Army Offerings at Bellus Academy

Get the facts on the special benefits for Army members offered by Bellus Academy, an accredited career training university created to help you meet your career training goals. Learn about the educational experience at Bellus Academy, explore their career services department, and learn about Army education benefits and the federal aid programs that can get you one step closer to your educational goals.

Focused training for a portable career is just the beginning of why past and present members of the Army and their spouses enjoy the time they spend at Bellus Academy. From the professional tools and know-how that are gained during Bellus Academy's cosmetology training, to the targeted career placement services designed to help you find work, Army personnel and their spouses can benefit from a Bellus Academy education.

Bellus Academy Offers Professional Education to Army Spouses & Families

Learn to help support your Army family through a career training program at Bellus Academy. Enrolling in an accredited cosmetology program at Bellus Academy means you'll be earning your education from a trusted source. Attend Bellus Academy at one of the school's three campuses:

• Poway, CA
• El Cajon, CA
• National City, CA

The educators and staff at Bellus Academy are trained to work closely with Army families, with their passion for the Army community extending to their local communities. Students are encouraged to participate in community events, and Bellus Academy takes pride in the many opportunities it offers to Army families and members of the local community at large.

Cosmetology Training & Educational Experience

Bellus Academy offers students the opportunity to train with an internationally acclaimed artistic director--just one of the many ways the school offers an education that surpasses industry standards. Students can prepare for a range of careers at Bellus Academy, including:

• Hair Stylist or Colorist
• Make-up Artist
• Esthetician (Skin Care Specialist)
• Medical Spa Esthetician
• Spa Nail Technician
• Massage Therapist (Holistic Health Practitioner)

At Bellus Academy, coursework is designed to provide a targeted, positive educational experience for students. Other benefits of enrolling in the cosmetology program at Bellus Academy include:

• A student salon and spa at each campus location where you can hone your skills
• Externship opportunities with top salons that are conveniently located close to campus
• Job placement guidance through the Career Services Department
• The finest tools and supplies that are provided via student kits--giving you everything you need to start your career

Consider Bellus Academy for professional training in hair cutting and coloring, esthetics, nail care, massage therapy, makeup artistry, advanced cosmetology courses, and more.

What Bellus Academy Cosmetology Programs Looks Like

Students at Bellus Academy have multiple opportunities to take their educations to the next level. From advanced academies offering training in the latest techniques and mock state board examinations to prepare you for licensing tests, Bellus Academy seeks to train beauty professionals for life-long career success.

At Bellus Academy, your education includes:

• Presentations and lectures from top industry professionals
• Hands-on experience with quality styling tools and products
• Business and marketing training geared towards the cosmetology business

Whether you're an Army spouse taking advantage of the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program or an active-duty or veteran Army member, considering using the GI Bill to pursue a new career--cosmetology coursework offers you the targeted training you seek.

Army Spouses Benefit From Cosmetology Training

Though the training you'll find in cosmetology school at Bellus Academy can help anyone prepare for success in the beauty industry, a career in cosmetology or esthetics is well suited for the lifestyle of Army spouses. You can train for a career in the beauty industry and graduate with a skill set that is adaptable and portable. Army spouses enjoy specific benefits of cosmetology training:

• Potential access to MyCAA financial assistance benefits
• Portable training which can be used on a part-time or temporary basis around the world
• Targeted training that is completed in less time than a traditional four-year degree

"Unlike a lot of industries, the beauty industry is a collaborative community," Lynelle Lynch, president of Bellus Academy recently told WorldWideLearn.com. "Bellus, for example, is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools. When a student must relocate, I can contact that network to find a school in the area that can help him or her find a job."

Army Education Benefits and Tuition Assistance Programs

Attending Bellus Academy using financial aid designed for Army members and their families makes earning an education easy. Whether you're an active duty Army member, Reserve member, or Army spouse, you may be eligible for tuition assistance programs that help you with your training at Bellus Academy.

Tuition Assistance Programs With the Montgomery GI Bill

If you're on active duty or a member of the Army Reserve, you may be eligible for tuition assistance through the Montgomery GI Bill. GI Bill benefits are good for up to ten years after your last day of service, and the benefits are significant: up to $1,368 per month for full-time students and $1,026 per month for apprenticeships and on-the-job training for active-duty personnel, as of October 2009.

Members of the Army Reserves with at least two years of consecutive service are also eligible for GI Bill benefits that can be applied toward a Bellus Academy education. Reservists can receive up to $333 per month as full-time students and $249.75 per month for on-the-job training. If you have spent more than 90 days on active duty, you may be eligible for increased benefits.

Army Spouses Benefit From MyCAA Financial Aid

If you're an Army spouse considering career training or a degree program, be sure to take advantage of the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA). This program offers Army spouses a lifetime benefit of up to $6,000 in order to pursue licenses, certificates, credentials, or degree programs leading to employment in a Portable Career Field as defined by the Department of Defense.

Financial aid from MyCAA pays for anything from state certifications for teachers to licensing exams, tuition for degree programs, GED tests, and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Simply choose a portable career field that interests you, and gain the benefits of a tuition program designed for Army spouses.

Career Services for Bellus Academy Graduates

Whether you hope to find a career at a local salon or spa after graduation or take your portable career on the road in the event your Army family has to be transferred, you'll find benefits in the professional career services at Bellus Academy. Services offered free for students include:

• Resume assistance
• Job development skills including interviewing
• Assistance with salon/spa selection
• Career-oriented classes

Though no career training program can guarantee job placement, graduates of Bellus Academy enjoy a high job placement rate. Nationwide, the demand for beauty professionals is strong, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 20 percent growth in the field between 2008 and 2018.

The Career Services Department works to help match your skills with a rewarding career in the cosmetology industry.

Army News from Bellus Academy

From former Army active duty members to military spouses enjoying a day of pampering, Bellus Academy is proud of its record of service to members of the Army and their spouses. Take a look at a few Army news bulletins from Bellus Academy.

Bellus Academy Stylists Treat Army Wives

On February 16, 2010, student stylists at Bellus Academy treated Army spouses and military members to Valentine's Day beauty treatments at the Poway campus. Army wives chose from a long list of pampering treatments, including pomegranate facials, spa manicures, teeth whitening treatments, Swedish massages, and spa chemical peels.

Army wives appreciated the chance to relax for a day. "As a spouse and a family readiness officer, I just see a real need to stop and feel pampered and just emotionally say, 'OK, this is about me,' " Brooke Spitzer, an Army spouse who enjoyed the day of treatments, told NBC San Diego.

Lynelle Lynch took pride in creating an event designed to give back to servicemembers and their spouses. "The goal is to make Valentine's a special day for our military and thank them for their continued service to our country," she said.

Army Investigator Turns Barbering Hobby into a Bellus Academy Education

Former Army investigator Ben Lee told Fox 5 San Diego how his barbering hobby started while on active duty. "When we didn't have a barber around, when we were deployed," he explained. "When we were out in the field I would grab my clippers and start clipping hair for soldiers."

Lee remembers having trouble finding work when he returned from active duty. "When I was laid off, I was looking for work for about 6 or 7 months, and wasn't able to find anything," he said. He remembered his barbering skill, which sparked an interest in cosmetology and led to him enrolling in the cosmetology training program at Bellus Academy.

For Lee, a fun hobby in the Army has turned into a career training program that teaches him new things and makes him excited about his future career. "I love it," he said. "It was men's cuts before, but now I'm getting into the coloring of women's hair and the cutting of women's hair, and I love it."