For 37 years, our private, for-profit, Title IV-funded massage therapy and esthetics trade school has prepared students for meaningful careers in wellness, personal care and small-business ownership. We are not disconnected from the professions we teach. Our owners, instructors, graduates and employer partners are directly tied to the massage therapy, esthetics and personal-service industries. We understand what students need to succeed not only in the classroom but also in clinics, spas, salons, wellness centers and independent businesses.
Massage therapy is a profession with substantial and growing demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of massage therapists to grow 15 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations. It also projects approximately 24,700 openings each year during that decade. National organizations such as the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) continue to report on the profession’s workforce needs, business opportunities and the value of trained, licensed practitioners.
The demand is visible beyond reports and statistics. A simple search for massage therapy openings shows employers seeking qualified therapists in spas, medical and wellness settings, resorts, franchise locations, chiropractic offices and private practices. The same is true for estheticians, cosmetologists and other trained personal-service professionals. Yet while the country continues to encourage people to pursue skilled trades, federal policy may be moving in the opposite direction.
The federal “Do No Harm” earnings provision presents a serious risk to Title IV-funded career schools. The measure would use an earnings-based accountability test for many postsecondary programs and could remove federal student-loan eligibility from programs that do not meet its benchmark. Although its implementation has been delayed, the threat remains. AMTA has warned that the proposed rule could jeopardize Title IV eligibility for a very large share of massage therapy schools. Similar concerns apply to cosmetology, esthetics, culinary arts and arts programs—fields that can provide real careers, but may not fit neatly into a one-size-fits-all federal earnings formula.urban+1
The issue is not that students should be denied protection from excessive debt. Students absolutely deserve transparent information, ethical recruitment, quality education, reasonable tuition and accountability from schools. However, accountability must be fair. The current proposed approach does not accurately reflect how many massage therapists and personal-service professionals build their careers. Graduates may start part time while gaining experience, caring for families or maintaining other jobs. They may receive tips, work as independent contractors, rent treatment rooms or gradually build a self-employed client base. Their income can grow over time, but federal data may not fully capture those realities. AMTA has specifically raised concerns that measures used in the rule may overlook self-employment, tips and flexible schedules that are central to the massage profession.
A part-time graduate should not be measured against a full-time worker as if they have the same hours, employment model and opportunity to earn. A fairer rule would compare part-time graduates with appropriate part-time workforce data. It would recognize verified self-employment income, tips where documented and independent-contractor work. It would also allow a reasonable period for graduates to establish a client base and account for regional wage differences and costs of living. These changes would preserve meaningful oversight while preventing good schools and valid career pathways from being penalized by incomplete data.
If policymakers are unwilling to make the “Do No Harm” provision fairer, then reliable replacement funding must be found for career schools across the United States. Private Title IV-funded schools generally do not receive the state appropriations that support public colleges. Without federal aid, many students will simply be unable to enroll. Most students cannot pay the full cost of career education out of pocket while also managing rent, transportation, food, child care and family responsibilities. Even if students can contribute a few hundred dollars per month, that amount cannot support the full cost of quality instruction, qualified faculty, licensing, accreditation, clinical equipment, insurance, utilities, facilities and leases.
If Title IV funding is removed, many established career schools may not survive. That would harm more than the schools themselves. Employers depend on these institutions as pipelines for trained workers. Spas, salons, wellness centers, medical offices, resorts and independent businesses need new professionals to serve clients and keep their businesses operating. If the education pipeline is shut down, employers may be unable to hire, expand or even remain open.
The consequences would reach consumers and communities as well. Massage therapy helps many people manage pain, reduce stress, improve mobility and remain able to work. I personally need a therapeutic massage for a damaged sciatic muscle so that I can walk and work. I also need cosmetology professionals for ordinary but important services, such as coloring my roots. These services are delivered by trained professionals, and those professionals need accessible, high-quality schools in which to learn their craft.
The nation cannot honestly promote workforce development and the skilled trades while allowing policies that eliminate the schools supplying those workers. Title IV-supported trade schools are not unregulated or unaccountable. They must meet accreditation expectations, comply with state licensing requirements, undergo audits, document student outcomes and maintain federal eligibility standards. Schools like ours have remained open for decades because we are accountable to students, employers, regulators and the industries we serve.
The “Do No Harm” provision should be stopped, revised or paired with meaningful replacement funding. Federal policy should protect students without destroying high-quality programs that lead to needed careers. A fair system must recognize the real structure of massage therapy, esthetics, cosmetology, culinary arts and other client-based professions. Without reform, this policy could harm students, close ethical schools, weaken employers and reduce access to essential services in communities throughout the country.
Massage therapy is a profession with substantial and growing demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of massage therapists to grow 15 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations. It also projects approximately 24,700 openings each year during that decade. National organizations such as the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) continue to report on the profession’s workforce needs, business opportunities and the value of trained, licensed practitioners.
The demand is visible beyond reports and statistics. A simple search for massage therapy openings shows employers seeking qualified therapists in spas, medical and wellness settings, resorts, franchise locations, chiropractic offices and private practices. The same is true for estheticians, cosmetologists and other trained personal-service professionals. Yet while the country continues to encourage people to pursue skilled trades, federal policy may be moving in the opposite direction.
The federal “Do No Harm” earnings provision presents a serious risk to Title IV-funded career schools. The measure would use an earnings-based accountability test for many postsecondary programs and could remove federal student-loan eligibility from programs that do not meet its benchmark. Although its implementation has been delayed, the threat remains. AMTA has warned that the proposed rule could jeopardize Title IV eligibility for a very large share of massage therapy schools. Similar concerns apply to cosmetology, esthetics, culinary arts and arts programs—fields that can provide real careers, but may not fit neatly into a one-size-fits-all federal earnings formula.urban+1
The issue is not that students should be denied protection from excessive debt. Students absolutely deserve transparent information, ethical recruitment, quality education, reasonable tuition and accountability from schools. However, accountability must be fair. The current proposed approach does not accurately reflect how many massage therapists and personal-service professionals build their careers. Graduates may start part time while gaining experience, caring for families or maintaining other jobs. They may receive tips, work as independent contractors, rent treatment rooms or gradually build a self-employed client base. Their income can grow over time, but federal data may not fully capture those realities. AMTA has specifically raised concerns that measures used in the rule may overlook self-employment, tips and flexible schedules that are central to the massage profession.
A part-time graduate should not be measured against a full-time worker as if they have the same hours, employment model and opportunity to earn. A fairer rule would compare part-time graduates with appropriate part-time workforce data. It would recognize verified self-employment income, tips where documented and independent-contractor work. It would also allow a reasonable period for graduates to establish a client base and account for regional wage differences and costs of living. These changes would preserve meaningful oversight while preventing good schools and valid career pathways from being penalized by incomplete data.
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The issue is not that students should be denied protection from excessive debt. Students absolutely deserve transparent information, ethical recruitment, quality education, reasonable tuition and accountability from schools. However, accountability must be fair.
If policymakers are unwilling to make the “Do No Harm” provision fairer, then reliable replacement funding must be found for career schools across the United States. Private Title IV-funded schools generally do not receive the state appropriations that support public colleges. Without federal aid, many students will simply be unable to enroll. Most students cannot pay the full cost of career education out of pocket while also managing rent, transportation, food, child care and family responsibilities. Even if students can contribute a few hundred dollars per month, that amount cannot support the full cost of quality instruction, qualified faculty, licensing, accreditation, clinical equipment, insurance, utilities, facilities and leases.
If Title IV funding is removed, many established career schools may not survive. That would harm more than the schools themselves. Employers depend on these institutions as pipelines for trained workers. Spas, salons, wellness centers, medical offices, resorts and independent businesses need new professionals to serve clients and keep their businesses operating. If the education pipeline is shut down, employers may be unable to hire, expand or even remain open.
The consequences would reach consumers and communities as well. Massage therapy helps many people manage pain, reduce stress, improve mobility and remain able to work. I personally need a therapeutic massage for a damaged sciatic muscle so that I can walk and work. I also need cosmetology professionals for ordinary but important services, such as coloring my roots. These services are delivered by trained professionals, and those professionals need accessible, high-quality schools in which to learn their craft.
The nation cannot honestly promote workforce development and the skilled trades while allowing policies that eliminate the schools supplying those workers. Title IV-supported trade schools are not unregulated or unaccountable. They must meet accreditation expectations, comply with state licensing requirements, undergo audits, document student outcomes and maintain federal eligibility standards. Schools like ours have remained open for decades because we are accountable to students, employers, regulators and the industries we serve.
The “Do No Harm” provision should be stopped, revised or paired with meaningful replacement funding. Federal policy should protect students without destroying high-quality programs that lead to needed careers. A fair system must recognize the real structure of massage therapy, esthetics, cosmetology, culinary arts and other client-based professions. Without reform, this policy could harm students, close ethical schools, weaken employers and reduce access to essential services in communities throughout the country.
