What Kind of Message Does That Send?

The state of Michigan certainly is fickle. I should probably give you a little background before explaining further...

Back in 2006 I was receiving Unemployment Benefits from a job that ended in 2005. The short version is that I misunderstood the guidelines and thought having a side-job that would provide me with roughly $10 per week was going to cause my benefits to come to an end. So, I quit it (why I would I keep getting $10 per week for something I enjoyed doing when I could be getting $320 per week???). Needless to say, I was confused and my benefits actually ended because I quit that little job. So...after earning the required sum (somewhere between $3,000 and $4,000...I don't recall the exact amount), I was once again eligible to receive those benefits. Needless to say, this came in handy when I first went back to school.

When I began receiving benefits the second time, I was eligible for a "waiver" as a student. So what in the world would a waiver do for me? Basically, it meant that because I was a full-time student I didn't have to look for work as long as I provided weekly documentation from my professors indicating that I was attending classes. Fast forward a couple of months to the State's decision to alter their current policy on students. They decided that only training programs (for careers in things like automotive maintenance, massage therapy, and hair styling) would now be eligible for the waiver because those individuals were learning specific skills. While it was seemed somewhat devastating to me at the time, I survived. I continued applying for jobs (none of which I was hired for - thank goodness), receiving my benefits without the waiver, and going to school to become a teacher.

Fast forward to 2008. Apparently, the state has decided to extend the benefits of those individuals who had received them in the past (I have submitted my paperwork and will hopefully be deemed to be eligible once again). Immediately, I was curious as to what the current status of the "waiver" for full-time students had morphed into. Right away I checked with Michigan Works (they are the agency that issues the waiver) to see what the deal was. This is where I have to ask, "What kind of message does that send?" Apparently, the new policy is as follows: if you are in a two-year program you are eligible for a waiver; but, if you are in a four year program you are forced to pound the pavement and look for work. Of course, this means that if you do manage to find a job that you will have to drop all of your classes and become part of the work force.

My question is this: What sense does it make for me to take a minimum wage job or even $9-10/hour (neither of which are likely to have benefits) when I will be eligible for a teaching job once I have finished my program? How could that possibly be in my best interest? Not to mention all the loans I have taken-out for the year that I will still owe, but have nothing to show for? I wonder what would happen if I switched to a two-year program now, even though I actually only have one-year left in my current program? I bet it would be fine. How ironic is that?