[Blue Bomber Man]

Some good news on the software front: SolidWorks does have student pricing ($150.00) which is about 96% off the retail price (and that is not an exaggeration).

Additionally he stated I might be able to get a discount on the full version based on my projects intentions. The only differences that I know of between the two is that the student license expires after two years and cannot be used commercially. When I talk on the phone with the rep I will have more information on this.