When is a barbershop not just a barbershop? When it opens inside an unusual venue to give free haircuts.Mobile users tap here for videoRob Cradle is doing what he does best giving haircuts to make people feel like a million bucks."It actually makes me happy to come out and looking good you know," student Devon Thomas said.But it is no ordinary barbershop. It's a converted supply closet inside the Phoenix Academy in Annapolis, which is an alternative school for students with barriers to learning.In April, Rob's Barbershop Community Foundation opened the shop to serve students, 30 percent of whom lack access to regular hygienic and grooming care."Really the key word is access because for several reasons it may be transportation, household income some households are transient, really access is the problem, so bringing the services to the population kind of eliminates that barrier," Cradle said.The students love coming to the barbershop. They get to chat with Cradle and they said it even helps them in the classroom."My grades have gotten way better than I thought," Thomas said. "The barbershop has helped me save money. It helps me want to grow more because what we do here is grow.""I know that he did it right and made it not look all easy and stuff, and make it look good, so I can look good and fresh in school," fourth grader J'Marian Walker said.Administrators plan to track the students' academic success, comparing it to years past, to see if there is a significant impact on a student's performance. But judging by the smiles on the students' faces, they can already tell a difference."We really do think ultimately this will pay dividends in the classroom because kids that feel good about themselves will try harder, try longer and have higher self-efficacy and feel good about themselves," Phoenix Academy principal John Thompson said.The barbershop will be closed for the summer, but Rob plans to expand the program next school year.