TRESemmé to Open Enrollment for Future Stylists Fund

Enrollment for TRESemmé’s annual Future Stylists Fund will open on Wednesday, November 16. The $100,000 scholarship program, which was created in 2020, helps advance the careers of aspiring Black female hairstylists.

As part of the program, another class of aspiring Black female hairstylists can apply to receive a $10,000 scholarship to offset the cost of their cosmetology school tuition in addition to exclusive career-advancing opportunities from TRESemmé.

Over the last two years, the program has helped 20 women from across the country receive over $200,000 in scholarship funds and 14 have completed cosmetology school, going on to receive their license.

The last two classes have participated in exciting networking and career-advancing opportunities, including going backstage at NYFW in September to meet TRESemmé's stylists.

Additionally, two of Future Stylists Fund recipients from previous years went on to assist Lacy Redway’s styling team backstage at this year’s Fe Noel show at NYFW.

“This experience has changed the trajectory of my career in the beauty industry by giving me the tools that I need to broaden my skills and introducing me to so many wonderful people that I can learn from,” said Davanay Ellis, TRESemmé Future Stylists Fund recipient (Class of 2020/Year 1). “The Future Stylists Fund means so much to me because I know what it has done for my career, and I want that experience for all black women within the industry. Tresemmé has shown their dedication to the promise they made when starting this program, and best of all, I've gained lifelong friends and family because of it.”   

This year, celebrity hairstylists, Lacy Redway and Nai’vasha, will be returning as selection committee members along with Cara Robinson Sabin, Beauty & Wellbeing GM at Unilever North America, who is new to the selection committee this year. The three will encourage aspiring Black female hairstylists looking to break into the industry to apply, review the application and select this year’s recipients.

TRESemme
The recipients of the scholarship in 2021. (TRESemme )

Who is Eligible and How to Apply 

Beginning November 16 through January 8, 2023, Black women interested in attending or currently enrolled in an accredited cosmetology school to become a hair professional can apply to the TRESemmé Future Stylists Fund at tresemmefuturestylistsfund.com.  

Ten applicants will be nominated by the selection committee to receive the following benefits from TRESemmé:

  • Funding: An award of $10,000 (a $100,000 annual commitment) to each of the 10 Black women looking to become hair professionals, helping to offset cosmetology school tuition costs that may be holding them back from earning their hairstylist license.
  • Experience: Further investment in the recipients’ futures by offering industry exposure and career-advancing opportunities to foster meaningful growth.
  • Exposure: Exclusive exposure through TRESemmé channels and community, in addition to mentorship and development resources from members of the TRESemmé network.

TRESemmé’s Research

From difficulty identifying a stylist fluent in styling textured hair to a lack of education in cosmetology school, there is no shortage of challenges for Black women sitting in the styling seat or standing behind it. TRESemmé conducted two national studies on textured hair biases, which uncovered that stylists lack education and training when it comes to styling and caring for textured, curly, and coily hair types.

  • This has led to an overwhelming number of Black women (86 percent) who have reported challenges when it comes to consistent, quality haircare at salons, including difficulty finding a stylist who could care for their type/texture of hair and even outright discrimination or bias due to their hair type.
  • Surveyed stylists agree that education is the top growth driver that would help them advance in their career (40 percent) and three in four stylists (75 percent) wish they had more training in how to style Black hair.