South Jersey cosmetology school selected for Beyoncé scholarship fund
Jana's Cosmetology Academy was the first-ever Black-owned-and-operated cosmetology school to open its doors in New Jersey.
Now, JCA, situated in Camden County, is offering five $10,000 scholarships to students — courtesy of Beyoncé.
Atiya Johnson, the academy's CEO, described the moment she found out about the scholarships as "surreal."
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Cécred, Beyonce's new hair care brand, was launched in February, and its crossover with her BeyGOOD Fund, a philanthropic entity established in 2013, is sponsoring an annual $500,000 for cosmetology school scholarships and business grants across five locations, which the organization says on their website have been chosen for "their large, diverse community of hair stylists."
These places are Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New Jersey.
Johnson says JCA put New Jersey on the fund's radar, and that the team was originally searching for cosmetology institutions in New York.
JCA hadn't even applied to the scholarship fund. The Cécred team scoped them out because they are one of the few schools in the area that offer a specific textured hair course.
In typical programs of about 10 months, Johnson said, most schools only allot about two weeks to textured hair.
"So many individuals who we were hiring in our salon ... lacked the skillset to service the clientele base that they wanted to serve," she explained, referencing the academy's related salon, Jana's Hair Studio.
Taking over her mother's salon at the age of 17, Johnson said she was able to understand textured hair and the world of the cosmetology industry under her tutorage.
At JCA, she wants to provide students with the opportunity to succeed, for the betterment of themselves and for the clients they want to work with.
Johnson describes the curriculum as inclusive, in every aspect, which means training students for success not only on the state licensing exam but in the industry as a whole.
"The formula works," she said, highlighting the school's 98% state pass rate.
In addition to the students applying for her school's scholarship, other salons in the Garden State now have the opportunity to apply for the Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund's Salon Business Grant, which will be offered multiple times per year.
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How to receive a scholarship to Jana's Cosmetology Academy
Applications are open for students interested in receiving a scholarship to JCA through the Cécred x BeyGOOD fund and can be found through JCA, the Cécred x BeyGOOD website and the National Minority Supplier Development Council.
The application window closes at 11:59 p.m. on March 20, and the winners will be announced on April 20.
How to apply for a Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund Salon Business grant
Applications are open for the first round of grants, which will be awarded to salon business owners that meet certain criteria like a need due to financial hardship, licensure in barbering, hairstyling or cosmetology for a minimum of 2 years and those that have been in business for a minimum of 1 year.
Five $10,000 grants will be awarded across each market five times a year.
The first round of applications closes March 20 with winners to be announced in April.
The other application rounds are scheduled to open May 1, July 1, Sept. 1 and Nov. 1.
Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at kmccormick@gannett.com. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Beyoncé's nonprofit to sponsor Camden County cosmetology school
