HBCU campuses are known for setting style trends that have global influence. Just ask folks at the GAP, Nike and Ralph Lauren. The yard at Howard University is certainly no exception. The 159-year-old Washington, D.C. institution has produced modern fashion and beauty trailblazers like designer and influencer Kahlana Barfield Brown, costume designer Marci Rodgers and entrepreneur Tahir Murray.

Now, Howard University has further expanded their iconic style footprint. The storied school just announced that official barbershop and salon services are available in select campus residence halls. Anyone truly in the know recognizes that students on HBCU campus don’t play about their hair or nails. Thus, precise lineups, loc re-twists, silk presses and fresh nail sets were already unofficially happening in dorm rooms. Trust. But now, Howard students can receive these services and more in a professional salon setting thanks to H.U. alum, C. Alan Bennett. Bennett is the founder and chief executive of the award-winning cosmetology and barbering school Bennett Career Institute and the C. Alan Brand.

Prior to graduating from Howard with a master’s degree in educational administration and Supervision, Bennett completed undergraduate studies at Morehouse College. A native of Washington, D.C., Bennett has more than 32 years of experience in the cosmetology and barbering industry. Nationally accredited, Bennett Career Institute has trained thousands of beauty professionals over the past 30 years for careers in cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, natural hair care and entrepreneurship. Bennett is bringing his renowned expertise back to his alma mater via the C. Alan Barber Salon at Drew Hall, offering barbering, natural hair, manicure and pedicure services, and the C. Alan Hair Salon at The Quad, providing quick, appointment-based hair care for students. 

“Howard University helped shape who I became as a leader and entrepreneur,” Bennett told The Dig (Howard University’s official online hub for campus news). “To return and serve the next generation of Bison is an incredible honor. These students are not going to be students forever. They’re going to be doctors, lawyers and potential presidents. We understand that when people look good, they feel better.”

According to The Dig, the Drew Hall Grooming Lounge, located on the building’s first floor, will feature four stations dedicated to barbering and natural hair care. The Drew Hall space also will include a separate nail services room staffed by licensed manicurists offering manicures and pedicures. The Quad Hall Salon, located on the residence hall’s lower level, will be housed in an existing three-chair salon space. The salon will focus on quick, appointment-based services including shampoo and blowouts, braid preparation, conditioning treatments and silk wraps, with most appointments lasting less than an hour. 

“These are services we can complete in 45 to 50 minutes, so students can get back to class on time and not be in the salon all day,” Bennett explained to The Dig. “We get them in and out, and that’s also how we can keep the prices down.”

The Quad Hall salon space was created during a major 2019 renovation led by Student Affairs to better serve women living in the residence hall. Drew Hall previously featured a modest barbershop, but it closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new collaboration took shape last year after Bennett’s broker reached out to Howard about salon space. And now, the doors to both spaces have opened for the 2026-2027 school year.

Both locations began serving clients on August 11. Students can pay for barber and salon services using their “Bison Bucks”. Recent Howard graduates have already been employed in both locations. The Bennett Career Institute also plans to host beauty and grooming education programs on campus while involving Howard students in planning events and outreach activities.