For those of you needing that last push to take the plunge into a nail tech career (or, if you’re already a nail tech but know of someone else you’d like to recruit into the field), then I wanted to make sure you knew about the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology’s Aurie J. Gosnell Scholarship. The NIC program will award four of these $1,250 scholarships to individuals desiring to enter the cosmetology, barber, esthetics, or nail technology professions.

You can download the application form and complete rules here. The deadline is June 1, and aspiring nail techs will need to include the following in their applications:

1. Three letters of personal reference.

2. A personal essay (at least 250 words) detailing why you want to be a licensee in the cosmetology field, what influences have brought you to this conclusion, and your future professional goals. Also include how long you have been considering a career in this field, what influences have brought you to this conclusion, why you feel you deserve a scholarship, and how will being in the cosmetology field give back to your community.

3. A signed copy of the scholarship rules.

Good luck!

—Sree