ready to enroll, you will need to submit a few documents to us, as required by State and Federal guidelines. We will need to see proof of identification (such as driver’s license, State ID, or Passport), copy of high school diploma, transcripts, GED, or equivalent, and Social Security Card.
Complete the enrollment documentation
The enrollment documentation covers important student disclosures, your rights as a student, and beginning and end date of your program. We will fill out the documentation with your information, administratively sign them, and scan them for your review. We then schedule a time for a phone call, where we will go over each page with you, thoroughly ensuring you have a full understanding of these documents. When you are comfortable, you can sign and initial the appropriate areas, and then scan the document and send it back to the school.
We are working to move this process onto DocuSign. This will eliminate the need for students to scan the documents back to the school, and everything will be completed electronically.
How can I get started?
We can offer the educational path for you to begin your career in the beauty industry, and your first step is simply to contact us. While we are not operating our normal school hours, you can find the best ways to contact us below.
Give us a call during our modified office hours
You can reach us on 805-237-8575. Administrative staff will be available to answer phone calls Monday to Friday, from 10am to 2pm. We can answer any questions you may have about our school campus, online education, and the next steps to begin your career.
Submit your information online
You can fill out our <online form> now and we will contact you. We are happy to reach you via phone or email. If you leave your phone number, we will call you back – either when we are next in the office, or from our work cell phone (if it is after our current office hours of 10am to 2pm). If you choose to submit your email, we will send you a little bit more information about the school, as well as answer your questions.