As a salon owner in Virginia, I fully support lowering the hours down to 1,000 hours. Over the last 16 years, I have hired numerous stylists who graduated from the beauty schools with the 1,500 hours and numerous stylists who graduated from our high school tech schools with only a required 840 hours of instruction. I have found no difference between the level of preparedness to be on the floor servicing clients between the two programs. Furthermore, if I had to pick who was better prepared, I would pick the student who graduated from the high school tech school with 840 hours. 

If a high school student can graduate in 840 hours and take their board exams to get their license, why does a student going to a beauty school have to go almost twice as long to qualify to get the same license? We need to let these students graduate and start earning a living and supporting their family. The extra hours are not needed and only lead to bigger student loans that they will have to repay. 

Please vote to support lowering the hours down to 1,000 hours to allow these students to start their career.

Thanks you!