Regency shuts down, dozens of cosmetology students in EP affected

The sudden nationwide shutdown of Regency Beauty Institute has left about 70 El Paso cosmetology students looking for new places to complete their training.

Regency Beauty Institute in East El Paso just shut its doors to students Wednesday without warning. The only explanation coming on their web site, stating, “The organization doesn’t have the cash to continue to run the business.”

“I couldn’t believe it and I still kind of don’t believe it,” said Megan Bejarano, still in shock after the beauty school she says she paid $20,000 to attend suddenly shut down.

ABC-7 found a notice of a lockout posted on Regency’s door by landlord River Oaks Properties. “I found out on Facebook,” Bejarano said. “I never received a call or an email.”

ABC-7 knocked on the Regency door after spotting some people inside, but no one would come to the door.

“I”ve heard that we are going to get reimbursed,” Bejarano said. “I’ve heard that if we ask for forgiveness we lose our credits. So I’m really not a 100 percent sure as to what’s going on. I’m still working on it.”

Bejarano is now looking for a new school. She hopes to finish at El Paso’s Tri-State beauty school.

“It’s hard because I’ve never done this before,” she said. “So I have to really look into it and make sure that I don’t make a wrong decision.”

“A lot of the students are almost finished,” said Diana Pedroza from ITS Academy College of Hair at Sunland Park Mall, who ABC-7 spotted at Regency Friday morning. “We want to help them finish. We are able to transfer their hours, we are working with financial aid, a lot of students, if school not paid off, we have scholarships available, so we’re trying to work with them with anything we can.”

“It’s just like, one day they wake up and they can’t go to school anymore,” said ITS cosmetology student Andrea French, who told ABC-7 she feels for the Regency students. “If I were in their position, and I’m graduating next month, I would be like, ‘I’m almost done and there’s no where to go.'”

In addition to Tri-State and ITS Academy College of Hair, El Paso Community College’s cosmetology department is also reaching out to help regency students sort out the situation and continue their education.