Texas Cosmetology Schools, Regency Beauty Institute Closure FAQ

Regency Beauty Institute Closes All 79 Campuses

All Regency Beauty Institute cosmetology schools suddenly closed on September 28, 2016. Our first priority is to provide answers to common questions for students and those affected by the closure.

These schools have contacted TDLR about the possibility of enrolling displaced Regency students in their programs. You may contact these schools individually to discuss the enrollment options which may be available to you. You may also view a list of all Cosmetology Schools licensed by TDLR by using the license search tool available here: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch/

Students

1. I attended Regency Beauty Institute and it has recently closed, what are my options to finish my education?

You have the option to attend another school. Once you find a school who is willing to accept your transfer, please have the school contact the Education Division by email education@tdlr.texas.gov before enrolling you in the school. If you receive a copy of your transcript from Regency, please provide it to the new school.

2. Will the hours I earned at Regency Beauty Institute transfer to another school or will I lose my hours earned?

You will not lose the hours earned at Regency and the hours will transfer to another school.

3. Did Regency Beauty Institute provide any information for students regarding the closure of the school?

Yes, there is some helpful information posted on Regency’s website.

4. Will the money I have paid to Regency Beauty Institute for tuition be refunded?

Please refer to the questions and answers listed below regarding refund information.

5. I have not received my exam eligibility and I attended Regency Beauty Institute. What should I do?

Please contact the Education Division by email education@tdlr.texas.gov and provide your name and student permit number. Explain that you are needing your exam eligibility and we will assist you with your exam eligibility. Check your exam eligibility status

6. I received Federal Student Aid while enrolled at Regency Beauty Institute. How do I obtain information regarding my federal aid?

Please read the U. S. Department of Education announcement concerning the closure of Regency Beauty Institutes.

7. I attended Regency Beauty Institute and would like to finish my education. What steps should I take now?

1. Review the list of schools willing to possibly enroll displaced Regency students.
2. Contact one of these schools, identify yourself as a Regency student and make arrangements for enrollment.
3. After you make an enrollment agreement with a school, have the school contact us so that you can be dropped from Regency.
4. After you receive your transcript from Regency, please provide us with a copy of your transcript. When you provide the copy of your transcript please include your Name and Student Permit number.
5. After we receive a copy of your transcript, we will report any missing hours which have not been reported.

The transcript and requested information can be provided by email to Education@tdlr.texas.gov.

Closed Cosmetology School and Tuition

1. What happens when a cosmetology/beauty culture school closes?

If a private beauty culture school closes, the department will attempt to arrange for students enrolled in the closed school to attend another private beauty culture school.

If a student from a closed school is placed in another private beauty culture school, the expense incurred by the new school in providing training directly related to educating the student, including the applicable tuition for the period for which the student paid tuition, shall be paid from the private beauty culture school tuition protection account.

If a student from a closed school cannot be placed in another school, the student’s tuition and fees shall be refunded as provided by the refund policy of the closed school.

If a student from a closed school does not accept a place that is available and reasonable in another school, the student’s tuition and fees shall be refunded under the refund policy maintained by the closed school under the withdrawal or termination of students refund policy.

A refund under this subsection shall be paid from the private beauty culture school tuition protection account and the amount of the refund may not exceed $35,000.

If another school assumes responsibility for the closed school’s students and there are no significant changes in the quality of the training, the student from the closed school is not entitled to a refund under the private beauty culture school tuition protection account.

2. What is the Private Beauty Culture School Tuition Protection Account?

The private beauty culture school tuition protection account is intended to lend students some financial help with tuition and fees if a private beauty culture school closes and the school fails to pay the refund as required by the law.

The account is also intended to pay the tuition costs and expenses incurred by a private beauty culture school in providing training directly related to education a student from a closed school.

This account is not intended to pay for attorney’s fees, court costs, or other damages.

3. How does the Private Beauty Culture School Tuition Protection Account work?

In the event a student from a closed school cannot be placed or does not accept a place in another school, a refund, calculated under the closed school’s refund policy, may be paid from the Private Beauty Culture School Tuition Protection Account and the total payment of a claim may not exceed $35,000. The total amount of claims paid against a single closed school may not exceed $100,000.

The executive director may authorize payment to a student from the Private Beauty Culture School Tuition Protection Account if:

1. the student makes a claim for payment on a form approved by the executive director;
2. a closed private beauty culture school has failed to pay a refund to the student within 30 days after the date the student became eligible for the refund, and the student has not been placed or accepted a place in another school with appropriate credit given to the student for tuition and fees paid to the closed school;
3. the executive director determines after investigation that the student is owed the refund; and
4. the student assigns to the department all rights of the student against the closed school to the extent of the amount paid to the student from the account.

The executive director may authorize payment to a private beauty culture school from the Private Beauty Culture School Tuition Protection Account if:

1. the school makes a claim for payment on a form approved by the executive director;
2. the school has incurred expenses in providing training directly related to educating a student from a closed private beauty culture school, including the applicable tuition for the period for which the student paid tuition;
3. the executive director determines after investigation that the school is entitled to payment from the account; and
4. the school assigns to the department all rights of the school against the closed school to the extent of the amount paid from the account.

4. How much will my refund be?

The department will pay claims on a pro rata basis from appropriated money available in the account if:

1. the account contains insufficient assets to pay all claims;
2. insufficient money has been appropriated to the department from the account to pay all claims; or
3. the total amount of claims against a single closed school exceeds a specified amount.

5. What will I need to have to make a claim?

If you were enrolled as a student at one of Regency Beauty Institute’s Texas campuses when it closed, and you also believe you are owed a refund of some or all of the tuition you paid Regency Beauty Institute, then please file a complaint with the Department.

To help prove that Regency Beauty Institute owes you money for education which you paid for but did not receive, please include with your complaint the following types of documents:

1. The most current version of your signed, enrollment contract with Regency Beauty Institute.
2. Any receipts that show Regency Beauty Institute received funds from you – whether you paid Regency with a credit card, or by money order, or through a direct deposit, or by check or cash, etc.
3. Any invoices from Regency Beauty Institute dated on or near the date it closed, and that show a balance was owed to you by Regency.

6. How do I make a claim?

File a complaint using TDLR’s Online Complaint Form.

Schools

1. Our cosmetology school would like to accept students that attended Regency Beauty Institute, which recently closed.  What is the procedure should we follow to notify the Department?

Send TDLR a list of the students you are willing to accept by e-mail to education@tdlr.texas.gov  Please provide the student’s name and permit number.  Once the list is received, we will drop the students from Regency and we will notify you once the students have been dropped. Once you receive our notification, you may enroll the students in your school.

2. What if our school accepts a student from Regency, but the student has a different total of hours than what has been reported to SHEARS?

The Department’s priority right now is to get students dropped from Regency and re-enrolled in another school as soon as possible. Please notify the Education Division by email education@tdlr.texas.gov providing the student’s name and permit number in order for us to research the discrepancy in hours.

3. How can I stay updated and informed of the situation?

Agency staff will continue to provide updates on Facebook, Twitter and the TDLR website. You may also want to sign up to receive email notifications from the Department. We will also keep the schools informed and updated with current information regarding the situation.

List of Schools Taking Displaced Regency Students