The National Cosmetololgy Association

The National Cosmetology Association (NCA) is the world's largest association of salon professionals. Founded in 1921, the not-for-profit organization aspires to a motto of inspiring creativity, growing careers, community service, and protecting our profession.

Providing services, resources, and discounts for its membership of both students and various salon professionals, it has now grown to include over 25,000 members nationwide. Whatever needs and/or interests its members may have, NCA seeks to provide it all.

Membership Benefits:

• A Career Recruiting Site - Includes a database for members to post resumes and search job position listings.

• Scholarships - By means of the NCA's Sally Beauty Excel Scholarship, the organization has awarded over $10,000 in scholarships to students in cosmetology education programs this year.

• Savings Programs - Many different national events, including the Chicago Midwest Beauty Show and the American Spa Expo provide free admission or discounted rates for NCA members. Members may also enjoy discounts at select insurance providers, product manufacturers, and travel companies.

• Career Advancement Opportunities - With access to local, national, and international competitions, NCA members have the opportunity to either attend as spectators who want to remain current with the latest trends and practices, or talented participants hoping to instantly propel their careers forward. NCA also provides discounts to many educational programs for the ongoing education of its members, including the Vidal Sassoon academies and John Paul Mitchell Systems academies.

• Free Publications - A NCA membership includes a free annual subscription of American Spa magazine as well as a monthly organization newsletter.

• Volunteer Opportunities - NCA supports an array of causes including domestic violence, cancer research, and poverty by giving its members the option of either volunteering their time by working for such charitable organizations or supporting their missions by means of financial contributions.

The NCA also supports cosmetologists nationwide through their involvement in career-related legislative concerns. The organization is concerned with topics such as taxation for salon owners, licensing of salon professionals, and funding for salon inspections, among others. NCA performs several different policy-making functions, including the regulation of legislation relating to the cosmetology field in each state, analyzing data to create policy, and providing the financial funding necessary to make their policy work a reality.

To learn more about the NCA, the services and resources it provides, or to become a member, you can visit the organization's website at www.ncacares.org.