Students shocked after popular metro Atlanta beauty school abruptly closes

ATLANTA - Students and faculty members at a popular metro Atlanta beauty school were shocked to find out that the company had permanently shut down this week.

The Health and Style Institute had campuses in Buckhead and Kennesaw as well as two locations in North Carolina.

The backstory:

On Saturday, the company surprised its students by announcing that all of its locations would be permanently closed "effective immediately."

The company had been in operation for more than 13 years.

Leaders say the closures stem from Free Application for Federal Student Aid processing complications, which caused "egregious disruptions to cash flow," as well as the Georgia Board of Cosmetology and Barbers' reportedly slow response to its request to move its Kennesaw campus.

The immediate closure left many students and employees scrambling to get their personal belongings left on campus. The institute is now allowing access to the facility on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Atlanta location and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at its Kennesaw location. Only one person will be allowed to enter at a time.

What's next:

The company says all employees will be paid for time worked on the next payroll deposit date. Their 401(k) funds have also been protected.

Students impacted by the closure can request transcripts to transfer to other schools in the area, including the Elaine Sterling Institute in Atlanta and the International School of Skin, Nailcare & Massage Therapy in Sandy Springs.

You can find the links to request transcripts on the Health and Style Institute's website.