First-Ever Esthetics Scholarship Announced - Les Nouvelles Esthétiques funds NCEA Scholarship Program

Miami, FL - April 8, 2004 - Education is the key to growth in any industry, especially a continually growing one like the esthetics field. For the first time ever, esthetics students are eligible to receive a $1,000 scholarship while attending an American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS) member school, thanks to the National Coalition of Esthetic & Related Associations (NCEA) and Les Nouvelles Esthétiques magazine.

Les Nouvelles Esthétiques will fund the first of four scholarships to be awarded by the NCEA. According to Monica Schuloff Smith, LNE's editor in chief, funding the scholarship fits in with the magazine's philosophy.

"Since our inception, education has been our No. 1 priority, and we've embraced the chance to raise the industry's standards," Smith says.

She adds, "We feel that it's essential to give back to the industry to support our future, and that's why we've decided to fund this scholarship."

The idea for the NCEA Scholarship Program began with a joint discussion between Jim Cox, executive director of the AACS, and Susanne S. Warfield, executive director of the NCEA, Warfield says. The scholarship program is an incentive scholarship that will be awarded to students who demonstrate good performance in school, as well as financial need.

Applicants must have reached at least the mid-point of their training and maintained at least 80 percent attendance and an 80 percent grade average. A selection committee made up of NCEA members will review applications that meet the basic requirements, which will be verified by the student's school. According to Warfield, the first scholarship recipient will be chosen in two to three months. The scholarship winners will be announced at the AACS annual meetings.

AACS is "America's voice in hair, skin and nail education" and was founded in 1924. It is a national, nonprofit association open to all privately owned schools of cosmetology arts and sciences.

NCEA was founded in January 2000 and is an international association of esthetic and related professionals. NCEA's mission is to represent and protect the esthetic and related professions while conveying proper standards of practice and educating the industry and the public.

The American edition of Les Nouvelles Esthétiques has been in circulation since 1985 and is the only monthly publication in the industry devoted to skin care and spa professionals. The focus of the magazine's articles is to educate skin care and spa professionals in all aspects of the beauty industry. Founded more than 50 years ago in Paris, France, LNE has a global network of 19 publications and more than 22 trade shows worldwide making it the largest international source for esthetics and spa professionals.

For more information, call 1-(800) 471-0229 or visit www.LNEONLINE.com.