Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship Program Accepting Applications for Spring 2016 Scholarships

Wella’s Hairdressers at Heart and the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation (BCL) announce the opening of the Spring 2016 Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship Program application window. Applications will be accepted through April 4, 2016. Established in 2012, the competition celebrates the passion of aspiring hairstylists and the confidence, creativity and commitment of licensed hairstylists.

The Spring 2016 competition will award 10 “Basic” scholarships covering 50% of tuition (up to $10,000) to students enrolled in a qualified cosmetology school in the U.S. or Canada. In addition, 10 licensed hairstylists will receive “Advanced” scholarships to attend a North American Sassoon Academy program, including travel and course fees up to $5,000.

Generously funded by Wella’s Hairdressers at Heart, the multi-year, $1.5M scholarship program honors the legacy of beauty legend Vidal Sassoon and pays homage to his belief in lifelong education. Both “Basic” and “Advanced” applicants may apply via written essay, inspiration board or video and each submission should address how the applicant is inspired to change the lives of others as a professional hairstylist. Some examples of previous “Basic” winners’ videos may be seen at http://beautychangeslives.org/past-scholarship-winners/past-scholarship-winners-sassoon-basic/ (basic winners) and “Advanced” winner videos may be seen at http://beautychangeslives.org/past-scholarship-winners/past-scholarship-winners-sassoon-advanced/.

Beauty Changes Lives Foundation President Lynelle Lynch said the program provides professional exposure as well as financial assistance. “Many Basic and Advanced winners have been featured in the pages of leading salon and beauty publications. This exposure elevates winners’ personal brands in front of employers and the entire industry,” Lynch said. Additionally, all applicants have the opportunity to showcase their passion for professional hairstyling in front of a judging panel comprised of some of the world’s most accomplished hairstylists.

“Wella believes it is our obligation as established professionals to provide guidance to the young talent in our industry. Contributing to the development and empowerment of young stylists is an essential element of our industry,” said Wella North America CEO, Sal Mauceri.

"Everyone I meet in our industry has a story to tell about my father’s positive impact on their life and career,” says Eden Sassoon. “I feel my role is to ensure that people remember how he achieved this legacy. It was by his total commitment to education, which he knew would elevate the craft. It's an honor to witness this through the Vidal Sassoon Education Scholarship. The next generation will be introduced to these ideals and I truly hope with all my heart they use what they learn to leave their mark on history.”

Since launching in 2013, the Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship Competition has awarded 120 scholarships. For more information on “Basic” and “Advanced” scholarships please visit: www.beautychangeslives.org and www.hairdressersatheart.com.

About the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation: The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) created by the American Association of Cosmetology Schools to build awareness of the extraordinary career opportunities available in the beauty and wellness industry and massage therapy. The Foundation also organizes and participates in numerous philanthropic fundraisers that shine the spotlight on the charitable initiatives of the beauty and wellness community.

About Wella, the Salon Professional Division of P&G: P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

About Sassoon Academy: Sassoon Academy offers its celebrated, industry-leading philosophy and courses worldwide through its renowned Academies, and instructional DVDs and books. All classes are developed and designed to be contemporary, relevant and forward thinking and are delivered with passion, commitment and technical excellence. The aim is to share the knowledge that is gained in the development of our craft and ensure that our students gain real commercial skills from our courses, as well as take away a piece of the culture that created Sassoon. To learn more about Sassoon Academy, visit www.sassoon.com or follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/SassoonAcademy, Twitter: twitter.com/SassoonAcademy and Instagram: @sassoonacademyofficial.

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