[ac29]

>if I'd played my cards right, I could've been drawing unemployment for my first year at college.

What state was this in? That is certainly illegal in California, and I would assume most states, though people do get away with defrauding the system.

[nostrademons]

It was Massachusetts. A number of people told me later that I could've collected, and a quick glance through Massachusett's Unemployment Insurance FAQ shows no mention of being a student other than UI not covering student work-study programs for financial aid:

http://www.mass.gov/lwd/unemployment-insur/resources/questio...

I didn't because it never occurred to me - as far as I was concerned, I left my job normally to go to college and they just didn't pay out the vacation pay. I wasn't hurting for money then or now (I was still living with my parents at the time), so I don't really regret it, but it does appear to be a real, genuine loophole in the system.