AACS Welcomes Delayed Implementation for Cosmetology, Barbering, and Massage Therapy Programs Under Final Federal Rule
Minimum One-Year Delay Reflects the Voices of Industry Professionals, Educators, and Small Business Owners and Opens the Door for to a Lasting Solution
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- American Association of Career Schools Welcomes Delayed Implementation for Cosmetology, Barbering, and Massage Therapy Programs Under Final Federal RuleMinimum One-Year Delay Reflects the Voices of Industry Professionals, Educators, and Small Business Owners and Opens the Door for to a Lasting Solution
On June 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education issued its final rule establishing a new federal accountability framework for institutions participating in Title IV programs In an important and positive development for the industry, cosmetology, barbering, and massage therapy programs—and similar programs identified in the rule as producing predominant numbers of tipped wage workers—have been granted delayed implementation, giving these career schools and the students they serve additional time before the framework’s consequences take effect.
AACS credited the delay to the thousands of industry professionals, educators, students, and small business owners who made their voices heard throughout the rulemaking process. The delay allows the earnings measurement to capture the period when the federal No Tax on Tips policy takes effect for these tipped occupations.
“The minimum one-year delay is beneficial for our industry, and it happened because cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, massage therapists, educators, and small business owners nationwide made their voices heard,” said John D. Russell, JD, AACS Executive Director. “We thank the Department of Education for building this additional time into the final rule, and we see this as an opening rather than an endpoint. We look forward to working with the Department and other leaders across the Administration and Congress on a more permanent solution that preserves student funding to attend the schools that provide vital education to tens of thousands of Americans annually who choose to work in the beauty industry.”
AACS thanked its members, educators, students, graduates, employers, and industry partners for their continued engagement and advocacy and said it will keep working on their behalf as implementation of the final rule moves forward.
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About the American Association of Career Schools (AACS)
Founded in 1924, the American Association of Career Schools (AACS) is a national nonprofit association representing privately owned schools of cosmetology arts and sciences. For over 100 years, AACS has been advancing beauty, barber, and wellness education through education, networking, and advocacy. The association’s membership includes cosmetology, skin, nail, barbering, and massage schools that have educated and advanced millions of students into the beauty and wellness industry. AACS is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
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June 30, 2026
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American Association of Career Schools
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