By Randi Locke, Northend Agent’s
The other day I was on Tik Tok. Scrolling like I usually do, when I saw a video of a woman proclaiming that one can receive a cosmetology license within a day without getting the state board involved. To those without a cosmetology license or, experience in the field, this sounds like an amazing deal. But as someone who went through years of cosmetology school and has a cosmetology license, this was a huge red flag. What made matters worse is that I went to the comments and instead of seeing people asking questions about how the certification process works or, her qualifications, people were eager to sign up saying that they are excited to enter the industry. A few years ago people would have questioned the validity of these claims, but now thanks to the state of the economy people are less likely to question potential education scams. WIth programs like medicaid loosing funding, working class people are looking for a way to earn just enough money to get by. Thanks to cuts made to education in Trump’s approved budget, people are more likely to fall for these education scams due to the limited amount of resources.
Am I saying that all of these education scammers are intentionally trying to take advantage of people? No. Some of these people could be attempting to help others find employment but they failed to research the requirements to do so. The tik toker I was first referring to for example. Did her videos claiming that you can be licensed in braiding, threading, and shampooing in one day bother me? Yes. But upon scrolling down her profile I saw that she mainly highlights braiding and shampooing. While she is correct that you do not need a braiding license in states like California, she only sites The Natural Hair Braiding and Opportunity Freedom Act. Though the Act was created in 2021 and passed in states like California and Maryland; states like Illinois are still taking similar acts into consideration. It was clear to me that she has not done the proper research about other states. Otherwise she would have known that states like North Carolina require 300 hours of education to become a braider. While her intentions are good, it is clear that she failed to cite in her profile how this only applies to states that do not require a braiding license.Viewers also would not know that she is not talking about a full cosmetology license unless they scroll down her profile or go to her website.
Though her intentions may not be ill, being vague and making big promises is how these education scammers draw people in. They share fliers and videos on social media sites like Instagram and Tik Tok and use key phrases like: affordable, quick, and guaranteed to reel people in. These scammers are cautious not to go for fields that could be automatic red flags. Hence why a lot of these scammers target those who want to work from home or eventually start their own business. Careers like medical coding for example are seeing an increase in availability due to the aging population. Because of this, a lot more people are vying for a position. What these scammers promise is not only standard training and test material but, they also will claim to have extra information on how to surpass other applicants. These wild claims along with a promise of no debt make these scams easy to fall for. Because to those that buy into it a one time payment is better than years of debt. However, often underestimate what blindly buying into these scams can cost them. These hiring boards not only require proof of certification or experience but, they go by the state or national standards to verify the credential’s validity. If the credentials are found to be faulty, a person could be taken out of consideration at the very least. More extreme punishments could mean a person could be barred from receiving the official training and, working in said field. Although one could argue that people can just sign up for the correct certifications at a college, but these programs are becoming less accessible.
Before Trump took office, the number of colleges having to close was already on the rise. According to a study conducted in August of 2024 by the US department of education, the amount of higher learning institutions in the United States have dropped by two percent. One of the driving factors is a decrease in enrollment which according to the National Center of Education has dropped by 15 percent since 2010. This is not only because of factors such as a decline in the birth rate but the cost of a degree no longer amounting to the impact of a degree. This is due to an increasingly competitive job market. Especially now that the Big Beautiful BIll and Trump’s Budget will be taken into effect.
Trump’s 2026 Budget (which is separate from the Big Beautiful Bill) proposed 119.3 billion dollars to be allocated from non defense funds to defense funds.These cuts heavily impact the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Labor. Because of these cuts, programs like Job Corps which allowed young adults ages 18-24 to train in blue collar jobs along with room and board for a year. Afterwards they received help with job placement. With Job Corps potentially getting eliminated 29,000 participants will be out of options for education. For those who chose the traditional higher learning path, the budget impacts not only the colleges they can afford but, programs available. Some colleges are cutting degree programs that are low attendance due to budget cuts. While others are eliminating programs that are considered to go against the anti DEI orders. This also includes scholarships and grants. For students that are able to obtain loans to pay for college or vocational training, Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill has made a significant impact to student loan repayment. According to the bill, income based loan payments set up by former President Joe Biden will be eliminated by 2028. This bill also impacts how much people will be able to borrow. With the borrowing limit being capped off at $100,000 in one’s lifetime instead of $138,000. Deterring potential students from pursing education and trade school. Thus setting up the perfect environment for these education scammers to thrive.
Although the circumstances are not ideal to pursue a higher education or pursue certifications, please do your research when coming upon these “great opportunities”. If there are certifications that you are interested in go directly to the state boards that determine said requirements. For those who have bought into these scams, it is not your fault. You were just looking for a way out of a hard time and no one can fault you for that.
