Policy Statement  Regarding Sophomore Vocational School Students Who Are At Least 16 Years Old

Date:	12/07/2017
Referenced Sources:	Statutes and Regulations (Cosmetology and Barbering)

Regarding Sophomore Vocational School Students Who Are At Least 16 Years Old

The Board of Registration of Cosmetology ("Board") voted at its meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 to allow students to obtain certain credits from vocational schools not previously allowed by Board regulations. In making this allowance, the Board reiterates that all other regulations are to be fully adhered to and will be enforced, however, pending the next regulation change which will formally codify this allowance, the Board has deemed the enforcement of the letter of the regulation as written to be not in the best interests of the public.

Policy No. 09-01

Purpose:

To relax the requirements of 240 CMR 4.07(2) and grant credit to students in vocational programs who are the age of 16 or older and have attained at least the sophomore level of a school providing a Board approved vocational cosmetology program which has met Board requirements.

Policy:

As written, 240 CMR 4.07(2) states the following:

"No student may be granted credit for hours completed in a program prior to attaining the age of 16 years. No student may be granted credit for hours completed during the freshman or sophomore [sic] year of a program or as part of an "exploratory" or similarly titled program."

Effective immediately, the Board will accept hours completed by a vocational student 16 years of age or older who is in their sophomore year of school (there is no change to the prohibition on credit for "exploratory" type programs). In allowing this change, the Board is in no way allowing vocational schools to change their cosmetology programs or other curriculum to take advantage of this allowance without prior Board approval.