Atlanta cosmetology students, salons to benefit from $500K Beyoncé grant

Beyoncé is trending this week for many reasons.

From becoming the first Black woman to reach No. 1 on the country charts with her latest song, ”Texas Hold ‘Em” to launching her hair care line, Cécred. And now, the multi-Grammy Award winner and her foundation will be funding a $500,000 annual grant for cosmetology schools and salons.

The half a million dollars will be dispersed to five cities: Atlanta, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago because of their “large, diverse communities.”

“Fostering talent, promoting professionalism, and supporting entrepreneurship within the hair industry is deeply important to us,” according to the BeyGOOD website.

The fund will celebrate the influence hairstylists have on the community, the site states.

To qualify for one of 25 financial aid scholarships worth $10,000 each, candidates must:

• be currently enrolled in or accepted to one of the partner schools:
• Beaver Beauty Academy in Atlanta
• Trenz Beauty Academy in Chicago
• Universal College of Beauty in Los Angeles
• Franklin Institute in Houston
• Janas Cosmetology Academy in New Jersey
• demonstrate a financial hardship
• complete the application
• live in one of the five focus cities

The 2024 student scholarship timeline is as follows:

• Feb. 20: Application open
• March 20: Application closed
• April 20: Recipients announced

To qualify for a business grant, each candidate must:

• operate within one of the five markets
• demonstrate a need for financial hardship
• currently be a licensed barber, hairstylist or cosmetologist for a minimum of two years
• provide a lease agreement or show proof of salon ownership
• have been operating as a business for at least a year
• complete the application

Business grant deadlines are as follows: