18 VAC 41-70-20 (B)(1) requires a student to have attended a school approved by the Virginia Board of Education before being eligible to seat for licensure.  The Virginia Board of Education no longer regulates esthetic postsecondary institutions.  The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) was transfered regulatory authority as of 7/1/04.  Please change the language in this section to require the student to have completed their instruction at a school certified to operate by SCHEV.

We have found that some esthetic postsecondary institutions have elected to allow their certificate to operate expire, informing SCHEV that they are no longer offering instruction.  If these schools are continuing to operate, they are in violation of 23-276.12 of the Code of Virginia and any degree, diploma, certificate, program or course of study offered by the school after its reported closure, shall be punishable as a class 1 misdemeanor.

I hope that the Board of Barbers & Cosmotelogy will confirm the schools certification prior to approval of its graduates.  I can be contacted at lindawoodley@schev.edu.