Well turns out I was wrong, since I am self employed and my last two years didn't show much on my tax returns while I was a full time student NO banks want to deal with me, not even small local banks. 

Yes I currently have 6% interest on my student loans.

That's one reason I appreciate Fortune Builders - most of their students approach this like a job, and when they send you a proposal, it's DETAILED! 

I currently rent out some of my properties to students where the the 2 students aren't related. 

I would love for him to not have to worry about a college education and student debt and I would love to be able to leave him a small nest egg when I'm gone.

I am a college student at Bryant University in the Providence, RI area but am originally from Connecticut.

It all comes down to how each person approaches it.Oh yeah...Honest urge to help others for the win!

There is a gold mine of great information on this site and I'd urge you to spend some time reading and listening to the podcasts.

college professors, students, low income?

This why vetting upfront is so important.On the other hand, a larger contractor may have real assets in the company or even a reputation that they want to protect so they want to find away to avoid getting into legals which waste time and money for them.With respect to contract size, in reality anything under 100K is not worth a full blown lawsuit as the legals will eat you alive even if you win; small claims court may be your best bet if you are OK managing the process or maybe using a paralegal.On the emotional side, I strongly urge you to put that aside.