Amarillo has plenty of people who can cut hair. What it doesn’t have is plenty of places to get trained. Barber school options in Amarillo are limited, and if you want to earn your Texas barber hours here in town — not in Lubbock, not in Oklahoma City, not on a long weekly drive — that short list matters.
Milan Institute’s Amarillo campus is on it, and we built our schedule for the people most often left out: adults who already have a job, a lease, a car payment, and a family that expects dinner.
Because here’s the truth most people learn too late. In Texas, cutting hair for money without a license isn’t a gray area. It’s a violation with real consequences. Getting licensed is what turns the thing you’re already good at into work you can legally get paid for, advertise, build a client book around, and eventually own a shop doing.
Evening Classes That Start at 5:30 p.m.
Our evening barbering classes begin at 5:30 p.m., which means you can finish your shift, grab something to eat, and still make it to class on time.
Evening training also includes an asynchronous learning component, so part of your coursework can be completed on your own schedule — early mornings, days off, after the kids are down. You get the flexibility of online work paired with the hands-on floor time that barbering absolutely requires. No one has ever learned a clean fade from a screen.
Our evening students look like Amarillo: line cooks and servers, warehouse and plant workers, retail associates, parents with kids in school, veterans, and folks already cutting for friends and family who are ready to do it legally and profitably. Students commute in from across the Panhandle — Canyon, Borger, Pampa, Dumas, Hereford, and the surrounding Potter and Randall County communities.
Start dates and class times can vary by program, so call the campus to confirm the current barbering evening schedule before you plan around it.
Why a Texas Barber License Is Non-Negotiable
If you take money for a haircut in Texas, the state expects you to hold a license. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation requires 1,000 hours of instruction at a licensed barbering or cosmetology school before you can apply for a Class A Barber license, and you become eligible to sit for the written exam after 900 hours (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation).
TDLR publishes penalty schedules for unlicensed practice, and enforcement is real — administrative penalties, not warnings (TDLR penalties and sanctions).
A license isn’t just protection from that risk. It’s the thing that lets you:
- Get hired at an established Amarillo barbershop
- Rent your own booth and set your own prices
- Advertise publicly instead of working by word of mouth
- Accept card payments and build verifiable income for a loan or lease
- Eventually apply for the licenses you’d need to open your own shop
Unlicensed haircuts cap out. A license doesn’t.
Scholarships Built for Real Situations, Including Evening Students
Milan Institute offers multiple tuition scholarships, and several don’t require a FAFSA. Among the 2026 awards available to Amarillo students (2026 Scholarships at Milan Institute):
Scholarship | Amount | Who it’s for |
Evening Pathway Scholarship | $1,250 | Evening class students with a GED or high school diploma |
First Generation Student Scholarship | $1,000 | First-generation college students; short essay required |
Milan Commitment Scholarship | $1,000 | Students with a GED or diploma; application and short essay |
Alumni Scholarship | $2,000 / $1,000 | Milan Institute graduates returning for more training |
Family and Friends Scholarship | $500 | First-time students referred by a Milan graduate |
Future Healthcare Professionals Scholarship | $1,000 | Students with a GED or high school diploma |
That’s part of a much larger commitment: in 2026, Milan Institute awarded $1,360,250 across 977 scholarships (Milan Institute financial aid).
One thing to understand up front — a tuition scholarship at Milan is applied to your school charges, usually tuition and mandatory fees, rather than handed to you as a lump-sum check. That’s good for your bottom line: it lowers what you owe, which can also reduce how much you’d need to borrow and pay interest on later (Milan Institute financial aid).
Amounts, eligibility, and deadlines change, so ask the Amarillo campus which scholarships are currently open.
Financial Aid, Explained by a Human Being
Paperwork is where a lot of good plans quietly die. Our advisors walk you through it. Depending on eligibility, your funding may include:
- Federal Pell Grants and federal student loans through the FAFSA — and you’re never required to accept a loan you don’t want
- Milan Institute scholarships, several with no FAFSA required
- Private payment plans, also with no FAFSA required
- VA education benefits for qualifying veterans at eligible campuses and programs
You’ll also get an estimated cost of attendance so you can decide with real numbers in front of you (Milan Institute financial aid). The Amarillo campus FAFSA code is 030987.
What You’ll Learn in the Barbering Program
Milan’s Barbering program can be completed in as few as 34 weeks* and covers (Milan Institute Barbering program):
- Cutting and styling — shears, razors, clippers, trimmers, thinning shears, wet and dry cutting, blow-drying, non-chemical straightening
- Chemical services — color, straightening, waving, bleaching, hair analysis, strand testing, formula mixing
- Shaving and beard work — client prep, precision shaving, beard trimming, facial and rolling cream massage, aftershave antiseptics
- Sanitation and safety — disinfection procedures, tool standards, anatomy of hair, skin and nails
- Business skills — customer service, client records, industry regulations, interview prep, and what it takes to own a barbershop
You’ll practice on real clients in our on-site student salon under experienced instructors. That’s the part employers ask about. Nobody hires a barber for their notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do evening barber classes start at Milan Institute Amarillo?
Evening classes begin at 5:30 p.m., so you can attend after a typical workday. Evening training also includes an asynchronous learning component you can complete on your own schedule.
Can I work full time while attending barber school in Amarillo?
Many of our evening students do. The 5:30 p.m. start time and asynchronous coursework are designed specifically for students who are working while they train.
Do I need a license to cut hair for money in Texas?
Yes. Texas requires a license to practice barbering, and TDLR publishes penalties for unlicensed practice. A Class A Barber license requires 1,000 hours of instruction at a licensed school, with written exam eligibility at 900 hours (TDLR).
How long does barber school take?
Milan's Barbering program can be completed in as few as 34 weeks, depending on your schedule (Milan Institute Barbering program).
How many barber schools are in Amarillo?
Options are limited. Amarillo has only a small number of schools where you can complete barber training hours, which is why evening seats fill quickly.
Is financial aid available for barbering in Amarillo?
Yes. Eligible students may qualify for federal Pell Grants and loans through the FAFSA, VA education benefits, private payment plans, and multiple Milan Institute scholarships — several with no FAFSA required (Milan Institute financial aid).
Is there a scholarship specifically for evening students?
Yes. The Evening Pathway Scholarship is a $1,250 tuition scholarship for evening students with a GED or high school diploma. First-generation college students may also qualify for the $1,000 First Generation Student Scholarship (2026 Scholarships at Milan Institute).
Do I need a high school diploma or GED?
While not required to enroll, most Milan scholarships require a GED or high school diploma. Talk with an admissions representative about your situation. Pathways exist for students still working on that step.
Do I get to work on real clients?
Yes. You'll train on real clients in our on-site student salon under the supervision of experienced instructors.
Visit the Amarillo Campus
The fastest way to know if this is right for you is to stand in the building. Walk the floor, watch a class, meet an instructor, and ask the blunt questions about cost and schedule.
Milan Institute — Amarillo Campus
3440 Bell Street #212, Amarillo, TX 79109
806-349-4100
Campus Director: Tori Palmer
Monday 9 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Tuesday–Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Milan Institute Amarillo campus)
Walk-ins are welcome, but booking a tour means someone is ready for you with answers about evening barbering start dates, the Evening Pathway Scholarship, and your financial aid options.
Book a tour today, and let’s get you licensed and behind the chair.
*Program length may vary depending on the student’s schedule. Programs prepare students to take the state licensing examination; licensure is granted by the state, not the school.