We have heard reports of NonPublic Not Seeking State Approval highschool graduates having difficulty with some cosmetology schools in Louisiana. Families have reached out to us and to HSLDA for help remedying this situation. Some students have been told that they must either be an approved Home Study graduate or take the HiSET in order to attend cosmetology school. However, Louisiana law clearly states that both HomeStudy AND NonPublic Not Seeking State Approval are legal, legitimate ways to home educate in our state.
On January 20, 2021, Christopher Chin and Jessie Leger with Homeschool Louisiana; Amy Buchmayer and Tj Schmidt, lawyers with HSLDA; and Representative Beryl Amedee had a zoom call with Sheri Morris, legal counsel for the State Board of Cosmetology. After clarifying the problem we discovered that the State Board does accept both NonPublic and Home Study students, but not all of the schools understood this policy. Also, some students were rejected based on the fact that their paperwork did not all match or was unable to be verified with the state.
To assist our families in ensuring their students are prepared should they desire to attend cosmetology school, we would like to clarify the procedure.
- As per Louisiana law, notify the state each school year that you are homeschooling by applying as a NonPublic Not Seeking State Approval school or register your student as a Home Study Student.
- When formatting your students transcript and diploma – ensure that the information such as your students name, address and the name of your school (if NonPublic) match the information you submitted to the state.
- When applying to cosmetology school, attach a copy of your NonPublic or Home Study acceptance letter. This will ensure the State Board has the proper documentation to confirm with the state that your student was in fact enrolled in an approved Home Study program or was a NonPublic student.
Following the above guidelines for application to any higher education path will help ensure the school has the proper documentation for your student.
HSLDA will be following up with the families who prompted this conversation and we are all here to help your family as well. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you encounter a homeschool problem.
Be sure to join the conversation on Facebook at Homeschool Louisiana Support Group.
Jessie Leger
Director of Legislative Affairs
