I recently got Pro Tools M-Powered academic on ebay for $159. The ad said I could send proof that I'm a student after purchase, but the seller never asked me. New in box, same box you buy anywhere. I also bought my ProjectMix IO on ebay, and it was drop shipped direct from Digidesign, reciept and all. So if you are on a budget (and who isn't), I'd give it a try.
on another note:
Here's a great chart with the specs and compatibility info for many m-audio interfaces:
http://www.m-audio.com/images/global...rfaceChart.jpg
I wanted an interface I could bring along with my laptop for mobile mixing (the ProjectMix is big) - and this chart helped me decide on the FastTrack USB - $79 refurb from MusiciansFriend.com
-geekd