What “source-checked” means
A source-checked listing is built from information published by the school, program, or an applicable state licensing authority. We look for the details students use to make a real decision: tuition and total cost, next start date, schedule, delivery format, required hours, financial aid, and licensing pathway.
Our review process
- Start with the most authoritative source. We prioritize official school pages, catalogs, admissions materials, and relevant state sources over summaries or third-party claims.
- Compare the details carefully. We connect each published fact to its supporting source and distinguish a program’s tuition, schedule, and start date from general school-level information.
- Show uncertainty instead of guessing. If a school has not published a detail, or sources disagree, we label it unknown or send it for review rather than fill the gap with an estimate.
- Keep the review visible. Each listing shows its verification status and the date it was last checked so you can judge how current the information is.
What we check for students
- Program name, specialty, campus, and location
- Published tuition, fees, total cost, and payment-plan information
- Next start date, enrollment status, schedule, and attendance format
- Required hours, financial-aid information, and accreditation where published
- Licensing pathways and the state authority students should confirm with
How providers and students can help
Schools and providers can request a correction or confirm a published detail. Students can also flag information that looks outdated or inconsistent with an official source. We review the evidence before changing a listing, and sponsored placement never changes our verification standards.
What verification does—and does not—mean
Verification means the listing reflects the best source-backed information we could confirm on the date shown. It does not guarantee admission, job placement, licensing approval, financial-aid eligibility, tuition, schedule, or class availability. Schools can change their offerings, so confirm final enrollment details directly before paying or enrolling.
Ready to compare? Browse source-checked beauty and barber programs, or report a correction if something needs another look.