Closure of Cleveland Area Beauty Schools

Two prominent Cleveland area beauty schools, The Charmayne and Vogue Beauty Academy, have been shut down permanently after more than 40 years in business. Apparently, the schools have consistently relied upon federal Pell grants to pay for tuition and the U.S. Department of Education has quit paying since adequate records were not being maintained. According to Marc LaMarca, owner of the schools,

. . . the problems began in 1998 when the federal government changed its software for processing financial aid. The Department of Education repeatedly said it was not getting aid applications transmitted from Charmayne and Vogue, LaMarca said.

The Department of Education's Office of Inspector General seized business records in October and continues to investigate. Authorities have not responded to the rumor that the real reason the schools have been targeted is that the women of Cleveland are naturally beautiful and there is no justification for federal funds to be allocated to the schools.