Panel delays bill to let cosmetology, barbering students use HOPE funds when TCAT wait lists exist

The Higher Education Subcommittee met Wednesday, Feb. 26, and agreed to roll House Bill 738, a proposal from Representative Parkinson to allow certain high-school graduates to use HOPE scholarship funds at private cosmetology or barbering schools when their local Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) has a waiting list. The committee postponed the bill one week "absent objection" to allow the sponsor to add narrow language to the draft.

Sponsor Representative James Parkinson said the measure is designed to "expand educational opportunities for cosmetology and barbering students" and to avoid wasting state scholarship dollars while speeding students' entry into the workforce. "It allows high school graduates to use their HOPE scholarship funds at a private or for profit cosmetology and barbering school, but only only if there is a waiting list in their Tennessee College of Applied Technology in their county," Parkinson said.

The bill drew testimony from four representatives of private cosmetology and barbering schools who told the committee long wait lists at TCAT campuses and financial pressure on students push some into multi‑year college paths they do not complete. Laurie Gibbs, director of operations at Austin's Beauty College in Clarksville, described a student who had earned substantial cosmetology hours in high school but was unable to finish her program and later chose a nursing path because of timing and benefit constraints; Gibbs said the student "is currently in her sophomore year at Austin Peay. She ... is struggling." Savannah Newcomb, staff at Aveda Arts' Nashville campus in Franklin, said students often "are having to take multiple jobs and work in school, which is not good for their mental health and well-being." Connie Keiki, campus director at Aveda Institute Franklin, cited federal labor projections, saying "Barbering is set to grow 7% over the next 10 years according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics."

Don Romaine of the Douglas Institute in Knoxville, which operates the Innovative Institute, told members his school posts high graduation and placement rates and argued for directing aid to students rather than institutions: "Doesn't it seem only right that the dollars ought follow the student as opposed to the institution?" He said the institute has an 84 percent graduation rate and a 96 percent placement rate for graduates it sends into the workforce.

Representative Glenn asked about program length and waiting times. School representatives said full-time cosmetology programs can finish in under a year, aesthetics programs in about six months and manicuring programs in less than five months; private-school wait lists were described as typically three to six months at smaller campuses, and a 75‑student wait list at a TCAT campus in Shelby County was cited as an example. Parkinson said the sponsor and staff will add language to narrow eligibility to students who were enrolled in cosmetology or barbering dual‑enrollment programs in high school and whose home‑county TCAT has a waiting list; he also said participating private schools must be accredited by the national career-arts accreditor.

Before adjourning, Parkinson asked to "roll this bill a week" to insert the amendment language and, "absent objection," the committee granted the request. No formal recorded roll‑call vote was taken on the postponement; the transcript records the action as carried by unanimous consent. The sponsor said he intends to return the bill with the amendment and, if approved by the committee next week, to advance it to the lottery calendar.

The committee heard no formal motions to amend or adopt the bill during the Feb. 26 meeting; the only formal action recorded in the transcript was the one‑week roll requested by Parkinson and approved "absent objection."