AACS urges Education Department to drop proposed rule affecting career certificate programs

By AI, Created 5:25 PM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The American Association of Career Schools is pressing the Education Department to remove undergraduate certificate programs from its proposed “Do No Harm” rule as the public comment period closes. AACS says the rule would wipe out most cosmetology, barbering and massage therapy programs nationwide and ignore labor and licensing pathways protected in recent federal law.

Why it matters: - AACS says the proposed rule would hit a large slice of licensed-trades training tied to cosmetology, barbering and massage therapy. - The group says the regulation would undercut small business owners, veterans, military spouses, educators and students who rely on career certificate programs. - By the Department’s own analysis, the rule would shutter 92.5% of cosmetology and barbering programs and 89% of massage therapy programs nationwide.

What happened: - The American Association of Career Schools thanked more than 7,000 commenters who weighed in on the Department of Education’s proposed “Do No Harm” rule as the public comment period closed May 20, 2026. - AACS urged the Department to remove undergraduate certificate programs from the final rule. - AACS said the public comments came from cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, nail technicians, massage therapists, school owners, educators, veterans, military spouses and consumers. - AACS also called on the Department to follow the law Congress passed and President Trump signed.

The details: - Garrett Shuler, AACS Board Chair, said the people who teach in the classrooms, run the small businesses and serve communities across the country made their views clear during the 30-day comment period. - Shuler said the message from commenters was that the rule, as written, would close schools that train licensed tradespeople communities depend on. - John D. Russell, AACS Executive Director, said Congress limited the new earnings framework in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to degree and graduate programs. - Russell said the law protected tip income for barbers, hairstylists, cosmetologists, estheticians, nail technicians and massage therapists under No Tax on Tips. - Russell said the IRS finalized those tip protections by name on April 10. - AACS said members of Congress also raised concerns directly with Secretary McMahon during the comment window.

Between the lines: - The fight is not only about education policy. AACS is framing the rule as a conflict with Congress’s intent and with federal protections already extended to these occupations. - The group is also using public comment turnout and earned media coverage to show political pressure beyond its own membership. - The dispute suggests the final rule could become a test of whether the Department narrows its proposal to align with the statute.

What’s next: - AACS wants Secretary McMahon and the Department to align the final regulation with the statute and preserve certificate-based career pathways. - The Department now has to review the comments and decide whether to revise the rule before finalizing it. - AACS says the public has already made its case and is now waiting for the Department to respond.

The bottom line: - AACS is betting that public pressure, congressional intent and the scale of the projected cuts will force the Education Department to pull back its proposed rule.