After over 50 years, Regency Beauty Institute has suddenly closed all 79 campuses including 2 in Tucson.
Students say they were given no notice other than a text and phone call before the closure was announced on the beauty school's website Wednesday night.
The closure is effective immediately. Students have tomorrow and Friday to pick up their things from the school.
The tuition to attend Regency Beauty Institute is nearly $19,000.
The two schools in Tucson are located at 7225 E. Broadway Blvd. and 625 E. Wetmore Rd.
Regency Beauty Institute posted the following statement on their website:
This is incredibly difficult news for everyone affected: especially our students, teachers, and staff. We recognize that some of you may be finding this out for the first time by reading this. We are truly sorry for the abrupt nature of this information.
How did this happen? In short, the organization does not have the cash to continue to run the business. There are multiple intertwined reasons: declining numbers of cosmetology students nationwide, a negative characterization of for-profit education by regulators and politicians that continues to worsen and, in light of these factors, an inability to obtain continued financing.
This is not another case of a school being forced to shut down because it was accused of wrongdoing. We held ourselves to high educational and ethical standards. The environment is simply not one that allows us to remain open. We diligently explored a range of strategic options that would benefit our students, teachers, and staff — and allow us to remain open. Unfortunately, those efforts were not successful.
