Georgia Career Institute to close following lost accreditation

CONYERS, Ga. - Georgia Career Institute is shutting its doors after nearly 40 years in operation following the loss of its institutional accreditation, school officials announced. 

What we know:

The Council on Occupational Education notified Georgia Career Institute on Sept. 16 that it was dropping the institution's accredited status due to a failure to meet financial resource standards, school officials stated. 

While the school had the right to appeal through Oct. 6, leadership stated the school could not meet the financial requirements necessary to sustain operations or pursue the appeal, forcing the shutdown. 

"It is with tremendous sadness that we share this news. After nearly 40 years of serving students and preparing graduates for careers in the beauty industry, this is an incredibly difficult moment for our institution and, most importantly, our students," the statement from the school said. "Although this is not the outcome we hoped for, our commitment to our students remains our highest priority. Our focus now is to make the closure and transfer process as organized and supportive as possible."

According to the school, the final day of student instruction across all programs, including cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, and massage therapy, will be Oct. 1.

Faculty will spend Oct. 2 finalizing student clock hours, grades and academic files. 

To assist affected students, Georgia Career Institute stated it established formal "teach-out" agreements with three partner institutions, including Empire Beauty School, Elaine Sterling Institute and Proway Hair School. 

The schools will allow students to transfer 100% of their completed hours. The schools also agreed to waive standard residency rules, and charge no additional tuition beyond what students originally contracted under their Georgia Career Institute enrollment agreements, according to a statement from the school. 

School officials also confirmed they will not pursue collections for any remaining student account balances owed to Georgia Career Institute after closure. 

What we don't know:

Georgia Career Institute administration has not disclosed the exact number of students or faculty impacted by the sudden shutdown.