Georgia Career Institute, a Conyers beauty school that says it has trained students for nearly 40 years, is shutting down for good after losing its accreditation over financial issues. The school's last day of student instruction is set for October 1, with permanent closure to follow immediately after.
The trouble started September 16, when the Council on Occupational Education notified GCI that it had dropped the school from accredited status, according to an official notice posted on gci.edu. The council cited the school's failure to demonstrate compliance with accreditation standards tied to financial resources, the same notice states. An Atlanta News First report characterized the council's move as an effort to revoke the school's accreditation, while GCI's own notice describes it as an action to drop the school from accredited status.
School officials say they determined GCI could not meet the financial requirements necessary either to sustain operations or to pursue an appeal, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. GCI's notice puts it plainly: “GCI has determined that it is unable to pursue an appeal and must proceed with closure.” That's notable because, per WSB-TV, the school actually had the right to appeal through October 6 — a window it says it will not use.
A Fast Countdown to the Final Bell
Student instruction across all of GCI's programs, which include cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, and massage therapy, ends October 1. Faculty will then have one more day, October 2, to finalize student clock hours, grades, and academic files, according to the school's notice.
That same date, October 2, doubles as a hard deadline for students to decide their next move. Anyone who hasn't submitted a form either accepting or declining a teach-out placement by then will be automatically withdrawn from the school, GCI's notice states. Patch reports that students must complete a form to elect or opt out of a teach-out program.
Where Students Can Finish Their Training
To keep students from losing progress toward licensure, GCI says it has established formal teach-out agreements with three schools: Empire Beauty School, Elaine Sterling Institute, and Proway Hair School. Each of those receiving institutions has agreed to accept 100 percent of students' verified clock hours and successfully completed practical applications from GCI, according to the school's notice.
Teach-out students won't pay a dime more than what they already agreed to under their original GCI enrollment contracts, the notice adds. The partner schools have also agreed to waive standard residency requirements as part of the arrangement, per Atlanta News First.
No Collections, But Few Numbers Released
GCI says it will not pursue collection efforts for any remaining student account balances once the school closes. The institute has framed the shutdown as an organized, supportive process for those affected, according to its own statement, though the exact number of students and faculty impacted has not been disclosed.
The closure brings an abrupt end to a school that says it spent nearly 40 years preparing graduates for careers in the beauty industry. Students seeking transcripts or verification from a closed Georgia school can find guidance through the state's Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission.
