Frequently Asked Questions

I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PAYMENT PLANS

Go to our FAQ Payment Plan Page by CLICKING HERE

 

I WANT TO TALK TO SOMEONE

Please contact us by email, phone message or text anytime. You can request an appointment for a video chat or visit. We do not take walk in visits. Please make an appointment first. Visits may even be available during posted closed google hours. TEXTING is available 24/7

 

WHEN DO CLASSES START?

There is no start date. Students can start their online study in the same day after paying in full or making a down payment. After they finish 50 hours of online study they can book their first class day to test at the school. Students book their classes online or with the instructor by text/email. This continues until all online study is done (and tests are passed here) to then finish the course and take the state exams to get their license. Attendance is VERY flexible to attend when they want Mon-Sun and they will pick the hours that they want to attend between 10am-9pm (students do not attend more than 3 hours per day).

 

DO YOU HAVE FINANCIAL AID?

No. Virginia does not offer financial aid for nail education. Some states can offer financial aid for nail school like in Tennessee with longer course hours but not MD, NC, SC or VA. 

  • There is aid for hair (cosmetology) school and cosmetologists can sell nail services but we don't teach cosmetology here. Schools that offer financial aid have a cosmetology or esthetics program for the aid but can not offer financial aid for nail education. 
  • If you have military aid contact schools in areas with a higher military population like around NOVA or Norfolk. 
  • Those getting Social Service Assistance benefits can ask their case worker to see if there are available funds in their county's VIEW program to pay for our course cost.

 

CAN I DO THE COURSE ALL ONLINE?

No. Virginia does NOT accept a 100% online course for licensure. Anyone that offers a 100% online course is only offering training that can't get you licensed in Virginia. You must come in to prove your identity and take tests under security cameras to prove your online study work. Specific hands on skill hours must be learned inside a licensed school under the supervision of a licensed instructor for hours that lead to licensure. Practice of skill at home is important to build confidence and build questions in class to learn the most. 

 

HOW FAST CAN I FINISH A NAIL COURE HERE?

This is our #1 question but we don't know what kind of student you are to answer that. Our course is extremely flexible to finish and attend when you want. Students should study at least 30 hours a month online to finish 150 hours of study to finish in about 5 months. Studying more online each month will help students finish faster. The students that make excuses, study less (or don't make their study a priority) usually take 5-6 months to finish. We have serious students that are focused and dedicated to be able to finish in 2-3 months. It is TOTALLY up to the student but the students must be ready to PASS 3 tests here to be able to take/pass the exams for licensure. There will be 4 tests for those enrolling in 2025.

 

WHEN ARE CLASSES?

Classes are available to book Weekdays between 10am-9pm or Weekends at 10:30, 2:30 or 5:30. Students will book classes themselves online or with the instructor by text or email. Students MUST complete about 50 hours of study before they can attend the first day. Students usually attend 1-2 classes each month. Students can not attend more than 2 days per month or more than 1 day per week to offer available openings for everyone to attend. We are closed on most major holidays. Our upcoming Lynchburg location will offer 2-3 days a week. 

 

HOW DO I ATTEND CLASSES?

Our ONLY location is in Central Virginia. Students book their class times. Almost ALL of our students drive 1-2 hours to attend. Almost half drive 2-3 hours. Some students even drive from other states to become dual licensed. Students can book their class days online through a booking system and by text or email to the instructor. Classes are be private to each student or at a max group of 2-4 signed together (if on the same level day) to ensure focus on a successful preparation for licensure and knowledge to provide safe nail care services. 

 

CAN I MAKE A SMALLER DOWN PAYMENT?

Paying with us in-house financing=No we require a $1,000-$1,500 down payment with a choice of 3-5 monthly payments that includes a flat $50-250 installment fee based on the down payment you made. 

Paying with Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay or Apple Pay=yes there is a smaller payment option with 6-36 monthly payments with a 15-20%+ interest based on your credit. You are considered paid in full here at the school.
 

WHY DO I NEED TO GET A LICENSE TO SELL NAIL SERVICES?

It is a class 1 misdemeanor to sell nail services in Virginia without a nail license posted issued from DPOR. Getting caught can cause a lot of serious issues especially when an injury occured for a lawsuit. A licensed Tech can provide safe services from their training to avoid causing allergies, infections and injury. Techs with a license will become a master at their skill and with a license they can move on to other careers in the nail industry that pay more with less physical work as they get older. Licensed Nail Techs can open salons to become self employed, work with nail companies, become teachers and work at top quality resort spas that offer amazing pay with benefits. 

 

HOW DO I GET APPROVED FOR THE PAYMENT PLAN?

Paying with us in-house financing=there is no approval or credit check to start a payment plan.
After making the down payment students can start their online study. After their first monthly payment is made then they can attend their first class day. After the course is paid in full and completed they can be released to take exams. 

Paying with Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay or Apple Pay=you will have to apply with them for approval when paying. 
After being approved with Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay or Apple Pay students can start their online study. Students that applied for the full cost with a lender can attend class whenever completing their online study sections and be released immediately when they finish/pass the course. 

 

HOW DO I MAKE PAYMENTS IN A PAYMENT PLAN?

Paying with us=Students will make their minimum monthly payment amount anytime (in single or multiple amounts) by 11:59pm on the first of each month due. There is a payment page on the website to make payments using a card with a Visa, MC or AMEX logo. Payments can also be made at the school. There is no penalty to pay early or more at any time. Late fees ($35 on the 2nd and $35 on the 16th) will be applied each month when the minimum is not paid by the first of the month.

Paying with Klarna, Affirm or Apple Pay=you will pay them or auto pay them. You will reach out to them for all your payment information, assistance and processing. We will not have anything to do with your payments. You are considered paid in full here at the school.

 

WHAT IF I LIVE IN ANOTHER STATE?

If you want a license for your state we first suggest that you find a beauty school in your state instead of coming here. If you live in another state and plan to live in virginia within the next few months you can start a course now to attend your first class day when you move into the state and continue your study to get your Virginia Nail License. There are three online study sections to finish and test here within 6 months. It usually takes students 1-3 months to finish the first online study section.

 

I LIVE IN MD, NC or WV or another US State

Students can be multi-state licensed especially if they live near state borders and want to work on both sides. Check your cosmetogy board to see their requirements to transfer through reciprocity or endorsement. Call to confirm requirements to transfer to your state BEFORE ENROLLING HERE in case there are updates in testing/work requirements or increased fees for your state. MOVING
 
MARYLAND: proof of nail work for 6 months (or 100 hours of paystubs) on the VA side after getting licensed in VA to transfer to MD with a fee and certificate of licensure from VA 410-230-6320
 
NORTH CAROLINA-EASY: online form and pay the $35 fee to instantly transfer your VA license into NC 919-733-6123
 
WEST VA-EASY: reciprocity form and $100 fee to instantly transfer your VA license into WV 855-965-2800
 
WASHINGTON DC-EASY: reciprocity form and $99 fee to instantly transfer your VA license with a VA certificate of licensure. There will be 6 CEUs required at renewal every 2 years. 202-442-4400 


 

DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER LOCATION?

NO. This is the only location right now.
We are in a safe rural area that allows us to keep a low overhead to care more about our students than bills and payroll goals each month. By staying small we can offer more attention per student and a lower cost course. Since all classes are private we can also keep a learning environment that is more comforting to those with social anxieties. We like our small space to offer this caring attention to focus more on assisting every student to licensure and not just handing them a certificate to focus on the next group of students to maintain a high overhead cost. We have the ability to pay attention to each student by keeping our enrollment numbers low each year. We are currently working on offering another location to attend classes in Lynchburg VA in late 2025.
 
 

HOW HARD IS THE COURSE TO FINISH?

Students must study at least 30 hours online per month for six months. Studying more will help students finish faster. Not studying regularly could cause students to fail the state exams for licensure. Students are taking this course to learn safe nail skills to keep the public safe and to prepare students for regularly updated exams (done at a very secure testing facility that specialize in catching people cheating). Try a sample practice test. Bottom line=no it is not easy, but the course is design to help you get there as long as you stay dedicated to study at least 30 hours month for six months. Our students ages range from 16 to 60 years old. 

 

 

WILL I BE AMAZING AT DOING ACRYLIC NAILS WHEN I GRADUATE?

Unless you have already been doing them then the answer is most likely no.  Just because you got your driver's license today-it doesn't mean you are ready to have race car skills (unless you had the experience already).
The school teaches about safe and effective application. Acrylic skill is an art form and can take about 1 year of constant practice to master before top notch quality results are provided to customers. Starting with Manicure and Pedicure services in a Spa or Salon while doing acrylics at home is a great way to start the first year if you are not established already. Many spas, resorts and salons are desperately looking for only mani/pedi service employees. On the side you can provide acrylic nails for a year or two then you could move on to working in your own business or in a full service salon.

It can be hard to venture out into the real world after any kind of education. Success comes later for those that step over that scary speed bump with a positive attitude that welcomes criticism and mistakes as a tool to make them amazing in the future. Working on a dummy hand and a real person are two different things. It's those that stick with it that become amazing at any kind of training. Success depends on how long you stick with the trade skill to learn successful problem solving from experience.
 
Not all nail techs specialize in everything. If you hate acrylic odors then you don't need to do them with your license. Nail Techs can choose to avoid dealing with acrylics in their career. Most spas only offer natural care services without odors to make an amazing income and some of these spas even offer great benefits. Various gel services can offer low to no odor nail care. If you don't like feet then you can just perform fingernail services in your career.
 
Some students here have even taken a path beyond providing nail services after learning about the nail industry by venturing into careers like retail sales, salon/spa owners, salon owners, inspiring social media techs, beauty supplier rep with commission in sales/earning six figure salaries, product educators for nail manufacturer companies and so much more after a start in providing nail services. The nail industry is growing and the businesses that service nail techs is growing too. There is income past providing nail services as you learn the trade.


 

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T FINISH WITHIN SIX MONTHS?

Students must finish their course within 6 months of paying to enroll or they are considered failed. Students should be taking their licensing exam within 8-10 month of paying to enroll. State licensing exams are updated regularly to prevent cheating of shared information online. Graduates need to take their exams asap after graduation to be prepared for that exam at that time. Waiting to long means you will be taking an updated exam and not be ready therefore having to take a new updated course.

 

CAN I TAKE A ONE DAY CLASS?

We have one day classes for fun skill or advance skills in nails at www.NailWisdom.com 
Other school/salon advertised one day classes DO NOT allow you to sell nail services until you have a state Nail Technician license (it is only to learn new skills to do nails for free). You must have a State Issued Nail Technician license to "sell" any nail service in Virginia to avoid a Class 1 misdemeanor (this charge can avoid licensure in the future)

 

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF I QUIT?

Sadly we have had some students fail the course from cheating, going past their expiration time without completing the work in time or by just giving up. Those on a payment plan (with us) can quit at anytime and they do not have to make any more future payments but there are absolutely no refunds on any paid costs made to this school. Attend class hours will be reported to the state for transfer. Re-enrollment is discounted based on how long ago they quit or dropped out. Contact the instructor within 1 year of quitting to get the discounted cost amount. Those that applied with a lender must still pay the lender to avoid collections. We do not do collections if you choose a down payment with us and monthly payments with us. 

 

CAN I GET TAX EDUCATION CREDIT PAYING FOR NAIL SCHOOL?

No. Virginia is not a state that offers financial aid for nail education so there is no tax education credit for nail school because it is only a 150 hour program. You will not get a 1098 form from this school for a course payment. Keep your receipts for equipment, supply, travel, uniform and books when you attend as they could tax deductable if you are a business. Talk to your accountant about this.  Consider this when using things like a retirement withdrawal or consider going into a 1,000 hour cosmetology program instead to get tax credits.

 

WHAT DO I DO WHEN I AM DONE WITH COURSE HERE?

This course is about preparing you to become a LICENSED nail tech with the basics of nail care to provide a safe and sanitary nail service to the public. After students have passed and paid for the course they are released/prepared to take their state exams. 
 
Students with a license should be attending beauty trade shows, advance nail classes and seminars just like hair dressers/cosmetologists do to stay up to date on new techniques and skill. Advance nail skills are not taught in this licensing course but questions about any advance skill is answered to those that have them during class. 

 

 

WHAT IF I HAVE A CRIMINAL CONVICTION?

  • Conviction or found guilty in the United States of any felony within the last 20 years
  • Convicted or found guilty in the United States of any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, sexual offense, drug distribution or physical injury within the last 2 years.
  • A plea of nolo contendere shall be considered a conviction


By the second day of class we need need your official Criminal History Record from each State that you have a conviction, or a national criminal history, or a certified copy of the final order, decree or case decision by a court. to report it to licensing department for review. They will research all graduates background to check for violations and charges so you must disclose it. If you do not report those convicted you can get denied to get licensed even after you finish this course. You may be required to attend a Informal Fact-Finding conference after finishing the course and passing the state exams for licensure. The time to conduct the review (after passing both state exams) could take several months complete. 
 
Click the blue button below for an informational flyer about criminal convictions with licensing. The state does not review anyone for approval of licensure until they have successfully completed a state licensed course and passed the state exams. We have had students with criminal violations get their license. It is a process but worth it!

2025 COURSE UPDATES

Students starting our course in 2025 will be in a longer course to prepare for late 2025/2026 exam updates. There will be 4-6 tests to pass (at the school) with about 50 hours of online study between each test. ESL tutoring sessions/training for our course will be available at an additional cost. The cost for our course will increase on Jan 1, 2025 and may increase again around May 1, 2025 for these updates. Our #1 goal is to get our students Licensed with an understanding of how to provide safe nail care services. We are putting in place the education needed to do this using our over 20 years of experience. 

© Virginia Nail School 2011

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