Information on the Closure of Volunteer Beauty Academy

Students:  
If you have any questions, please contact the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s Division of Postsecondary State Authorization at 615-741-5293.

Institutions with Comparable Programs:

Students can consider transferring to a new institution to complete their education. Students are encouraged to reach out directly to institutions in which they are interested in attending to determine whether contact hours will transfer and financial aid options available at that institution. We will continue to update this site as we learn of specific transfer options.

Volunteer Beauty Academy has reached out to the following institutions and learned that students are welcome to apply for admission. In each instance, the institution has stated that it is willing to accept transfer students and their hours although a skill assessment may be required before final transfer decisions are made.

Dyersburg Location: 

  • Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Newbern
    • 340 Washington Street, Newbern, Tennessee, (731) 627-2511
  • Arnold's Beauty School
    • 1179 S Second Street, Milan, Tennessee, (731) 686-7351

Nashville Location:

  • Madison University of Beauty
    • 8 Primrose Center, Madison, Tennessee, (615) 865-8116
  • Genesis Career College: Nashville Airport Campus
    • 30 Rachel Drive, Nashville, Tennessee, (615) 242-6811
  • Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Nashville
    • 100 White Bridge Road, Nashville, Tennessee, (615) 425-5500

Federal Student Loans and Pell Grants:
Who can I talk to about my federal student loans and Pell Grants?
If you have general questions about federal loans you should first try to contact your loan servicer. Additional information on loan forgiveness and refund discharge is available at: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation.

If you still have questions about your Federal Student Loans or Pell Grants, DPSA suggests you contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group of the U.S. Department of Education. More information about this group is available at: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/disputes/prepare


Tuition Guaranty Fund:
The TGF was established by the Tennessee General Assembly to reimburse students at certain postsecondary educational institutions that close without earning the tuition collected. This is called unearned tuition.

 Important points:

  1. TGF applies only when the closing institution is authorized by THEC and (1) a student attended a physical location of the school in Tennessee or (2) a student is a Tennessee resident and attended a location of the institution outside of Tennessee.
  2. A claim for reimbursement of the unearned tuition must be made within two years of the date the institution discontinued operations.
  3. Unearned tuition includes tuition, registration, general graduation, activity, or other fees that are required to be paid by all students where the institution did not complete the educational obligation or reimburse students.
  4. Monies paid for tangible goods, such as books and equipment, are not reimbursable.
  5. Monies paid for program specific costs are not reimbursable by the TGF, e.g. certification fees charged separately to a student's account.
  6. Monies for expenses such as housing, meals, clothing and transportation, not paid directly to and retained by the institution are not reimbursable.

If you believe you fall into one of these two situations you can file a TGF claim by completing the Tennessee Tuition Guaranty Fund (TGF) Claim Application and the related Tuition Guaranty Fund (TGF) Information Release Authorization. Before filing a claim, please contact the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s Division of Postsecondary State Authorization at 615-741-5293. Note that both documents must be completed before THEC will consider your claim. The length of time to review a claim will depend on the number of complaints received and the process could be lengthy. To download the forms, please visit the DPSA Links and Forms page and click on the DPSA Applications/Forms.