Reportedly, the Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund has committed $250,000 to cosmetology and barbering education in 2026, with 10 schools set to receive $25,000 each. The latest round doubles the number of participating schools from the previous five, building on a programme that has supported both students and salon owners since 2024. Beyoncé’s haircare business is extending its support for aspiring hair professionals beyond the United States, bringing its scholarship programme to the United Kingdom for the first time. The funding is intended to help students cover tuition and other education-related costs as they prepare for careers in the beauty industry.
The Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund is increasing the number of educational institutions involved in its scholarship programme from five to 10 in 2026. The new intake also extends beyond the United States, with schools in the United Kingdom becoming part of the initiative for the first time since its launch in 2024. The 2026 programme takes a different approach. Rather than repeating the previous year’s split between business grants and student scholarships, the announced $250,000 investment is focused on education. Doubling the number of participating schools and adding the UK gives the latest round a wider institutional reach, even as its total funding is lower than the $500,000 commitments made in each of the two preceding years. For 2026, the immediate commitment is clear: 10 institutions will receive $25,000 each, bringing the total education investment to $250,000.
Which institutions will take part, and how the individual schools will distribute the funding, remain details to be confirmed in the published announcement. Cécred is Beyoncé’s haircare brand, while BeyGOOD is the philanthropic organisation associated with the singer. Their joint fund brings the two together around an industry in which training, technical knowledge and small-business ownership are closely linked. The inclusion of UK schools extends the programme beyond its original American base. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
Its move into the UK gives the fund an international presence, although the published announcement does not identify the 10 participating schools individually. The 2026 allocation is dedicated to education, rather than being divided between students and existing business owners as it was during the fund’s first year. Representational Image When the Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund launched in 2024, it committed $500,000 to supporting salon professionals and students. Education received half of that first investment, amounting to $250,000. Twenty-five cosmetology students at five partner schools were awarded scholarships worth $10,000 each. The remaining $250,000 went to 25 salon and barbershop owners, who also received $10,000 apiece to help maintain or develop their businesses. The fund widened its reach across the United States in 2025, maintaining its total investment at $500,000. Its support for established businesses grew, with $370,000 distributed among 37 salon and barbershop owners in grants of $10,000 each. A total of $130,000 was set aside for scholarships awarded to 46 cosmetology and barbering students.
The scholarship programme is part of a broader effort to support the people who work in salons and barbershops, including those still completing their training. Students need practical experience alongside their classroom education, and the costs associated with professional courses can include supplies and other materials required to develop technical skills. By directing funding through partner institutions, the Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund can contribute towards these expenses without limiting its support to established professionals. Tina Knowles, chair of the BeyGOOD Foundation’s board and vice chairwoman at Cécred described, “We strive to uplift the professional hair industry and grow the salon community, while giving students and salon owners the tools they need to progress it forward. The initial programme covered five US states: California, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey and Texas. That first round established the fund’s two main areas of support. It addressed the training costs faced by people entering the profession while also offering financial assistance to those already running businesses in the sector. Those recipients also had access to business development assistance, mentoring and other resources through a partnership with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The arrangement extended the programme beyond direct grants by connecting owners with support intended to help them manage and develop their businesses. Students continued to receive funding that year, although the education allocation was smaller than in the inaugural round. Salon professionals often build their careers through formal education followed by practical work, and some eventually establish businesses of their own. Its latest allocation places greater emphasis on the training stage, with schools serving as the route through which financial assistance will reach students.
The expansion builds on a programme that has previously operated in several US markets. The fund’s earlier rounds reflected both stages, with scholarships for students and grants for salon and barbershop owners.
The fund has allocated $250,000 to this year’s education programme. Each of the 10 selected institutions will receive $25,000 to support students studying cosmetology and barbering. The money is intended to help cover tuition and other education-related expenses, giving participating schools funding to direct towards students preparing for careers in the hair industry.