Unemployment - the California Training Benefits Debacle

Unemployment - the California Training Benefits Debacle: Is the Government Encouraging Me to Drop Out?
　
In February, my dreams of becoming a successful financial advisor with the prestigious firm, Merrill Lynch, were abruptly destroyed when I was laid off. As was widely publicized, Merrill Lynch had gone under and Bank of America "saved the day". As a result, those of us in the FA training program were let go.
Three years earlier, I had moved to California from New York City having transferred from the back offices of the financial firm UBS to join a successful financial advising team in Newport Beach where I quickly obtained my licenses. After two years working with the team, I realized it was a good time for me to begin building my own practice and I was excited to be accepted into what was then known as the best financial advising training program in the industry at Merrill Lynch having no idea that 9 months later the US economy would crash and I would be unemployed.
I consider myself a resilient woman with a strong work ethic and an instinct to survive and push onward. After the initial shock, the sadness, the anger, the gambit of emotions - I decided this was a perfect time to re-evaluate my options. I had been in finance for 5 years and prior to that had a long and successful career as a Broadway performer. What did the two careers have in common? At first glance - the careers seem like extreme opposites. However, when taking a closer look, there is an inherent need to communicate and empathize with people in both careers. As an actress, I loved the opportunities I was given promoting the importance of reading and literacy in our schools. I loved challenging a person's assumptions about whether or not there is depth and validity in musical theatre. As a financial advisor, I was passionate about building a practice based in education - empowering my clients to understand their financial health.
When I reflected upon these "passion sparks" for my careers, I found that the logical option for me would be to pursue a career in education. More specifically, I was inspired to become a high school English teacher. I applied and was accepted to the University of California, Irvine teaching credential program, a highly respected, research driven, 9-month program. Getting accepted to the program was a feat in and of itself. Little did I know what was expected of me before classes began! I took and passed the CBEST exam and four CSET exams. I applied for Clearance, which requires a Live Scan. I took a TB test. All of this amounted to nearly (or approximately) $1000 cash investment, not to mention the hours spent studying and taking exams
I soon discovered that because I was going back to school, I would not qualify to receive unemployment benefits unless I requested to be interviewed for a program called California Training Benefits, a program that would allow me to continue to receive benefits while training for a new career if the program is completed in less than one year. Since UCI's teaching credential program is a nine-month program, I, naturally, believed this would be acceptable under the CTB program. I then requested the CTB information (which, incidentally, MUST be requested prior to one's 16th week of receiving benefits). At that time, my record was coded, even though I had not began classes. My benefits were frozen until an interview, scheduled for six weeks later, which was the earliest available appointment. This meant that, without warning, I no longer received any funds - the checks stopped coming. Yes, six weeks with no warning and no money.
By the time the interview day arrived, I was completely broke and hoping and praying that everything would be okay. My interviewer, Lina, called and asked a series of questions about my training program. Upon completion, I was not given any indication of whether or not I qualified.
The following Wednesday (September 30, 2009), I received two letters. One stated that I did not qualify for Unemployment Benefits because I am going to school. The other letter stated that I do not qualify for California Training Benefits because the training program would take longer than one year.
Again, UCI's teaching credential program is a nine-month program. When last I checked, 9 months is considered less than a year.
I have sent an appeal letter and am waiting - I have no idea how long - for the appeal process, with absolutely no money.
As I sit here writing this, I am in my assigned fieldwork observation high school, Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach. The students are watching a film version of "Great Expectations" and I love the smiles on their faces as they enjoy watching the story they have spent the last few weeks reading, with such difficult vocabulary, brought to visual life. It is a reward for them for making it this far. My two days per week here are a part of my fieldwork observation requirements this quarter. The rest of my week is filled with classes at UCI. Come January, I will actually be teaching these same students.
I wonder, as I sit here, is the government encouraging their "interviewers" to make these "mistakes" in hopes that people will not bother to appeal?
Are they really telling me to drop out?
Are they saying that rather than study at one of the best and most respected research based programs in the US and become an amazing high school English teacher, specializing in English Language Development in a state in which student's test scores are plummeting and over half of the student's in our public schools are English language learners - are they telling me I should STOP training in order to receive benefits and continue to apply and be rejected by financial firms such as Edward Jones because my credit score has been completely demolished? (By the way, I was amazed to find out that I cannot afford the $2000 needed to declare bankruptcy. Seriously, I need $2000 in order to declare that I have no money to pay my debts?)
I look at what I have written so far and I feel trapped. I honestly want to make a difference. I am choosing a career that pays around $25k per year to start. I sincerely want to teach in urban, economically challenged areas. I am enrolled in classes titled, "Cultural Diversity", "English Language Development", "Adolescent Development", "Learning to Learn From Teaching", "Teaching English in Secondary Schools", and "Classroom Management / Fieldwork Observation" for a total of 20 units this fall quarter. Am I trying to take advantage of the unemployment benefit? Please tell me. Am I missing something? I really need to know.
As of right now, I am enrolled full time in a UC school in a program that takes 9 months to complete and I am unable to receive benefits. I thought I was doing something to survive, to educate myself, to bring myself into a new and fulfilling career.
With the short sale of my fiancé’s house, we will soon be homeless. I have no money to pay my car payment, pay for gas or for groceries. My student loans paid for my classes and books.
This feels wrong. How many other people are in similar situations and have given up?